News

Earlier today, Amazon MGM Studios officially announced the start of production on their upcoming untitled Jack Ryan feature film, which will return 4x Primetime Emmy-nominee John Krasinski to the title role, and will serve as a sequel to the acclaimed Prime Video television series.

Andrew Bernstein is helming the feature, with a screenplay from Krasinski and Aaron Rabin. Bernstein previously helmed three episodes in season two of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, while Rabin penned five of the six episodes in the final season. Both also served as executive producers on their respective seasons.

In addition to Krasinski (The Office; A Quiet Place; 13 Hours) as the titular Jack Ryan, returning cast members will include Wendell Pierce (The Wire; Suits; Superman) as James Greer, Michael Kelly (House of Cards; Dawn of the Dead; Secret Invasion) as Mike November, and Betty Gabriel (Get Out; Upgrade; Defending Jacob) as Elizabeth Wright.

Newcomers to the supporting cast include,...

Quick LinksA Single Submarine Crew and a National Conspiracy in 'Last Resort'a Great Cast Elevates 'Last Resort''Last Resort,' 'The Night Agent,' and 'Lost'?

Creating TV programs since the early '90s, screenwriter Shawn Ryan admittedly took a while to make his way into the streaming world. The first step when it came to traversing digital platforms was when he made Mad Dogs for Prime Video in 2016, then The Get Down for Netflix a year later, and finally, The Night Agent for the same subscription service in 2023. This ongoing thriller about a night operator uncovering a conspiracy at the White House, starring Gabriel Basso in the lead role, seems to have hit the best of strides for Ryan. The first season was not only nominated by numerous recognizable award associations (such as the Critics' Choice Super Awards and the People's Choice Awards) but has also already...

Exclusive: Paradigm has signed veteran actor Ben Chaplin for representation.

Currently, Chaplin can be seen starring opposite Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro in September 5, Tim Fehlbaum’s historical thriller examining the 1972 Munich Olympic hostage crisis from the perspective of the ABC Sports broadcasting team. The film delves into how the crew, initially covering the Olympics, swiftly transitioned to reporting on the unfolding tragedy involving Israeli athletes taken hostage by the Palestinian group Black September. This event marked a pivotal moment in live news coverage, as the world watched the crisis unfold in real-time.

Chaplin plays Marvin Bader, a seasoned ABC Sports producer who plays a crucial role in the network’s coverage of the hostage situation. His work in the film earned him the Best Actor Award from the Denver Film Festival.

Premiering to strong reviews out of Venice, September 5 hits limits theaters on December 13 before expanding nationwide on January 17 for MLK Day weekend.

As “Game of Thrones’” foreign unit line producer and then producer, Duncan Muggoch leveraged some of Spain’s staggering landscapes and historical heritage sites into iconic settings for “Game of Thrones.” He returned to Spain as co-executive producer of “3 Body Problem” to create crucial early scenes in China for the Netflix banner show.

Steve Squillante, an executive producer on AMC+ mega-hit “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” served as Netflix VP of physical production for local language originals over 2018-20 as the U.S. streamer released and began to produce “Money Heist,” as well as bowing early seasons of “Elite.”

He is now back in Spain, shooting “Daryl Dixon,” a virtual road series which travels the length and breadth of Spain, embracing its culture, even though it’s a post-apocalypse story.

Likewise, Suzanne Mackie, an executive producer on “Mad Dogs” and “The Crown,” both shot extensively in Spain, returned this...

UK comedian Tony Knight, also known as the Dog Listener, has died after a freak accident at a festival in France. The 54-year-old Knight was struck and killed by a large falling tree branch in June at the Rock & Cars fest in Lavaur, a family member confirmed to Fox News Digital.

According to French outlet Le Tarn Libre, two branches fell off a large tree on the festival grounds, killing Knight and injuring four others.

“He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him,” wrote Joanne Allen, sister of Knight’s longtime partner Hayley Wright on Knight’s GoFundMe page. “He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by Hayley, his family and his friends all over the world.”

In addition to his work as a comedian, Knight turned his passion for dogs into a second career as a dog trainer. “He helped people all over the...

Comedian Tony Knight has passed away following a freak accident in June at the Rock’&’Cars Festival in Lavaur, France, a family member confirmed.

The incident occurred on June 7 at the festival that is described as bringing together classic cars and motorcycles in a friendly and Rock’n Roll atmosphere.

Knight, aged 54, was reportedly “having the time of his life” before the incident.

“He was fit, healthy, happy, and had everything going for him,” the family member stated. “He was charismatic, funny, passionate, and so very loved by Hayley, his family, and his friends all over the world.”

Hayley Wright is the late comedian’s wife and they have no children.

