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EXCLUSIVE: Ilkkas’ Creative Studio (ICS), the Nordic creative hub launched last year, is planning to shake up Finland ’s approach to international scripted content. This morning at Series Mania in Lille, France, the Tampere-based ICS unveiled a strategic deal with Finland’s largest publisher, WSOY. At the center of the pact is a plan to “rethink the development of Finnish scripted content for international audiences,” and the partners are billing the agreement as a “landmark.” The pair will work on several projects and invite WSOY-affiliated authors to have a stake in the development. They say the collaborative approach to “internationalize and renew development and production methods hand in hand with authors” is a “unique” strategy. ICS has begun a “round of negotiations” with international partners on jointly selected projects, details of which are under wraps for now. Ilkka Hynninen, co-founder of Finnish producer Aito Media, and former SBS and YLE exec Ilkka … [Read more...] about Ilkkas’ Creative Studio Signs Deal With Publisher WSOY Designed To “Rethink Development” On Finnish Scripted Content — Series Mania

EXCLUSIVE : Ben Browning is returning to FilmNation Entertainment as President of Production. He comes aboard at month’s end. Browning will be responsible for developing the studio’s film slate. He last served as head of content for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio, working on Harry and Meghan , which became Netflix’s biggest ever docuseries debut. He was EP on that and Spotify’s hit podcast Archetypes with Meghan . Browning will report to CEO Glen Basner and will be based in Los Angeles. Prior to Archewell, Browning won the BAFTA Award and was Academy Award and PGA nominated, overseeing and producing dozens of successes for FilmNation Entertainment when he previously led the production team.  Films included the Academy Award winning Promising Young Woman , directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Carey Mulligan; Michael Showalter’s The Big Sick starring Kumail Nanjiani, Sean Baker’s Red Rocket starring Simon Rex, and … [Read more...] about Ben Browning Returns As FilmNation President Of Production; Oversaw ‘Harry and Meghan’ Docuseries In Archewell Stint

EXCLUSIVE : Olga Kurylenko ( Black Widow ), Jenny Seagrove ( The Guardian ), Anna Friel ( Marcella ) and Ben Miles ( The Crown ) have wrapped production on the under-the-radar psychological thriller My Sister’s Bones , whose first-look images we can reveal today. Bill Kenwright’s BKStudios is behind the project, adapted from Nuala Ellwood’s novel of the same name. Supporting cast includes Harry Potter and Game of Thrones actor David Bradley, who recently voiced Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar winner Pinocchio , and Maggie Steed ( Ten Percent ). Shooting took place on location in Whitstable, Herne Bay, London and Morocco. The project marks the second film from director Heidi Greensmith, whose debut feature Winter garnered three awards at the New York Film Festival, including Best Director, as well as a BIFA nomination in the Discovery Award category. The film was adapted for the screen by Naomi Gibney ( Devils ). The film opens in a bleak police … [Read more...] about Olga Kurylenko, Jenny Seagrove, Anna Friel, Ben Miles & David Bradley Lead Bill Kenwright Thriller ‘My Sister’s Bones’; First-Look Images

Alison Hammond has been confirmed as the new host of The Great British Bake Off . Hammond, who co-hosted the BAFTA Film Awards last month, will replace Matt Lucas on Channel 4 ’s baking competition. The show has a loyal following on Netflix in the U.S. The Daily Mirror first reported the news on Thursday and Hammond confirmed it on TikTok this morning. Hammond first graced British television screens as a contestant on Big Brother in 2002. She has gone on to become a much-loved presenter, hosting ITV’s This Morning , where she has become known for viral celebrity interviews. This included an encounter with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling in 2017, in which she admitted to having never watched Blade Runner. Hammond has appeared on the celebrity version of The Great British Bake Off , in which she captured the show’s essence by telling viewers: “Good baking comes from the heart and I have got a lot of heart.” Hammond will co-host with Noel Fielding, … [Read more...] about ‘The Great British Bake Off’ Confirms Alison Hammond As New Presenter

EXCLUSIVE : Acrophobia sufferers look away now, the makers of vertigo thriller Fall are plotting a sequel after the film became an unexpected hit on Netflix internationally. British producer Tea Shop Productions and director Scott Mann are discussing ideas for a second movie, which will look to unsettle audiences with another terrifying tale set at a great height. Fall premiered last August and stars Grace Caroline Currey ( Shazam! Fury of the Gods ) and Virginia Gardner ( Gaslit ) as friends who scale and get stuck up a 2,000-foot radio tower in the desert. The indie thriller grossed close to $22M after being made on a $5M budget and has enjoyed word-of-mouth success on streaming services including Netflix, where it has scored top-10 rankings in four territories. It is available on Starz in the U.S. Fall has been Netflix’s second most-watched movie in the UK for two consecutive weeks, with only Idris Elba’s Luther: The Fallen Sun performing … [Read more...] about ‘Fall’ Sequel In The Works After Vertigo-Inducing Thriller Becomes Surprise Netflix Hit

