U.K.-based distributor Omega Global Media has boarded Brendan Foley’s Hans Christian Andersen-inspired crime drama “Fairytale Detective.” Each one-hour episode follows Andersen as he solves crimes in 1850s Copenhagen aided by a coterie of characters from his stories, who come to life to help him find justice. While embarking on his unusual hobby, he hopes to […]

Paramount-owned U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 has acquired premium history docuseries “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World,” a Keshet International (KI) and SandStone Global collaboration. The three-part series, which has just gone into production, is based on Professor Bettany Hughes’ best-selling book of the same name. Historian and broadcaster Hughes will travel across three continents for […]

Victura Media, a new company focused on managing entertainment franchises, has launched at Mipcon with a slate of IP including a television adaptation of Dawn O’Porter novel “Paper Aeroplanes.”Victura will also distribute a number of titles from “The Walking Dead” producer Skybound Entertainment, including“PSI Cops,” “Super Dinosaur” and “Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s Festival of […]

U.K. public service broadcaster ITV has come under fire after a job advert for a “head of generative AI innovation” went viral. The advert, which was posted on LinkedIn as well as other job sites, says the role will include spearheading “AI-driven innovations in content creation for TV shows, films, and digital-first content across ITV […]

BritBox has inked a wide-ranging North American 20-hour content deal with Sphere Abacus for a range of titles including non-fiction, true crime, entertainment and drama. Following the deal, American and Canadian audiences with a subscription to the ad-free streaming platform will be able to watch: Suchet will be in Cannes this week for Mipcom to […]

Cheryl Cole, who shared a son with Liam Payne, has issued a statement on the death of the superstar. In a paragraph posted to Instagram, Cole pleaded with the media to stop with “abhorrent reports” and “media exploitation” of his death for the sake of their son Bear. “As I try to navigate this earth […]

NBCUniversal International has posted a record pre-tax loss following a write down of £99,297,000 ($130 million), its latest accounts show. The accounts, which were filed at U.K. business registrar Companies House last week and cover the 12 month period up to Dec. 31, 2023, were accompanied by a report that said: “Following an assessment of […]

German crime drama “Vet Jacobs – Agent on Occasion” has sold to Warner Bros. Discovery’s network Giallo in Italy. Known as “Nord bei Nordwest” in its native Germany, where the show has consistently delivered a high market share on ARD, the series stars Hinnerk Schönemann (“War Horse”) as Hauke Jacobs, a police officer turned veterinarian […]

Canadian director, writer and producer Alvin Rakoff, best known for directing Laurence Olivier in “A Voyage Round My Father,” has died at the age of 97. The cause of death was “old age,” his agent told Variety. He died on Oct. 12 at home, surrounded by his family. Over a career spanning more than four […]

Apple TV Europe boss and BFI chair Jay Hunt engaged in a rare public Q&A hosted by “The Traitors” U.K. presenter Claudia Winkleman during the BFI London Film Festival, where she discussed her lengthy career in U.K. public service broadcasting, move to streaming and the U.K. screen industry at large. Among the advice Hunt shared […]

“Dune” helmer Denis Villeneuve has been awarded the French Legion of Honor. The Quebecois filmmaker received the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters on Tuesday from France’s Minister of Culture Rachida Dati in Paris. He was given the honor in recognition of his career, which as well as “Dune” and its sequel includes […]

The German film and TV industry have adopted a new landmark collective agreement governing working conditions for actors and crew. Among the terms covered by the agreement, which will be afforded to over 25,000 freelance workers in the territory, will be reduced working hours, an industry-wide pension scheme, salary increases and the first regulations on […]

Slough House devotees can rejoice as Apple TV+ has confirmed its relatable spy series “Slow Horses” has been renewed for a sixth season. The show, based on Mick Herron’s hit novels, stars Gary Oldman as the intractable and slovenly Jackson Lamb, who leads a band of MI5 rejects nicknamed the “slow horses” including River Cartwright […]

Lupita Nyong’o teared up paying tribute to her “Black Panther” co-star Chadwick Boseman during a BFI London Film Festival Q&A about her career. After organizers played a clip from the 2018 film, in which Nyong’o starred as Nakia opposite Boseman’s T’Challa, the Oscar-winning actor admitted, “I haven’t seen the film since Chadwick died” before welling […]

“Buffalo Kids” is a turn-of-the-century caper that follows two Irish orphans, Mary and Tom, as they traverse the U.S. in search of their uncle, meeting a cast of heroes and villains along the way. Their adventure also leads them to Nick, a fellow orphan with cerebral palsy they quickly embrace as a surrogate brother. It […]

King Bee Productions, founded by Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, has inked a first look deal with Sony Pictures Television. The multi-year partnership will see King Bee developing and producing globally-targeted scripted content for Sony’s international production group and U.S. studio. The production company’s team includes Lizzie Nastro, who previously worked as head of acquisitions […]

Last week Amazon Prime Video flexed its international muscle with a host of events around Europe, including a Prime Video Presents Trailblazers event celebrating women on and off screen – which included appearances from Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra Jones and Amy Pascal – followed by the “Citadel: Diana” premiere in Italy. During the whirlwind European […]

Whalar Group has acquired U.K. talent management company Sixteenth, Variety has learned. Sixteenth, which was founded in 2017 to manager creators and extend their professional lives, will merge with Whalar’s own talent agency, Whalar Talent, although retain its original name. The result will be a 360 management company that enables creators and influencers to sustain […]

Documentary filmmaker Dan Reed, whose work includes Michael Jackson doc “Leaving Neverland” and HBO’s recent “The Truth vs Alex Jones,” has found his calling in getting people to relive “the worst day in their life,” as he describes it. As well as delving into subjects as grim as child sexual abuse (he won an Emmy […]