According to TMZ, French media reports state that a large tree branch fell on Knight and several others during the festival.

Knight was the only person who did not survive the incident.

GoFundMe Set For Tony Knight On Behalf...

Exclusive: Shawn Ryan, whose thriller drama The Night Agent was the most watched TV series of 2023 on Netflix, has signed a big, four-year overall deal with the streamer, sources tell Deadline. The prolific creator, executive producer and showrunner landed at Netflix in a competitive situation, with his current studio home, Sony Pictures TV, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. TV among those who pursued him, I hear. The pact with Netflix will start after Ryan’s current overall deal with Sony TV expires at the end of October.

With Ryan’s deal in place, I hear Netflix is proceeding with opening a Season 3 writers room for The Night Agent. The Sony TV-produced series has currently been picked up through Season 2, which ramped up quickly after the strikes to start production in early February for a launch later this year. The writers room for Season 3 — a standard Netflix practice on successful series ahead...

Exclusive: The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge has created the first-ever disability loop group, launched with a recent Edfc workshop held on then Sony studio lot that included coaching, feedback and advice from animation executives. Sony Pictures Entertainment has been a key sponsor and host of Edfc for six years.

A loop group is a group of actors involved in recording audio for edited programming during post-production. Loop groups provide background noise and audio clips that enrich the soundscape and lend a sense of authenticity in films, TV shows, video games and commercials.

The initiative follows the casting of Edfc founder and director Nic Novicki as Lego Spider-Man and longtime Film Challenge participant Danielle Perez as Sun-Spider in Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation’s Oscar-nominated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Both Perez and Novicki are actors with disabilities who were recommended for their roles in the film by writer-producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller,...

Jon Hamm will reprise his role as Fred Heckman from the audio series American Hostage in a live-action TV adaptation from Sony.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hamm would not only reprise his role, but he will also serve as an executive producer for the series. However, at the time of writing, Sony has not confirmed which company will be purchasing the rights to stream American Hostage. The series will be produced by Shawn Ryan, known for producing such hit shows as Swat and Night Agent, the latter of which is a series streaming on Netflix. Mad Dogs writers Ryan and Eileen Myers have already co-written the script for the first season, and the show overall is being advertised as an anthology series, with each season of American Hostage focusing on a different true crime case.

Related: Jon Hamm Has Officially Joined the Marvel Comics Universe

The audio series is...

Jon Hamm and Shawn Ryan will team up to adapt the “American Hostage” podcast into a live-action TV series.

The “Mad Men” Emmy winner will reprise his narrative role from the podcast with Ryan, who has produced CBS’ “Swat” and Netflix’s “The Night Agent,” who will produce, a person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

Sony describes “American Hostage” as a “psychological thriller that tells the harrowing true story of Fred Heckman, a beloved Indianapolis radio reporter who is thrust into the middle of a life-or-death crisis when hostage-taker, Tony Kiritsis, demands to be interviewed on his popular radio news program.”

Hamm voices Heckman on the podcast.

Ryan and Eileen Myers, who have previously worked together on “Mad Dogs” for Amazon, co-wrote the script, completing it before the writers strike. Ryan has an overall deal with Sony, and the studio waited...

Mad Men alum Jon Hamm and producer Shawn Ryan are teaming on a live-action television series adaptation of the podcast American Hostage, with Hamm set to reprise his role from the audio series, Deadline has confirmed.

American Hostage is described as a “psychological thriller that tells the harrowing true story of Fred Heckman, a beloved Indianapolis radio reporter who is thrust into the middle of a life-or-death crisis when hostage-taker, Tony Kiritsis, demands to be interviewed on his popular radio news program.”

Hamm will reprise his podcast role as Heckman.

The script was completed by Mad Dogs scribes Ryan and Eileen Myers before the writers strike. Sony, where Ryan is under an overall deal, will now begin shopping the project to streaming services. Ryan envisions the series as an anthology, which will focus on a different hostage case each season.

Hamm will also...

The Buccaneers is a period drama series created by Katherine Jakeways. The Apple TV+ series is based on an unfinished novel of the same name by Edith Warton, the series revolves around a group of young American women in 1870s London as both American and British cultures clash because of the wildly different approach to their traditions. The Buccaneers stars Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Matthew Broome, Josh Dylan, Barney Fishwick, and Aubri Ibrag. So, if you loved the Apple TV+ series here are some similar shows you could watch next.

The Buccaneers (BritBox & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – BBC One

Synopsis: A lavish, star-studded adaptation of Edith Wharton’s final book. In London for the season, four beautiful Americans charm the impoverished English aristocracy with their vivacity and wealth. But it all turns to ashes.

