ABC TO AIR BENEFIT CONCERT
ABC will air Ariana Grande’s One Love benefit concert on Sun, one of a host of international broadcasters that have signed up to air the live event dedicated to helping victims of the Manchester attack. BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of BBC, is coordinating the international effort and has placed the concert with broadcasters in 38 countries so far, with more agreements expected. The event will run live on ABC’s Freeform cable channel with a 1 hour highlights show then going out on ABC stations after NBA finals. In addition to the US, viewers in Asia, South America, Australia, and other parts of Europe will be able to tune in to the concert, whose star lineup includes Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams & Coldplay. The show will be carried by Tencent in China, Globosat in Brazil, TF1’s TMC channel in France, Rai in Italy & pubcasters SVT in Sweden & NRK in Norway. NBCUniversal and its E! Entertainment cable network have secured a pan – Latin American deal. The broadcasters will all run the coverage live with repeat airings in territories where it goes out particularly early or late. In UK, BBC will cover it live from 6:55 pm to 10 pm on BBC One.
FILM MOVEMENT ACQIRES US RIGHTS
New York based Film Movement has acquired US rights to Jasper Jones, hailed by Variety
as the “Best Film” to date by Australia’s Rachel Perkins and a “beautifully composed portrait of life in late ’60s small – town Australia,” capturing “the loss of childhood innocence and the suffocating despair of adulthood.” Michael E. Rosenberg, president of Film Movement, finalized the deal with Charlotte Mickie, president of Mongrel International. Based on “Beloved” same -titled novel by Australia’s Craig Silver, the coming of age tale & murder mystery will celebrate its North America premiere as the closing night film at the Museum of the Moving Image’s tribute to the distributor, Film Movement: A 15th Anniversary Celebration. It screens on 2nd Jul, 2017. Carried by a standout young cast of Aaron McGrath, Levi Miller & Angourie Rice, and written by Silvey & Shaun Grant who deliver “a richly layered screenplay,” in verdict, Jasper Jones turns on a bookish 14 year old boy, Charlie Bucklin (Levi Miller), who dreams of becoming a writer. He is awoken in the dead of night by the titular character, a local part – Aboriginal outcast (Aaron McGrath), who leads him deep into the forest where he shows him something which will change his life forever. The discovery marks Charlie’s introduction into the far more complicated world of adult sentiments & emotions, as he also experiences 1st – love with a local girl (Angourie Rice), witnesses his family’s breakdown, and discovers the nature of true courage.
Toni Collette plays Charlie’s mother, Hugo Weaving, a crazed war veteran. Perkins has said that Jasper Jones is “about empathy, a young man’s growing up very quickly, realizing the world is not what it seems, but having the empathy to understand other people around him although he’s very different from them.” Film Movement will release Jasper Jones this winter.
WPP BUYS ASIAN CONTENT
Leading global advertising agency WPP has made a strategic investment in 88rising, a US based producer of digital content catering to Asian millennial market. Headed by Jaseon Ma & founded in 2015, 88rising is based in New York & Los Angeles, with plans to open another in Shanghai. The company is also increasingly involved in management of young Asian artists. Terms of the transaction with WPP were not disclosed. It has produced over 500 hours of original content that has generated over 80 million total video views on Facebook & YouTube. More than half of 88rising’s 16 – 34 year old viewers are in the Asia Pacific region. It has branded & sponsored content deals with companies including Adidas, Maybelline & Revolve, an online fashion & cosmetics retailer. WPP, which is a backer of Vice & Li Ruigang’s China Media Capital, last year enjoyed digital revenues of $7.5 billion, accounting for 39% of group revenues. It aims to hit 45% within the next five years. It has invested in several specialized digital content companies. They include Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital, a leader in producing & distributing music & digital content.
ALEX MAHON NAMED BOSS
Britain’s Channel 4 has named former Shine Boss Alex Mahon as its new Chief Executive, to start in the fall. Currently head of special -effects company The Foundry, Alex Mahon will replace David Abraham, who announced his departure from the commercial broadcaster earlier this year. Alex Mahon will be the 1st ever female chief executive in Channel 4’s 35 year history. Charles Gurassa, Channel 4’s chairman, described Alex Mahon as “an outstanding leader and a highly experienced CEO who has developed & grown major international businesses in both the creative & the technology sectors. She brings an impressive combination of relevant experience and is brilliantly placed to help steer Channel 4 through the competitive challenges & opportunities ahead. “She is a great enthusiast for Channel 4 and its unique public service remit and her recent work with government will be valuable in facilitating constructive dialogue with the new administration.” Alex Mahon, who produced the shows MasterChef & Broadchurch and whose The Foundry software special – effects company worked on Hollywood films Interstellar & Gravity,” said: “Channel 4’s unique remit to innovate & to appeal to young & diverse audiences make it an essential part of British culture.
