BBC heading for more ‘Famous Five’ adventures
The BBC is heading for a second set The famous five adventures. Nicolas Winding Refn’s version, created by Mr co-producer Moonage and byNWR with Mediapro Studio will roll cameras on two more 90-minute episodes, which follow the three that launched earlier this year. The show is a modern adaptation of the Enid Blyton classics. Series two takes the heroes into strange and challenging waters as they deal with life in wartime – and the dangers of growing up. The new series features a guest role for Jemima Rooper, who played the role of George in the 1990s Famous Five TV series and now takes on the role of Angela Clutterbuck, a guest staying in a mysterious hotel. Winding Refn said: “The excitement I feel for the return of The famous five fills my inner child with pure content. It is an adventure to manifest the youthful fantasies of my imagination and watch these characters, essentially my lifelong friends, continue to blossom and evolve.”
Paramount+ & Network 10 Greenlight ‘Ghosts’ in Australia
Ghosts goes to Australia. Paramount+ and Network 10 have picked up a local version of the British hit, which has also taken the US by storm. The eight-part series is set in a haunted mansion full of new ghosts that are as chaotic, unpredictable and messy as Australian history itself. New lovebirds Kate and Sean are about to enter the hellish landscape of the inner city rental market, until Kate inherits the huge mansion in the countryside, but unbeknownst to her, the house is haunted by a collection of needy ghosts . BBC Studios Australia is making the version. Ghosts recently appeared on the BBC in Britain, but was a big hit and spawned a successful CBS version, while a new version is being made in Germany. Daniel Monaghan, SVP Content & Programming, Paramount Australia, said: “Ghosts has been a huge hit in the UK and US and has also attracted a very loyal fan base here in Australia. With an incredible cast yet to be announced, we can’t wait to bring our own series to life with an Aussie twist.”
‘Wonka’ and ‘Supacell’ win British PGGB Gongs
Wonka And Supercell took home the big gongs at the Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB) awards this weekend, while David Heyman was honored with a contribution to the industry award. The Timothée Chalamet-starrer and Netflix UK series won the production team of the year awards for film and high-end TV respectively. Heyman’s contribution award was presented in honor of a stellar career, including the Harry Potter franchise, Paddington, Barbieand winner-of-the-evening Wonka. Accepting the award, Heyman said the past year has been “a challenging period for the film and television industry in Britain”, but he called the country “the best of the best” in talent. The biennial awards took place in Hertfordshire on Saturday. PGGB CEO Lyndsay Duthie said: “Our PGGB members are the best in their class. This wealth of bottom-line talent is the foundation of our film and television industry and it is their hard work and skills that create the first-class reputation that Britain has built.”
Officine UBU sets fall release for Gabriele Fabbro’s ‘Trifole’ in Italy
The latest feature from The Grand Bolero filmmaker Gabriele Fabbro, Three-foldwill be released theatrically in Italy from October 17, distributor Officine UBU has announced. Three-fold is announced as a modern fable about truffles, sustainability and family. It centers on Dalia (Ydalie Turk), a modern, lost young woman sent from London by her mother (Margherita Buy) to care for her sick, truffle-hunting grandfather (Umberto Orsini) and his dog, as well as his relationship with the rural environment. in Alba, Italy, has been destabilized. Dalia eventually bonds with her grandfather and learns to value tradition, territory, and a more sustainable way of life. In supporting roles are Francesco Zecca (The White Lotus), Frances Sholto-Douglas (The kissing booth, fatal temptation), Ludovica Mancini (The Great Bolero) and comedian Enzo Iachetti. Producers are Casey Diepeveen and Mattia Puleo; Massimo Fabbro is executive producer.
Unveils free UKTV partnership and content landmark
British free TV service Freely has signed a content deal with UKTV and unveiled a content milestone. The platform, the first free TV service to deliver live TV over broadband, has partnered with UKTV streamer U for its latest content deal. At the same time, Freely said it now has more content than any streamer in Britain: approximately 70,000 hours of on-demand shows. Jonathan Thompson, the CEO of Freely overseer Everyone TV, said: “The new platform brings together local, sourced programming that promotes British talent and British stories. It gives viewers access to the best of British television, with programs that reflect our nation, stimulate the national conversation and increase the shared investment of all audiences in our society.”