Gentleman Jack (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – HBO

Synopsis: Set in the changing world of 1832 England...

In 1973, the killer of Welsh teenagers Sandra Newton, Pauline Flynn and Gwendoline Hughes was not caught, despite a high-profile and widespread investigation by South Wales Police. The girls’ families spent the next three decades not knowing who was responsible for brutally taking the lives of their loved ones, or whether he still lived alongside them in the local Neath and Port Talbot communities.

In 2002, a development in forensics changed everything. The cold case was reopened with much pared-down resources, and crime scene DNA was successfully used to identify Wales’ first recorded serial killer. Steeltown Murders is the story of the loss, guilt and suspicion that followed the 1970s murders, and of the perseverance of the officers who were eventually able to provide the victims’ families with the answers they’d been denied years before.

Here are the actors making up the cast behind Steeltown Murders‘ dramatisation of real-life figures and events.

Egyptian superstar Yousra over the course of a four-decade career has starred in a multitude of Arabic film and TV milestones comprising classic movies such as Youssef Chahine’s “Alexandria: Again and Forever” and Marwan Hamed’s “The Yacoubian Building,” and hit Ramadan series “Public Opinion Case,” which was instrumental in changing Egypt’s rape victim legislation.

But while Yousra has appeared in several co-productions, she recently had the first-time experience of working on the Mbc series “Rose & Layla” with a non-Arabic writer-director duo: British screenwriter Cris Cole, creator of the BAFTA-nominated series “Mad Dogs,” and Adrian Shergold, who directed “Mad Dogs.” “Rose & Layla,” which is produced by Maged Mohsen and Safa Aburizik, will be distributed internationally by veteran Brit exec Stewart Till’s Till Entertainment.

The groundbreaking 10-episode show – which will be launching on Mbc’s Shahid streamer by year’s end – marks another first, pairing Yousra with popular...

October is typically a big month for Netflix.

Alongside returning shows, including animated sitcom Big Mouth, and new films (medical drama The Good Nurse) will be a large bunch of spooky titles released in time for Halloween.

This includes The Midnight Club, the latest series from Haunting of Hill House maestro Mike Flanagan, and a new Twilight Zone-style anthology series from director Guillermo del Toro.

Find the full list of every movie and TV show coming to Netflix in October below – and everything that will be removed from the streaming service here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with assistance from What’s on Netflix.

Original Content

TV

2 October

Forever Queens season one

5 October

Bling Empire season three

The Fight for Justice: Paolo Guerrero season one

High Water season one

Nailed It! season seven

7 October

Doll House season one

Glitch season one

Man on Pause season one

The Midnight Club...

October is typically a big month for Netflix.

Alongside returning shows, including animated sitcom Big Mouth, and new films (medical drama The Good Nurse) will be a large bunch of spooky titles released in time for Halloween.

This includes The Midnight Club, the latest series from Haunting of Hill House maestro Mike Flanagan, and a new Twilight Zone-style anthology series from director Guillermo del Toro.

Find the full list of every movie and TV show coming to Netflix in October below – and everything that will be removed from the streaming service here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with assistance from What’s on Netflix.

Original Content

TV

2 October

Forever Queens season one

5 October

Bling Empire season three

The Fight for Justice: Paolo Guerrero season one

High Water season one

Nailed It! season seven

7 October

Doll House season one

Glitch season one

Man on Pause season one

The Midnight Club...

In the opening scene of Episode 8, Season 4 of Netflix’s “The Crown,” a young Princess Elizabeth, played by Claire Foy, addresses the British Commonwealth from Capetown, South Africa, on the occasion of her 21st birthday.

What follows is a montage of people listening to her radio broadcast speech in different member countries, from India to Australia, to Jamaica and a number of African nations. These scenes were all shot in Spain, encapsulating — in less than three minutes — the great diversity of the country’s locations.

Several scenes in Seasons 3, 4 and the upcoming Season 5 of “The Crown” have all been shot in Spain while the sixth and final one, which starts shooting in late August, promises to be the show’s “largest investment in Spain in terms of time,” says independent producer Martin Harrison, one of the key producers behind the award-winning series for Sony backed London-based shingle Left Bank Pictures.

The Acolyte is moving forward at Disney+, and there's an exciting new casting announcement.

Deadline reported this week that Jodie Turner-Smith is finalizing a deal to join the Star Wars universe TV series.

The only confirmed cast member so far is Amanda Stenberg.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have both been secretive about projects set in that universe in the past.

There's a good chance the series already has a complete cast, and more details will be revealed as filming gets underway.

Turner-Smith's previous TV credits include True Blood, Mad Dogs, The Last Ship, Nightflyers, and Anne Boleyn.