ENTERTAINMENT ONE HIRES NOEL HEDGES
Independent film & TV studio eOne has brought in Noel Hedges to head up acquisitions on TV side of the business. Noel Hedges, who joins from Modern Times Group – owned distributor DRG, will be taking rights to drama, film, lifestyle, factual, series & formats for UK – listed eOne, which is in the throes of merging its film & TV divisions. He will be picking up content to sit alongside eOne’s in – house fare, which comes through its production companies & partnerships, including one with Mark Gordon and a recently inked deal with Brad Weston. Stuart Baxter, President of eOne Television International, said: “Noel Hedge is a seasoned executive with great instincts and a strong track record of securing outstanding programming that can travel. He has great relationships across the industry and brings strong business acumen to support our ambitious content exploitation & growth strategy.” As well as DRG, Noel Hedges has been at Cineflix Rights, Shine International, ITV Studios Global Entertainment Ltd & BBC.
JAY HUNT TO LEAVE CHANNEL FOUR
Channel Four’s Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt is leaving the British broadcaster at the end of Sept, 2017.Jay Hunt had been considered a leading candidate for the Chief Executive role at the commercial network, but is now effectively out of running for the post. She has been at Channel 4 since 2011, and is well – known in US as well as UK. Last year, Jay Hunt was instrumental in wresting away the “Great British Bake Off” from BBC. Her exit comes as Channel 4 searches for a new Chief Executive after David Abraham
said he was leaving, most likely by the end of the year. Jay Hunt paid tribute to David Abraham and the wider Channel 4 team in a statement announcing her departure: “I’ve been lucky to have a superlative Boss in David Abraham and to have been supported by the best commissioning team in the business. I also owe a huge thank you to the brilliant producers, directors, writers and on screen talent who’ve made it such a thrilling time to be at the helm.” David Abraham said: “Jay Hunt took on one of the biggest challenges in broadcasting back in 2011 and through immense creativity, courage & determination has delivered magnificently.
VICELAND ROLLS OUT 20 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING
Viceland has added 20 hours of original programming spanning factual entertainment, comedy, documentary, & reality formats to its UK slate. The newly launched original shows – Generation Rent, Bobby And Harriet Get Married will complement Viceland’s growing roster of flagship content. Viceland has tapped journalist & TV presenter Billie JD Porter to host Generation Rent, an 8 part investigation into the housing crisis facing young people in UK, US & Canada. Co -produced by Viceland UK & Viceland US, Generation Rent will shoot in UK & North America. Shannon Delwiche will be executive producing the series. Bobby And Harriet Get Married, Viceland’s 1st reality sitcom series, delves into the chaotic lives of stand – up comedians Bobby Mair & Harriet Kemsley as they plan their real – life wedding over the course of 5 weeks. The 6 part series is produced & directed by Stu Richards for Rockerdale Studios, which is co – producing the series. The UK roster will also boast the 2nd season of Hate Thy Neighbour, which follows comedian Jamali Maddix as he explores social & political divisions within America by spending time with organizations, radical individuals & extremist groups.
ALEX RIDER BOOKS BEING DEVELOPED
A TV adaptation of the bestselling Alex Rider book series is in works at ITV, with Borgia’s scribe Guy Burt attached to the project. UK based drama producer Eleventh Hour Films has optioned the Anthony Horowitz books and will make the series, which is being developed with ITV and is expected to attract international partners. The series will follow the adventures of teenage super – spy Rider on his missions to save the world. The announcement of a TV adaptation comes as Horowitz releases his 10th Rider book, “Never Say Die.” Horowitz created the series in 2000, and it has since notched 16 million book sales for the English – language editions alone. The TV series will skew older than the novels, which target teen boys, and will be presented as event dramas for family audiences. Horowitz said that screenwriter Burt “is cleverly expanding the characters whilst staying true to the spirit of the original novels to ensure that the series will appeal to both loyal fans and a new generation of viewers.” Eleventh Hour is run by Jill Green, whose former production company, Greenlit Productions, made Foyle’s War, which was written by Horowitz.