MindGeek , the parent of Pornhub , the world’s biggest porn site, and other adult entertainment platforms was acquired by a Canadian private equity firm called Ethical Capital Partners, or ECP, for an undisclosed amount. ECP launched in 2022 in Montreal. Its website says it’s good at dealing with problem companies, seeking out tech-focused investment and advisory opportunities “in industries that require principled ethical leadership…have legal and regulatory complexity and that put a value on transparency and accountability.” Pornhub, founded in 2007, changed the world of adult entertainment. It has over 76 million monthly active registered members and over 130 million adults visit the site daily for “the best selection of award-winning performers, the most extensive collection of high-quality videos, and a safe, user-friendly experience for viewers,” the deal announcement says. It’s been plagued by scandal and is the subject of the Netflix documentary Money Shot: The Pornhub … [Read more...] about Pornhub Acquired By Canadian Private Equity Firm Ethical Capital Partners As Netflix Doc Debuts

YouTube has restored the account of Donald Trump , joining other tech platforms that are removing restrictions put in place following the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Leslie Miller, vice president of YouTube public policy, said in a statement that the Donald J. Trump channel “is no longer restricted and the ability to upload new content is restored.” “We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, balancing that with the importance of preserving the opportunity for voters to hear equally from major presidential candidates in the run up to an election,” Miller said. “This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, just like any other channel on YouTube.” Last month, Meta said that it was reinstating Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram. After he purchased Twitter, Elon Musk restored Trump to the platform, but the former president has yet to return and continues to post on his own social media platform, Truth Social. In the … [Read more...] about YouTube Restores Donald Trump’s Account

Anne Hathaway ( Eileen ) has signed on to star in a mysterious new film that David Robert Mitchell ( It Follows , Under the Silver Lake ) will direct for Warner Bros. Pictures , Bad Robot and Jackson Pictures. While the pic is billed as a “thrill-ride” to be shot in IMAX, which will head into production this fall, other details are scarce at present. Mitchell penned the original script and will produce alongside J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella for Bad Robot , and Jackson Pictures’ Matt Jackson. Jake Weiner and Chris Bender of Good Fear Content will serve as exec producers. Other projects currently in development at Warner Bros Discovery under the studio’s deal with Bad Robot include a Ta-Nehisi Coates-scripted Superman film; an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s iconic children’s book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! to be directed by Jon M. Chu; the Jason Bateman-directed supernatural Western, The Pinkerton ; and a live-action Hot Wheels pic to be made in … [Read more...] about David Robert Mitchell, Anne Hathaway, Bad Robot Team For Mystery Warner Bros. Pic

EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles-based Russian-Kazakh director and producer Timur Bekmambetov has secured Turkish backing for his animated feature about iconic Middle Eastern, Balkan and Asian folk hero Hodja Nasreddin. Bekmambetov’s company Bazelevs has signed an agreement with Yeni Dusler Animation, a production company and content provider for the national public broadcaster of Turkey , the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation. The previously announced English-language production marks Bekmambetov’s first foray into animation and is underway for a planned 2024 release. The voice actors will be attached later this year. Nasreddin is a wandering philosopher and prankster who gets into absurd situations, but ultimately always emerges victorious thanks to his wit, wisdom, and humor. He appears in thousands of folk tales across the Middle East and Asia, dating back to the 13th century. “For people from the Middle East and Asia, he has superhero status. In this part of … [Read more...] about Timur Bekmambetov’s Passion Project About Muslim World Folk Hero Nasreddin Hodja Secures Turkish Backing

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC is delving into the history of Soho’s criminal underworld for its next big-budget drama series. Dope Girls will be a six-part series from His Dark Materials producer Bad Wolf for BBC One. Our sources say the BBC sees Dope Girls as a spiritual successor to Peaky Blinders , and Bad Wolf is understood to be in early stage discussions with U.S. co-production partners and global streaming services. Polly Stenham ( The Face , The Neon Demon ) and Alex Warren ( Eleanor ) are writing Dope Girls , which is inspired by Marek Kohn’s non-fiction book Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground . Full plot details haven’t been revealed but we understand it follows the birth of the nightclub scene in London’s Soho. The series will mix elements of the fact-based research of Kohn’s book with fictional characters and storylines, exploring all aspects of the criminal world of Soho in the early 20th Century. We hear it’s partly based … [Read more...] about ‘Dope Girls’: BBC Lines Up Bad Wolf Drama About Female Crime Boss In Soho’s Criminal Underworld