DRAMA DEAL Fremantle has closed a package deal with Spanish streamer Filmin for a slate of premium drama titles, including Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of Ingmar Berman’s “Faithless” and BAFTA-winning actress Rebecca Hall’s thriller “The Listeners,” both of which recently screened in competition at the Toronto International Film Festival. Also included in the deal […]

‘MASKED’ MANIA Bandicoot Scotland, an Argonon joint venture, has secured a two-series recommission from U.K. broadcaster ITV for “The Masked Singer U.K.” The renewal includes a sixth season currently in production and a seventh 8 x 90′ series. In addition, Bandicoot is set to produce “The After Mask,” a new 8 x 30′ digital companion […]

LIGHTING UP TIME Stuck in a dark and mysterious neighborhood with no memory of how they got there, six strangers will have to piece together their forgotten pasts to escape in “Light Shop,” an eight-part supernatural mystery launching on the Disney+ streaming service from December. The show is an adaptation of the “Light Shop” webtoon […]

FISH FABLE The BBC and Magic Light Pictures have released a first look at their Christmas animated adventure, “Tiddler,” adapted from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler‘s picture book for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The story follows a little fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the ocean and is saved by his […]

SCRIPTED ADAPTATION Yes Studios comedy “Bloody Murray” is set to get a Georgian adaptation, Variety has learned. Cavea+, the first official streaming platform in Georgia, has picked up the series about roommates Murray, a romcom expert, and gynaecologist Dana, who find themselves clashing over a man. The series is the first ever scripted Israeli show […]

STREAMING SYNERGIES Amazon India has completed the deal to acquire assets of MX Player, including its app, and is combining it with its AVOD platform Amazon miniTV to create a new free streaming service called Amazon MX Player. The merged platform has over 250 million unique users in India, according to Amazon. The service offers […]

GOING DUTCH (AGAIN) The International Film Festival Rotterdam has appointed Marten Rabarts to the position of head of IFFR Pro, its market strand, effective immediately. Recently, Rabarts served as festival director at the New Zealand International Film Festival. His extensive global career also has significant legacy in the Netherlands, both as head of EYE International […]

TAXING SITUATION The Philippines is to impose a 12% value-added tax on overseas digital service providers operating in the country, including Netflix, HBO and Disney. The measure was signed into law on Wednesday by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “If you are reaping the rewards of a fruitful digital economy here, it is only right that […]

MARRIED TO HIT REALITY SHOW Australia’s 9Network has acquired every season of every English-language version of hit reality show “Married at First Sight.” At the same time, it has launched a Married at First Sight FAST channel on its 9Now streaming platform. The deal with Seven.One Studios includes productions from the U.S., U.K., New Zealand and […]