Details of her role on The Acolyte are being kept under wraps, which is par for the course with these shows.

Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) is on board to showrun this series that takes place a full century before Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.

“My relationship with Star Wars probably runs the...

This story about “The Afterparty” first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

“The Afterparty,” Apple TV+’s labyrinthine comedy whodunnit, was endlessly diagrammed and outlined and constructed. Creator Christopher Miller, who also directed all the episodes and produced the series (with his longtime creative partner Phil Lord), would often take to Twitter to discuss the plotting of the story, about a high school reunion afterparty that descends into chaos after a former student-turned-pop star (Dave Franco) is murdered.

Further complicating matters was the show’s central conceit that each episode would take another character’s point of view and mirror a different movie genre, from a big-screen Hollywood musical to a tightly wound thriller. There’s even an animated episode, which shouldn’t be surprising considering Lord and Miller are responsible for everything from “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and its upcoming sequels.

In Theaters and On Demand May 20, 2022 Directed by Adrian Shergold (“Mad Dogs,” Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman, “Eureka Street”) Written by Adrian Shergold & Antonia Campbell-Hughes Starring Antonia Campbell-Hughes (3096 Days, Queen Marie-Antoinette in “Dangerous Liaisons”) Johnny Flynn (Emma., Clouds of Sils Maria, Beast) Catherine McCormack (Braveheart, Spy Game, 28 Weeks Later) Joel Fry (In The Earth, Yesterday, Cruella) Michael Gambon (Gosford Park, Harry Potter) Cordelia (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), a young woman living …

The post Cordelia Dark Psychological Thriller | Directed by Adrian Shergold | In Theaters and On Demand May 20, 2022 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Distribution

PBS Distribution will be the North American distribution partner for West Road Pictures and All3Media International series “Ridley.” It stars Adrian Dunbar (“Line of Duty”) as Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who has retired from the police after 20 years of dedicated service. Now working in a consultancy role, Ridley resumes his partnership with his former protégée, Di Carol Farman, when she turns to him for help on a complex murder investigation.

The series, which consists of four two-hour episodes, is currently filming across Northern England, and will premiere on ITV in the U.K. It has sold to Npo in the Netherlands, Vrt in Flemish Belgium, BritBox for exclusive Australia streaming, Pumpkin TV has China VOD rights, and Rlj Entertainment has secured DVD/Video rights for Australia and New Zealand.

“Ridley” is written and created by Paul Matthew Thompson (“Vera”) and co-created by Jonathan Fisher (“Blood”), MD of West Road Pictures,...

Michael Imperioli, best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in mob series The Sopranos, is returning to HBO as he joins Mike White‘s comedy-drama The White Lotus. As first reported by Deadline, Imperioli is set to play Dominic Di Grasso, a character staying at the White Lotus resort with his elderly father and son, a recent college graduate. The Emmy-nominated actor is the first cast member confirmed for the show’s second season, though it was previously reported that Season 1 star Jennifer Coolidge will return. The White Lotus, which debuted in July 2021, revolves around a week in the life of vacationers at a luxurious Hawaiian resort. The first season explored the dark secrets hidden beneath the so-called perfect lives of the holiday-goers and the hotel’s cheerful staff. In addition to Coolidge, the first season also starred Connie Britton (Nashville), Murray Barlett (Looking), Alexandra Daddario (True Detective), Steve Zahn...

Rock ‘n’ roll bands, we’re told, are the closest and most combative of families. They come up in the world together, they eat and sleep and ride a tour bus together, they haunt the recording studio together, they become experts in how to manipulate (and shield themselves from) the media together, and, in a funny way, they break up together. But in 1970, Joe Cocker fronted a band of virtuoso ruffians called Mad Dogs & Englishmen, who put on some of the most musically rambunctious and cathartic concerts of their time, and the strange thing is that the band members barely knew each other.

In 1969, Cocker had made a splash at Woodstock — it was the first time almost anyone had seen his writhing British blues-dog self — and after riding that buzz for a while, he fired his band out from under him and tried to take a break. But an American...

Exclusive: HBO Max is developing Aloha MotherF**ker, a drama series based on Jason Ryan’s best-selling novel Hell-Bent. Mad Dogs creator Cris Cole will write the adaptation, which comes from Will Yun Lee and Mark and Christine Holder’s Seoul Street.

In Aloha MotherF**ker, When cops fail to find her son’s killers, Renee, a divorced mom in her 40s, heads to Hawaii to start her own investigation. Here she uncovers rampant disorganized crime and systemic corruption within the police and legal system, before inadvertently finding a new place for herself in the world.

The cat-and mouse-thriller is set in 1970s Hawaii, a dream vacation spot but also one of the most brutally violent places in America riddled by mob-style executions, drug smuggling and gang warfare.

