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PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Amblin Television and Tom Hanks & Gary Goetzman’s Playtone inked a deal with Apple for a limited series based on the book, Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. Amblin’s Steven Spielberg, Hanks and Goetzman also teamed for WWII projects Band of Brothers and The Pacific for HBO.
Streaming service UMC greenit a docu-series from writer/director Paula Bryant Ellis that looks at the power of faith in successful women. First installment of Behind Her Faith features will feature Essence Atkins (Marlon), Aisha Hinds (Underground), Niecy Nash (Claws) and Angelica Nwandu, founder of The Shade Room.
Disney Fam Jam landed a straight-to-series order from Disney Channel. Competition series is inspired by choreographer Phil Wright’s “The Parent Jam” viral sensation dance classes, which are streamed online. Production begins in November.
RTÉ and Acorn Media Enterprises teamed to commission The South Westerlies, an Irish comedy-drama with Dublin- based Deadpan Pictures, alongside ZDF Enterprises, TV2 Norway and in association with Screen Ireland. Filming began in mid-September and the ten-week shoot will wrap in November.
Picturestart acquired film and TV rights for Wattpad author Rachel Meinke’s book, Along for the Ride. Wattpad and Picturestart will produce. Along for the Ride has accumulated over 26.3 million reads on storytelling platform Wattpad.
Quintus Media inked a digital distribution agreement with Indian animation studio Cosmos Maya. The deal sees Quintus Media acquire three kids’ animation series: Eena Meena Deeka, Motu Patlu, and Tik Tak Tail.
Michael and Peter Spierig (Undead) have boarded a supernatural thriller based on the Ben Walker literary franchise, in development at AGC Television. The Spierig brothers are attached to direct the pilot and serve as exec producers on the show. AGC also acquired worldwide rights to Oliver Stone’s three-part doc, JFK: Destiny Betrayed.
Top 10 Weekend Domestic Box Office Estimates: September October 11-13
Joker (Warner Bros) $55.0 million (week 2), cume revenue $192.7 million
The Addams Family (United Artists Releasing) $30.3 million, opening weekend
Gemini Man (Paramount) $20.5 million, opening weekend
Abominable (Universal) $6.2 million (week 3), cume revenue $48.0 million
Downton Abbey (Focus) $4.9 million (week 4), cume revenue $82.7 million
Hustlers (STX) $3.9 million (week 5), cume revenue $98.0 million
Judy (Roadside Attractions) $3.3 million (week 3), cume revenue $15.0 million
It: Chapter Two (Warner Bros) $3.2 million (week 6), cume revenue $207.1 million
Jexi (Lionsgate) $3.1 million, opening weekend
Ad Astra (Fox) $1.9 million (week 4), cume revenue $47.0 million
Source: Comscore
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Season three of MTV’s Floribama Shore premieres Thursday, November 14 at 8p. A new roommate, Mattie Lynn Breaux from CMT’s Party Down South, joins the raucous reality show.
Explorers Justin Fornal and Emiliano Ruprah use historical maps as well as modern imaging techniques to examine mysteries – like where did the Ark of the Covenant end up after being smuggled from Jerusalem? – in a new eight-episode Science Channel series, Unexplained and Unexplored, premiering Sunday, November 10 at 10p.
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ID has a trio of true crime premieres this week: New series Relatively Evil debuts Tuesday, October 15 at 9p; Shattered is back for season three on Wednesday, October 16 at 10p; and newcomer Home Sweet Homicide arrives Thursday, October 17 at 10p.
STREAMING NOTES
Apple TV+ hasn’t launched yet, but the streamer could get within striking range of Netflix numbers in just a few years, calculate analysts at Wedbush. Credit Apple’s 900 million or so active iPhones with the rosy report – Wedbush estimates the devices could attract 100 million subscribers within three to four years, and disrupt about 10% of Netflix’s customer base in 12-18 months. Apple TV+ launches November 1 for $4.99/month.
Fresh off Quibi’s announcements of partnerships with CBS News and Telemundo for news shows comes word that the upcoming short-form video platform has struck a deal with gossip site TMZ. Programs will be two “unique, edgy celebrity news shows,” publishing Monday-Fridays.
TECH TALK
Buyers of local and regional advertising still see high value in traditional local and cable TV, but their interest in advanced TV is strong, according to a new survey from Comcast’s FreeWheel. Among respondents, 79% were “extremely or very interested” in using advanced TV, a percentage almost as high as local TV and cable (87%), and 78% expect their spending on advanced TV to increase over the next 12 months. Clients in retail (21%), healthcare (15%) and auto (13%) represented the largest spending categories on advanced TV.
Ford is offering an in-car VR experience, with an assist from entertainment technology start-up Holoride. Today through November 9, riders can buckle up at a pickup location at Universal CityWalk and take a spin with a virtual Bride of Frankenstein. “The connected vehicle technology from Ford can help completely revolutionize what the in-car experience can be, moving us toward never-before-imagined productivity and entertainment in the vehicle,” said Ford’s VP of Mobility Marketing and Growth, Brett Wheatley.
DISTRIBUTION
Arts net Ovation acquired second window US broadcast rights from A+E Networks for a package of Lifetime TV films including Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B; Betty and Coretta; House of Versace; Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart and Trip to Bountiful, to air on Ovation’s linear channel and on-demand service Ovation NOW.
GOING GLOBAL
Endemol Shine Group announced that its talent format All Together Now has been signed up in Finland, the 14th market since its international launch. Endemol Shine Finland will produce for Nelonen.
Zig Zag Productions and South Africa’s Hipster Media are developing a documentary project based on the audio recordings for Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. The production would coincide with the 30th anniversary of Mandela’s release from Robben Island.
Studio 100 Media is struck a new volume deal with Hungarian public broadcaster MTVA. The channel secured exclusive FTA rights for more than 200 half hours of programming, a total of 390 episodes of premium kids’ content.
Amara Raja Media & Entertainment, a new division of India’s Amara Raja Group, will develop and produce drama projects for the international marketplace. The company will launch its first production, Curse of the Kohinoor (w/t), at MIPCOM.
Sunny Bunnies, the flagship series of London-based Media I.M. Incorporated, has been acquired by Disney Channel Korea. Disney Junior and the Disney Channel will air the animated show in blocks every week day, with Disney Junior also committing to the weekend slots.
Submissions for the not-for-profit David Lyle Foundation, which aims to help young executives build successful careers in the international television business should be received by Friday, November 15. The successful candidates will receive a one-year program of education and development designed to fast-track their understanding of the global television-content business.
Rooftop Film & TV, Zoomsport and new production company Wild Sheep Content have joined forces to co-produce two football skewed docuseries, The Agent and Ronaldo, el president. Developed and created by Zoomsport, both series will be distributed internationally by Rooftop Film & TV.
GoQuest Media Ventures has closed a deal with Media Group Ukraine, acquiring distribution rights for the detective series Markuss. Co-produced by TV Channel Ukraine, an affiliated company of MGU and Latvian media company Helio Media, the TV series is the first ever Ukrainian/Latvian co-production.
Included in Drive’s new slate of factual crime content for MIPCOM is Poisonous Liaisons, tracing the practice of poisoning and the perception of its use in connection with infamous crimes. The series is produced by Australia-based production company White Spark Pictures for C&I Network/History Channel UK and Iberia.
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