Keshet International (KI) has racked up several deals for scripted formats and finished tape in the Central and Eastern Europe region.
KI has sold the format rights for Duo Productions’ 8 x 60’ relationship thriller “Too Much Love” (“L’homme qui aimait trop”) to Slovakian free-to-air broadcaster TV JOJ. Originally created by Canadian writing duo Michel d’Astous and Anne Boyer (“Taboo”) for Bell Media’s Quebecois streamer Noovo, the Slovakian adaptation will be produced by Piknik Pictures (“Traffic Light”). Currently in pre-production, with casting in progress, shooting will commence later this year ahead of a 2024 premiere on TV JOJ.
Kelly Wright, KI’s MD of distribution, described the show as “something of a conversation starter because of the anti-hero’s controversial lifestyle choices,” with Marcel Grega, CEO of TV JOJ adding that the show “is the perfect example of a modern drama that opens subjects that are considered taboo.”
KI’s sales manager Malgorzata Gudel has also completed a multi-territory deal with Canal+ to license dramas, including “You Don’t Die Among Friends” (“Unter Freunden Stirbt Man Nicht”), Keshet Tresor Fiction’s German 4 x 60’ adaptation of the Israeli format “Stockholm” for VOX, which will stream in four key CEE territories – Hungary on the Direct One platform, Romania on Focus Sat, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both on Canal+ VOD; and Cuba Libre, Hop! Films’ 6 x 60’ true story of a young Portuguese woman who gave everything to the Cuban revolution and Che Guevara for Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, will stream on Canal+ VOD in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In addition, KI has licensed season one of Koda Communications’ 8 x 60’ Israeli crime drama series “Line in the Sand” in Poland to Canal+ Polska for its Ale kino+ channel and Canal+ online. A further tape sale has been closed for “The Brave” – Universal Television and Keshet Studios’ 13 x 60’ thriller produced for NBC – in Latvia to TV3 Group for their free TV channel TV3.
STREAMING
Prime Video has unveiled first-look images for new original British high school romantic comedy film, “How To Date Billy Walsh,” premiering on Sept. 8. The film stars Sebastian Croft (“Heartstopper”) as Archie, Charithra Chandran (“Bridgerton”) as Amelia and Tanner Buchanan (“Cobra Kai”) as Billy.
In the film, teenagers Amelia and Archie have been best friends since childhood. Archie has always been there to fight Amelia’s battles and laugh at her jokes all whilst keeping his lifelong love for her a secret. Just when Archie builds up the courage to declare his feelings for Amelia, she falls head over heels for Billy Walsh the new American transfer student. It is directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai (“Bridgerton”) from a script by Alexander J. Farrell and Greer Ellison (“Making A Killing”). Matt Williams (“Save The Cinema”) and Neil Jones (“The Colour Room”) produce.
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Elsewhere, BritBox International, the joint venture between British broadcasting powerhouses the BBC and ITV, is now available as a subscription channel in the Apple TV app in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Monthly prices after a seven-day free trial are: Sweden SEK89 ($8.30); Denmark DKK79 ($11.55); Finland €7.99 ($8.70) and Norway NOK89 ($8.17).
APPOINTMENTS
Fledgling theatrical distributor Black Bear U.K. has set out its leadership team. Led by president John Friedberg and managing director Llewellyn Radley, the new Black Bear U.K. team includes Eugene O’Connor, who joins as VP publicity; Nick Smith, who is VP digital; and Bosco Tench, who is marketing director. They join existing senior U.K. distribution executives, including Vicky Hine, senior VP marketing; Scott Sargeant, VP distribution; and Frank Ayaoge, VP technical.
O’Connor joins from Premier PR, where he led the film team. He will also work across PR for Black Bear’s international sales and distribution business. Meanwhile, Smith most recently worked at Apple, where he managed the U.K. Video Business. Prior to that, he held senior roles at eOne and Momentum Pictures, where he led the digital transactional business and established lucrative television deals. Tench joins Black Bear from eOne, where he served as senior marketing manager.
Black Bear U.K. is distributing 10-15 wide release theatrical films a year, including commercial, genre and prestige titles. The company’s first release will be the Black Bear-produced “Dumb Money,” starring Paul Dano, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson and Seth Rogen. The film opens Sept. 22.
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Meanwhile, Hristina Georgieva, who was previously VP of affiliate distribution and commercial development at Disney for four years and was part of the team to launch Disney+ across EMEA, has been appointed as chief business officer at streamer SkyShowtime, reporting into CEO Monty Sarhan. Georgieva will lead the distribution and partnerships function and have P&L responsibility for all B2B revenue.
Former HBO Max executive Brett Horowitz has been named VP of commercial strategy, overseeing subscriber growth strategy across D2C and B2B segments and supporting the marketing and distribution and partnerships teams. Anazia Budhwar joins from Netflix as director of content strategy, working with SkyShowtime’s programming team to optimise acquisition and originals strategies and drive engagement. Both report into chief strategy officer Roberto Soto, who joined SkyShowtime late last year from HBO Max.
FIRST-LOOK
Richard Brown’s Passenger has struck a first-look deal with theatre and film producer Patrick Daly and his production house Caledonia Productions (“August: Osage County”).
The two-year deal with Passenger, which now sits within Fremantle’s Global Drama division, will see Daly and Brown collaborate on select Passenger and Caledonia film and TV projects in addition to building a new slate of projects to co-produce. Fremantle will handle global distribution.
Both Passenger and Caledonia are based in New York and London.
TRAILER
“I Am Rage,” arevenge thriller film from the team behind action title “Army of One” (2020), has been acquired by Uncork’d Entertainment for a digital and DVD release on Aug. 1.
Hannaj Bang Bendz (“The Man Up The Stairs,” Glamour”) headlines the film. David Ryan Keith, who previously collaborated with Uncork’d on The Redwood Massacre franchise, directs from a script he co-wrote with Stephen Durham (“Army of One”).
In the film, Erin’s idyllic countryside trip turns to terror when a sinister blood cult abducts her. But they made a grave mistake, her abductors soon learn the painful consequences of crossing someone with severe anger issues.
CLIP
BET+ will premiere original feature “Call Her King,” starring Naturi Naughton (“Power Book II: Ghost”) and Lance Gross (“House of Payne”), on July 6. Directed by Wes Miller (“A Day to Die”), the film follows Judge Jaeda King (Naughton), who has just sentenced Sean Samuels (Mitchell) to death when the courthouse is hijacked by Samuels’ brother Gabriel, also known as Black Caesar (Gross). The judge must rely on her wits, strength and skill to find a way to end the standoff, save the hostages and fight her way out.
The film is the first production for Andrew van den Houten and Miller’s newly formed BLacklight Entertainment banner, set up to provide quality opportunities for people of color and other traditionally disadvantaged people in front of and behind the camera.
