GREENBIRD FLIES TO NEW OWNER
Scotland’s STV Studios has acquired the 15 companies operated by “Lego Masters” company Greenbird Media for £21.4 million ($27.3 million). Israel’s Keshet International acquired 60% of Greenbird five years ago. STV Studios has now acquired 100% of Greenbird, including Keshet’s stake.
Greenbird founders, Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin, will join the STV Studios board in the roles of chief commercial officer and finance and integration director respectively, working alongside COO, Paul Sheehan, and under the leadership of MD, David Mortimer.
The deal boosts the number of labels within STV Studios from nine to 24. As a result of the acquisition, STV Studios now has expanded bases in Glasgow and London, as well as offices in Cardiff, Belfast, Brighton and Manchester.
Hit shows made by the producers in Greenbird’s cluster include: “Lego Masters” (Tuesday’s Child for Channel 4/Fox) and “The Hit List” (Tuesday’s Child for BBC One); BAFTA-winning “The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan” (Rumpus Media for BBC Two) and “Late Night Lycett” (Rumpus Media for Channel 4); “Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek” (Flicker for ITV1); and “Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing” (Owl Power for BBC Two).
HONG KONG CRIME DRAMA SET FOR NEW YORK PREMIERE
“Forensic Psychologist,” a Hong Kong crime drama series with a cast led by Jeannie Chan (“Flying Tiger 3”), will have its world premiere at the Festival of Cinema NYC in New York next month (Aug. 4-13). The 12-part series follows a psychologist who must investigate suspects to determine if they are mentally fit to stand trial. In the interrogation room the doctor’s professional and personal lives begin to blur with those she is probing. The series is created by Bizhan Tong and produced by Phoenix Waters Productions, with an English language version now in development.
Tong has multiple other projects for release this year. A Hong Kong remake of Richard Linklater’s movie “Tape” starring Kenny Kwan, Selena Lee, and Adam Pak completed post production last month. So too did the Tong-produced British horror comedy “Murder Ballads” from director Mitchell Tolliday.
In March, Tong announced at FilMart that he has partnered with Agog Films CEO Guy Orlebar to launch Phoenix Waters Asia in order to support filmmakers across Southeast Asia.
PROMOTION
Seb Shorr, executive VP, commercial and business affairs, scripted has been promoted to the newly-created role of chief operating officer for Fremantle’s drama and film business, reporting to Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s CEO global drama.
Working with Vesper, Shorr will support the strategic and operational goals of the drama labels within the Fremantle Group – The Apartment, Dancing Ledge Productions, Element Pictures, Euston Films, Lux Vide, Miso Film, Passenger and Wildside. He will also provide strategic support and help further grow Fremantle’s talent partnerships and deals, which include “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s newly launched production company Sinestra; Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films; Afua Hirsch’s Born In Me; and the two-year first-look deal with Nine Hours, the production label set up by Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Edward Berger.
FESTIVAL
The 40th Jerusalem Film Festival will open on July 13 with Guy Nattiv’s “Golda,” starring Helen Mirren. Achievement awards will be presented at the opening ceremony to Mirren, Oliver Stone and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
Claire Denis will preside over the international competition jury, which will also include fellow directors Whit Stillman, Florian Zeller and Maria Schrader, as well as Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente.
Other members of the various juries include director Kornél Mundruczó (president of the Israeli competition jury), directors Jasmila Žbanić, Ali Abbasi, Sebastian Meise, Julian Rosefeldt, Joseph Cedar, Sébastien Lifshitz, Barbara Albert, Alexandru Belc and Manuela Martelli, as well as Locarno Film Festival’s Mathilde Henrot.
DEPARTURE
Seetha Kumar, chief executive of ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the screen industries, will step down at the end of December 2023. Kumar was appointed in 2015 and led the organization through its transformation from Creative Skillset to ScreenSkills in 2018. Under her leadership, ScreenSkills’ six Skills Funds – in partnership with broadcasters, streamers, independent production companies and industry organizations – have delivered a portfolio of successful training programmes and initiatives in response to industry demand.
FORMAT
TF1 in France and Vox in Germany will produce editions of “My Mum, Your Dad,” the second chance dating format created by Greg Daniels and Haley Daniels with ITV America’s ITV Entertainment, originally for HBO Max. ITV Studios France and ITV Studios Germany will produce the series in their respective markets. The U.K. version will be hosted by Davina McCall and produced by Lifted Entertainment, part of ITV Studios, for ITV1 and ITVX this fall.
The format has aired successfully on TV4, produced by ITV Studios Sweden and Nine Network, produced by ITV Studios Australia where a second season is underway. ThreeNow and Three have commissioned the show in New Zealand where it will be a co-production between Warner Bros. International Television Production and ITV Studios Australia, taking the number of announced versions of the show to seven.
PRODUCTION
Director Dustin Ferguson’s remake of Jack Hill’s 1967 cult classic horror film “Spider Baby, or the Maddest Story Ever Told” has wrapped principal photography in L.A. The film, from SCS Entertainment, tells of a pair of greedy relatives that try to repossess the Merrye Estate but the inbred children protect their home and bloodline at all costs.
The cast includes Beverly Washburn, Brinke Stevens, Robert Mukes, Ron Chaney, Peter Stickles,Traci Burr, Jennifer Moriarty and Vida Ghaffari.
ACQUISITIONS
Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired Jacques Molitor‘s Frightfest favorite body horror “Wolfkin.” In the film, single mother Elaine, disturbed by her son Martin’s aggressive behavior and sudden physical changes, visits his late father’s estranged family in small-town Luxembourg – where a much darker secret lurks. When she realizes that Martin could become like them, Elaine is forced into a desperate fight for her son’s future.
The cast includes Louise Manteau, Victor Dieu, Marja-Leena Junker and Jules Werner. The film will be released on home video formats and digital platforms Aug. 8.
The deal was negotiated between Keith Leopard, president, Uncork’d Entertainment and Gregory Chambet of WTFilms.
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Virgil Films has acquired North American rights to musical-comedy-thriller “Open,” directed by Miles Doleac. The film, written by Doleac and Lindsay Anne Williams and produced by Doleac, Williams and Elena Sanchez, tells the story of a woman in a troubled marriage who falls for a former TV star, who’s fallen from industry favor, while having nagging (and empowering) hallucinations about fronting an 1980’s new wave band. The film stars Jeremy London, Williams, Doleac, Sanchez and William Forsythe.
“Open” will release in November theatrically and digitally. The deal was negotiated between Jeff Cooper of Cut Entertainment and Joe Amodei of Virgil.