Cole executive produces with Soul Street’s Lee and Mark and Christine Holder

British writer-producer Cole is probably best known as the...

Paramount Plus’ “The Game” revival has added Tim Daly and Toby Sandeman to the cast and will also see a special appearance from original series star Coby Bell when it premieres Nov. 11

Daly will play self-made billionaire and team owner Col. Ulysses S. Thatcher, while Sandeman will play the top football player in the league, named Garret Evans. Bell will reprise his role of former football star Jason Pitts.

Over the course of a 10-episode first season, “The Game” will offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football, tackling stories about racism, sexism, classism and more as the players fight for fame and fortune, as well as respect and love.

Showrunner Devon Greggory noted that this time around, in what he is considering the 10th season of the series overall, rather than the start of something new, they will be able to speak about things...

Ahead of Netflix releasing their new anime series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness globally on July 8th, here's a nearly 3-minute look at the opening scene!

"Six years ago (2000), the helicopter belonging to the U.S. special forces who were intervening in the Penamstan civil war fell from the sky. The U.S. Army Mad Dogs, who were in the same battleground, refused orders from the command center to stand their ground and instead went to save survivors of the crash. However, the special forces were already annihilated. The Mad Dogs, led by their captain Jason, were also forced to escape in order to survive.

However, in that place, Jason and his unit saw the supposedly dead special forces moving in strange ways...

In the present (2006), a hacking incident occurs on a top secret White House file. Four agents, including Leon S. Kennedy and Jason, the “Hero of Penamstan,” are invited to...

Ahead of Netflix releasing their new anime series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness globally on July 8th, we have a look at the brand new trailer!

"Six years ago (2000), the helicopter belonging to the U.S. special forces who were intervening in the Penamstan civil war fell from the sky. The U.S. Army Mad Dogs, who were in the same battleground, refused orders from the command center to stand their ground and instead went to save survivors of the crash. However, the special forces were already annihilated. The Mad Dogs, led by their captain Jason, were also forced to escape in order to survive.

However, in that place, Jason and his unit saw the supposedly dead special forces moving in strange ways...

In the present (2006), a hacking incident occurs on a top secret White House file. Four agents, including Leon S. Kennedy and Jason, the “Hero of Penamstan,” are invited to...

Suzanne Mackie, one of the U.K.’s foremost drama executives, has been selected as the 2021 recipient of Variety’s International Achievement in Television Award, to be presented at the MipTV virtual global content market in Cannes in April.

The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the international television marketplace.

In 2020, Mackie departed “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures after 12 years to set up her own independent production company, Orchid Pictures. She remained on “The Crown” as one of the executive producers and is actively involved in seasons five and six. She is engaged by Netflix on the show through Orchid.

Mackie was an architect of “The Crown’s” success on Netflix, playing a key part in shepherding the Golden Globe-winning show’s first four seasons and working closely with writer Peter Morgan. Last week, “The Crown’s” producing team won the prize for Outstanding Producer...

Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. This edition features keyboardist Chris Stainton.

He performed at Woodstock, even though he took so much LSD that morning that he puked on the helicopter ride over.

Netflix’s “The Witcher” prequel series “Blood Origin” has cast Jodie Turner-Smith as its lead, the streaming service said Monday.

“The Witcher: Blood Origin” is a six-part, live-action limited series that will serve as a prequel to Netflix’s series starring Henry Cavill.

Here’s the description for the show: “Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time — the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal ‘conjunction of the spheres,’ when the worlds of monsters, men and elves merged to become one.”

Turner-Smith will play Éile, “an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess” who “has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the...

Jodie Turner-Smith has been tapped as a lead in Netflix’s six-part, live-action limited series The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel to the streamer’s hit series The

Witcher.

Set in an elven world 1,200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

Turner-Smith will play Éile, an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, who has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.

Declan de Barra serves as executive producer and showrunner of The Witcher: Blood Origin.

Netflix has taken another step forward with its ambition to sign exclusive deals with some of Britain’s top TV and film creatives after inking a golden handcuffs agreement with The Crown producer Suzanne Mackie’s new production company.

Netflix and Mackie were not forthcoming about the nature of the deal in an announcement unveiling Orchid Pictures today, but Deadline understands that the production venture will develop and produce film and TV projects exclusively for the streamer.

One source suggested that Netflix had invested in Orchid, but this was denied by the company. Instead, the arrangement is said to be closer to an overall deal with Orchid. The streamer insists there is nothing unusual about the arrangement.

There were clues about the deal in the press release announcing Orchid. Though not circulated by Netflix, Mackie said in the release that she was looking forward to “further deepening my collaboration with Netflix,...

