LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Entertainment, sports and brand licensing firms WildBrain CPLG and WildBrain Ltd. have brokered location-based entertainment (LBE) deals on behalf of Peanuts Worldwide for “Peanuts,” “Teletubbies” and “In the Night Garden” with China’s Max-Matching Entertainments. These are expected to lead to the opening of family entertainment centers and IP-themed hotel rooms for each brand in Beijing, in Zhongshan City, Guangdong and a third city yet to be announced. These will roll out over the next five years.
The moves come at a time when WildBrain CPLG is expanding its Asia-focused teams. These include the Los Angeles-based veteran licensing executive, Kevin Suh who is former president of themed entertainment & consumer products at Paramount Pictures. Suh was also a senior executive at the Motion Picture Association of America and a lawyer in California. Shanghai-based Evi Sari joins as VP of LBE in APAC and the GCC. She was previously VP of LBE at Paramount (ViacomCBS), responsible for building partnerships for Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV and CBS in Asia. She reports to WildBrain CPLG’s EVP & MD, Maarten Weck.
SHINE A LIGHT
Shine Global, the nonprofit media company dedicated to producing and supporting impactful documentaries about children’s issues, has announced the nominees for its Children’s Resilience in Film Awards. The awards, now in their second year, honor exceptional films that center around the resilience of children in the face of adversity. They aim to shed light on stories of courage, strength and determination that children demonstrate in challenging circumstances. The films not only inspire audiences but also help create awareness and promote positive change in society.
The nominees are: “Aurora’s Sunrise,” directed by Inna Sahakyan (2022, Armenia, Germany, Lithuania); “Bigman,” directed by Camiel Schouwenaar (2022, The Netherlands, Germany); “Children of Las Brisas,”directed by Marianela Maldonado (2022, Venezuela); “Name Me Lawand,” directed by Edward Lovelace (2022, U.K.); and “The Ordinaries,” directed by Sophie Linnenbaum (2022, Germany).
The winner will be named and awarded $15,000 at a ceremony on Oct. 3 at Paramount Pictures.
RETURNING TO THE SCENE
Netflix has given a subdued launch to “6ixtynin9 The Series,” a six-episode crime series that is an expansion of 1999 hit Thai film “6ixtynin9.” Both the film and the remake are directed by Pen-ek Ratanaruang. The setup involves a desperate young woman to whom a huge bundle of cash is accidentally delivered – her apartment number lost one of its fixing screws and rotated half a turn from six to nine – and who kills the crooks who try to retrieve the money. The production, by Five Star Production, has an all-new cast headed by regional star Devika Hoorne (“Heart Attack” / “Freelance” and “Pee Mak”).