ZDF MAKES UK MOVE
German broadcaster ZDF has bought a stake in World Media Rights, the British based production company behind Black Ops & Myth Hunters. The deal is the 1st – ever equity UK investment for ZDF Enterprises, the pubcaster’s commercial arm, which is seeking to broaden the range of programming it brings to market, particularly English – language content. ZDF Enterprises has already distributed several World Media Rights titles, including Evolution Of Evil, and president & CEO Alexander Corridass said the deal for a 32.5% share of the London based company was a logical next step. “This closer relationship will enable us to jointly produce & market even more outstanding productions for UK, Germany, and the entire world in the future,” Corridass said. For World Media Rights, the agreement “means we can expand development & sales,” CEO Alan Griffiths told, adding that the company will be able to add new staff and double the number of hours produced within 3 years.
A + E BUYS OUT NBCUNIVERSAL
A + E is continuing to take control of its channels businesses, this time buying out NBCUniversal in Germany. The deal means that A + E will wholly own A & E &
History networks in Germany, Switzerland, Austria & Luxembourg, which were previously run with the international arm of NBCU. The news was announced days after A + E sealed a new carriage deal with Sky Deutschland for its German channels. A + E & NBCU have had a channels partnership for 12 years. The German A & E channel shows Roots , and History features US shows & local offerings, including The Eleventh Day. Under the leadership of international boss Sean Cohan, A + E has been shifting from partnering on its international channels operations to making them “owned and operated,” meaning fully owned by A + E, which is itself a joint venture between Disney & Hearst. A + E has already taken full control of its networks in Southeast Asia, South Korea & Japan. In Europe, it started going it alone in 2014, when it bought Fox out of an Italian joint venture. A + E Networks UK remains an exception.
EUROPE BLOCKED ACCESS TO 845 PIRACY SITES
Chris Dodd, chairman & CEO of Motion Picture Association of America, praised European officials Mon for blocking access to 845 illegal websites in 2016 that were providing pirated film & TV content across European Union, which has long been considered a hotbed of piracy. “In Europe we have been particularly successful at blocking access to large – scale pirate sites,” Chris Dodd, who is Hollywood’s chief lobbyist, said of the work being done by MPAA in tandem with EU authorities. The former US senator was the keynote speaker at a gathering in Rome where it was revealed that, last year, “more than 1 – 3rd of Italians over the age of 15 engaged in some form of piracy,” ChrisDodd said, citing figures from Italian anti – piracy organization Fapav. The illegal activity caused economic damage worth an estimated 686 million euros ($692 million) to content creators and placed more than 6,000 local jobs in jeopardy, Fapav said. Movie piracy was down 4% compared with 2010, but consumption of pirated TV series in Italy went up 9%, a study commissioned by Fapav showed.
NBC INVESTS $30 MILLION IN EURONEWS
NBC’s news division has acquired a 25% stake in European news network Euronews, in a deal that will close this week and that will see the creation of a new Euronews NBC brand bearing American broadcaster’s famous peacock. The 2 companies have been in talks since late last year and have agreed to a deal under which NBC News will pay $30 million for its share in France based news channel. Euronews CEO Michael Peters said industry consolidation and the emergence of well – funded state – backed news operations such as Al Jazeera, France 24, Russia Today & TRT World meant that Euronews had to examine its business. The company runs at a loss but expects to break even in 2020. “This is one of the most creative partnerships made in the last decade in the media industry,” he said of the deal with NBC. “We have seen a concentration of media investment and have had to review our business model and the way we offer news to consumers.”
3 MOVIES RE – WRITE WOMEN’S PAST
Women might well write more of the future, in real terms & fiction. 1st projects at Spain’s inaugural Conecta Fiction, a pioneering Latin America – Europe co – production forum, underscore how screenwriters, women & men, are rewriting women’s roles in the past. Ambitious historical drama – thrillers produced by some of Latin America’s most prominent production houses, such as Pablo & Juan De Dios Larrain’s Fabula in Chile & Dynamo Producciones, the Colombian producer of Narcos, this new breed of often super women series add a novel dimension to Latin America’s vibrant high – end drama scene. Other projects at Conecta Fiction’s 1st International Co – production Pitching Session, to take place on 21st Jun, 2017, include sci – fi Strange Fishing Sundays & crime thriller Crack, from Buenos Aires based Storylab, backers of Netflix’s 1st Argentine premiere Stockholm – showing Spanish -language producers boldly embracing modern genre. Produced by Chilean broadcaster Fabula & Chilevision.