Drama producer launches Orchid Pictures but will remain as exec on Netflix royal drama.

Suzanne Mackie has exited UK production outfit Left Bank Pictures after 12 years to launch her own indie.

Orchid Pictures will be a London-based film and television producer and will work closely with Netflix on a slate of projects – though specific details of the agreement were not immediately forthcoming.

She will remain as executive producer on Netflix’s royal drama The Crown for its concluding fifth and sixth series.

Sky scripted development exec Hannah Campbell has been hired to aid her at Orchid.

Mackie joined Left Bank...

Drama producer launches Orchid Pictures but will remain as exec on Netflix royal drama.

Suzanne Mackie has exited UK production outfit Left Bank Pictures after 12 years to launch her own indie.

Orchid Pictures will be a London-based film and television producer and will work closely with Netflix on a slate of projects – though specific details of the agreement were not immediately forthcoming.

She will remain as executive producer on Netflix’s royal drama The Crown for its concluding fifth and sixth series.

Sky scripted development exec Hannah Campbell has been hired to aid her at Orchid.

Mackie joined Left Bank...

The Crown executive producer Suzanne Mackie is leaving Left Bank Pictures to launch her own production company.

Mackie has set up Orchid Pictures after more than a decade at Left Bank alongside CEO Andy Harries. She joined the company in 2009 and was promoted to creative director in 2012.

Mackie, a prominent force in British drama, is not leaving the Left Bank orbit entirely. She will remain the executive producer on The Crown Season 5 and 6, which begin shooting next year.

She said: “Starting my own company felt like an exciting next chapter in my career. The opportunity of further deepening my collaboration with Netflix presented an immensely exciting opportunity.”

Harries added: “I have enjoyed an amazing journey with Suzanne, from Mad Dogs to Misbehaviour with lots of The Crown on top! She is smart, wise and has great taste. I have no doubt she will create some classy new shows for Netflix...

Updated: Suzanne Mackie, one of the U.K.’s foremost drama executives, has departed “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures after 12 years to set up her own independent production company, Orchid Pictures. Variety understands from sources that the producer has also struck an exclusive deal with Netflix.

Mackie has been a key architect of “The Crown’s” success on Netflix from the very beginning, playing a key part in shepherding the Golden Globe-winning show’s first four seasons and working closely with writer Peter Morgan. She will continue as an executive producer on the show for its forthcoming seasons 5 and 6.

Based in London, Mackie’s Orchid Pictures will work across television and film, and she will continue working with Netflix through Orchid Pictures. Variety understands Mackie will be developing projects for the streamer on what’s believed to be an exclusive basis. Sources tell Variety that the streaming giant, which...

Hot off the success of Hubie Halloween on Netflix, Adam Sandler has locked down the cast for his next movie project. Called Hustle, the basketball-themed comedy sports movie will be directed by Jeremiah Zagar. As part of his extended production deal with Netflix, Sandler will also produce the project under his Happy Madison banner with LeBron James' The SpringHill Company and Roth/Kirschenbaum Films.

Starring opposite Adam Sandler in the movie in main roles are Oscar nominee Queen Latifah (Bessie), Oscar winner Robert Duvall (To Kill a Mockingbird), and Ben Foster (Hell or High Water). Also included in the cast are NBA star Juancho Hernangomez, Jordan Hull (The L Word: Generation Q), Maria Botto (Mad Dogs), newcomer Ainhoa Pillet, and sports commentator Kenny Smith.

What we have here appears to be a feel-good sports comedy about aspiring basketball players that just wants to make it to the big leagues. Written...

James Payne’s “The Window,” which is being pitched as part of MipTV Online Plus’s Drama Buyers Summit, a digital marketplace for international broadcasters, is a drama-thriller set in the world of professional soccer.

Shooting on the series was stopped in response to the coronavirus crisis, but, having begun filming in October, eight episodes have been finished and are available as a shortened first season, with producers promising cliffhangers at the end of each episode.

“The Window” is a dramatized, behind the scenes look at an elite English soccer club and how the beautiful game can get ugly, from the top executives all the way down to its teenage stars.

BAFTA-winning director and actor Adrian Shergold (“Mad Dogs”) is lead directing, with Claudia Garde (“Tatort”) and Pieter van Hees (“Versailles”) picking up the remaining episodes. Series creator and writer James Payne (“Mr. Selfridge”) co-wrote Season 1 with Chris Gill (“The Hive...

Exclusive: The Gifted alum Coby Bell is set as a series regular opposite Jared Padalecki in Walker, a reimagining of CBS’ long-running 1990s action/crime series Walker, Texas Ranger.

Like the original series, created by Albert S. Ruddy & Leslie Greif, the reboot, in which Walker is getting a female partner, will explore morality, family and rediscovering our lost common ground. It centers on Cordell Walker (Padalecki), a widower and father of two with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his conservative family, and find unexpected common ground with his new partner, played by Lindsey Morgan, (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history), while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.

Bell will play Captain Larry James,...

Cannes – Germany’s Zdf Enterprises and Japan’s Fuji TV have picked their team for soccer drama “The Window.”

Mel Raido (“Deep State”), Tommy Bastow (“Agatha Raisin”), stage actor Samuel Jordan, Lynn Van Royen (“Tabula Rasa”), Jodie Tyack (“The Feed”), and Carole Weyers (“Grey’s Anatomy”) will all star in the show. It heads into production in the U.K. next week, before moving to Belgium and Malta.

Co-production is commonplace in the international drama market, but not among European and Asian partners. Having pacted, Zdf Enterprises, the commercial arm of German pubcaster Zdf, and Japanese broadcaster Fuji will share international sales duties.

The pair first worked up the idea of teaming on drama at Mipcom three years ago. They unveiled the cast and full team on the show at the 2019 edition of the TV market. Berlin-based production company Boogie Entertainment developed “The Window,” and will make it with Belgium-based Velvet Films.

Midsomer Murders writer Chris Murray is taking a pro-European approach to his latest drama – taking one of Britain’s best loved actors and turning him into a Dutch detective.

Murray is remaking Dutch procedural Van Der Valk for a slew of European broadcasters including ITV in the UK, Germany’s Ard, France Télévisions and Npo Netherlands with Safe and Mad Dogs actor Marc Warren in the lead role.

All3Media International, which co-commissioned the series from its own Company Pictures is now taking the three-part drama to Cannes in the hope of closing more deals.

Murray told Deadline, “I’ve done quite a few detective shows over the years and I always remembered the setting of the original and liked the idea that in these times [of Brexit], being relatively pro-European, of doing a detective series that reflected contemporary Europe.”

The show follows a street smart and unapologetic Dutch detective, played by Warren,...

Joss Whedon’s new HBO series has found its principal cast members.

Whedon’s series “The Nevers” has cast Olivia Williams, James Norton, Tom Riley, Ann Skelly, Ben Chaplin, Pip Torrens, Zackary Momoh, Amy Manson, Nick Frost, Rochelle Neil, Eleanor Tomlinson, and Denis O’Hare. They join previously announced cast member Laura Donnelly, who will star as Amalia True.

“The Nevers,” which was ordered straight-to-series last July, is described as an epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.

Breakdowns for the characters are below:

-Williams will play Lavinia Bidlow, a wealthy spinster and champion of the “Touched.” Lavinia funds the Orphanage (where Amalia and many of the Touched live) through her vast family fortune. She is stern and old-fashioned, but as strong-willed and clever as anyone she confronts.

Williams’ past TV...

In this week’s International TV Newswire, catch up on Amazon’s soccer push, Gen Z’s thoughts on power structures, Dazn’s newest acquisitions in Europe, a rebooted detective drama in Amsterdam, A+E Networks executive shake-up in Asia and a new international animation alliance between Mondo TV Group and German upstart Toon2Tango.

Amazon Picks up Another Soccer Docu-Series: Live Sports Coming?

Amazon has grown its soccer catalog, picking up worldwide rƒights to “Inside Borussia Dortmund,” a chronicle of the German club’s 2018-19 season which saw it finish as Bundesliga runners-up to perennial power-house Bayern Munich on the final day of the season.

The four-part docu-series will go inside the locker-rooms and lives of players and staff with the first episodes premiering Aug. 16 and each subsequent episode launching weekly every Friday.

Amazon has already had success with soccer-themed content with “All or Nothing: Manchester City” which chronicled the...

Exclusive: Safe and Mad Dogs actor Marc Warren will star in a remake of classic British detective drama Van Der Valk after The White Princess producer Company Pictures and the international arm of All3Media partnered.

Company and All3Media International are adapting the series that first aired in 1972 and ran for five seasons. Midsomer Murders writer Chris Murray is writing a three-part series of feature length episodes.

The show follows as a street smart and unapologetic Dutch detective navigates the lively and enigmatic city of Amsterdam, solving mysterious crimes using astute human observation and inspired detection.

The original series, which was produced by Thames Television for ITV, starred Barry Foster as Dutch detective Commissaris Piet/Simon Van Der Valk. It was loosely based on the novels by Nicolas Freeling. Warren will play the detective.

The show will be filmed on location in Amsterdam, and All3Media International is on the brink...

Marvel has shared the first trailer for the upcoming second season of their Wolverine podcast. The first season, Wolverine: The Long Night, was actually pretty great and worth listening to if you haven’t already. The second season is called Wolverine: The Lost Trail, and in it Logan heads to New Orleans.

We have a trailer for the new podcast for you to check out today along with a story summary that you can read here:

Marvel’s “Wolverine: The Lost Trail” is an epic quest that takes place in the Louisiana bayou. Following the events of Marvel’s “Wolverine: The Long Night,” Logan (Richard Armitage) returns to New Orleans in search of redemption, only to discover that his ex-lover, Maureen is nowhere to be found. And she's not the only one. Dozens of humans and mutants have gone missing, including the mother of a teenage boy, Marcus Baptiste. With Weapon X in close pursuit,...

Rising star Jodie Turner-Smith will star opposite Academy Award nominee Daniel Kaluuya in Universal Pictures and Makeready’s “Queen & Slim.”

“Insecure” helmer Melina Matsoukas is set to make her feature directing debut from a script by Lena Waithe.

The story follows a couple after they’re stopped by the police and how it affects their lives.

Makeready is financing the film. Waithe is producing via her company Hillman Grad Productions, along with Matsoukas via her production company De La Revolución Films; James Frey with his 3BlackDot; Andrew Coles; and Michelle Knudsen. Pam Abdy will oversee the film on behalf of Makeready.

“Queen & Slim” will be distributed by Universal Pictures worldwide with eOne handling theatrical distribution in select territories. The film is set for release in North America on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27, 2019. This is the first film greenlit under Makeready’s recently announced distribution deal with Universal. eOne is Makeready’s lead investor.

Entertainment One’s Svp Scripted Programming Carolyn Newman has left the independent studio after two years. She has joined Netflix, reporting to Larry Tanz, VP of Content Acquisition at Netflix. Newman will be part of the Scripted Co-licensed and Original TV team and will focus on English language scripted TV.

This marks a return to the streaming world for Newman who worked at Amazon Studios before joining eOne Television in 2016 as VP Scripted Programming, overseeing the company’s U.S. slate and reporting to Pancho Mansfield, President of Global Scripted Programming at eOne Television. Last year, she was promoted to Svp Scripted Programming, adding oversight of acquisition of intellectual property from the global market for the U.S. and securing co-productions and pre-sales, working closely with eOne’s other development hubs.

Entertainment One, now run by new president Mark Gordon, is expected to name a replacement for Newman to work under Mansfield.

The historical series is set in 19th century Delhi.

The cast for Beecham House, co-created by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) and Shahrukh Husain (In Custody), has been revealed.

Tom Bateman (Jekyll And Hyde), Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), Gregory Fitoussi (Spiral), Adil Ray (Citizen Khan), Marc Warren (Mad Dogs), Pallavi Sharda (Lion), Dakota Blue Richards (Skins), Leo Suter (Victoria) and Bessie Carter (Howards End) have signed on for the ITV series.

Set in 19th century Delhi, Bateman stars as a former soldier who is haunted by his past and moves to India to start a new life.

The six-part...

On today’s TV roundup, Academy-award winning actress Cate Blanchett has been cast for a guest appearance on IFC’s “Documentary Now!”

Casting

Chris Carmack has been cast on “Grey’s Anatomy” and is set to recur on the show as an orthopedic surgeon who comes to work at Grey Sloan Memorial. His character is known as an “Ortho God.”

Yadira Guevara-Prip and Nesta Cooper have been cast as series regulars in Apple’s original drama, “See,” written by Academy Award-nominated Steven Knight, and directed by Francis Lawrence. Guevara-Prip has been cast as Bow Lion, a young warrior and Cooper has been cast as Haniwa, a proud and determined young daughter.

IFC announced that acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett will guest star in an upcoming episode of “Documentary Now!.” In the previously announced episode “Waiting for the Artist,” Blanchett stars as a world-renowned performance artist who feels pressured to put on the show of her life.

Yadira Guevara-Prip (Supernatural) and Nesta Cooper (Travelers) are set for key series regular roles in See, Apple’s straight-to-series drama, written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2).

See, which hails from the scripted drama venture between Peter Chernin’s Chernin Entertainment and Endeavor Content, is an epic, world-building drama set in the future. Apple landed the hot TV package in a competitive situation in January.

Guevara-Prip will play Bow Lion, a young warrior. Cooper will portray Haniwa, a proud and determined young daughter.

The series is executive produced by Knight and Lawrence, alongside Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and Kristen Campo, and Jon Steinberg.

Guevara-Prip recurs on the CW’s Supernatural and was cast as a series regular on the spinoff pilot Wayward Sisters. Other TV credits include a recurring role on Amazon’s Mad Dogs...