NEW DIRECTION
One Direction star Niall Horan is set to cameo on rail-themed Channel 4 digital series, “Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois.”
Produced by Untold Studios, the series sees TikTok creator Bourgeois introduce celebrities to the obscure hobby.
Horan will join Bourgeois for a “day of locomotive escapades” starting at Liverpool Street Station in London – but will a series of train cancelations and delays scupper their plans?
During the episode, which is available from June 14 on Channel 4’s YouTube, Horan reveals a very personal connection to trains, telling Bourgeois that his grandfather was a train driver. Movie buffs will also be thrilled to discover Horan’s grandfather drove the train in “The Great Train Robbery.”
SERIES LAB
The second edition of the Sam Spiegel Series Lab, which was established last year by the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School, with the support of Netflix, and artistic consultancy of Hagai Levi (“Scenes from a Marriage”), has opened. The Lab continues its collaboration with Netflix, with one project receiving the Netflix Series Development Award. Producer and screenwriter Joe Peracchio (“The Flash”) will lead workshops on script development and will mentor the participants.
The Lab also has four new partners – production company New Mandate Films (Barry Levinson’s “The Survivor”); Israeli entertainment content enterprise United King Films (“Valley of Tears”); the Jerusalem Film and Television Fund; and Jerusalem Municipality.
Eight Israeli projects out of 100 submissions have been selected for the Lab, all headed by first-time lead writers, and six are female led. Amongst the writers are Orit Fouks Rotem, director of “Cinema Sabaya”, Israel’s entry for best international feature at the Academy Awards; Guy Raz, DoP of the feature “Rabies”; and actor Nur Fibak (“Ahed’s Knee”).
Dana Blankstein-Cohen, the executive director of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School said: “It is a great privilege for the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School to be a major player in the Israeli television industry and to provide a platform to groundbreaking creators who bring local stories to viewers in Israel and around the world.”
The projects selected are: “Campaigners,” written by Rachel Elitzur, produced by Adi Bar Yosef, with Endemol Shine as production company; “Moods” by Shira Porat, produced by Lee Shira, from New Generation Productions; “Oasis” by Nur Fibak and Mae Palty, produced by Orly Arbel, from SIPUR; “The Parasite” by Chen Shumowitz, produced by Marek Rozenbaum, from Transfax Productions; “The Plasticians” by Hila Elena Royzenman, produced by Eitan Mansuri, from Spiro Films; “The Subject” by Rotem Kapelinsky, produced by Naomi Levari, Saar Yogev, Guy Hudes, from Black Sheep Productions; “That Hole” by Orit Fouks Rotem, Adi Goral, Batya Deil and Miri Milstein, produced by Maya Fisher, Shani Sror, from Green Productions; and “Trygghet” by Guy Raz, produced by Yoav Gross and Adi Arbel, from Yoav Gross Productions.
COMMISSIONS
U.K. broadcaster BBC has commissioned “Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour” (working title), which follows culture-loving Rob Rinder who joins architecture fan Rylan in the footsteps of 19th century romantic poet Lord Byron and other Grand Tourists, immersing themselves in the art, culture, bad behaviour and life-changing exploits of historic Brits abroad. The 3 x 60′ series is being made by Zinc Media Group company Rex. Executive producers are Lana Salah and Dominque Walker and the BBC commissioning editor is Alistair Pegg.
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Meanwhile, fellow U.K. broadcaster ITV has commissioned “The Clinic,” a current affairs documentary exploring the closure of England’s only dedicated National Health Service service for trans children. The documentary tells the story of the rise and fall of the Tavistock Centre’s Gender Identity Development Service, the NHS service that for more than three decades has been alone in providing treatment for young people with gender identity issues in England.
Produced by Rogan Productions Scotland and commissioned by Tom Giles, controller of current affairs for ITV, the documentary hears from patients and parents, clinicians and campaigners who have been involved with the unit, to provide insight into what led to its closure amid a continuing and highly-charged debate around trans issues and gender identity within public and cultural life in the U.K.
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Elsewhere, “Highway Love,” a Hindi-language love story produced by BBC Studios India for Amazon miniTV, features Ritvik Sahore and Gayatri Bhardwaj in the lead and centers around the journey of two individuals with contrasting ideologies, who cross paths and ignite a romance. It will stream for free on Amazon miniTV.
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Leading Indian studio Yash Raj Films‘ talent management division YRF Talent has signed emerging star Ahaan Panday and will launch him as a lead in early 2024. Studio chief Aditya Chopra has been training the actor for three years. YRF Talent discovered Ranveer Singh and currently manages several Bollywood stars including Anushka Sharma, Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar.
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Global producer and DJAlessowill co-headline Isle of MTV Malta 2023, withTom GrennanandMimi Webbalso set to take to the Il-Fosos Square stage on July 18, alongside OneRepublic. Alessois responsible for anthems such as “Heroes (we could be)” with Tove Lo, “Words” with Zara Larsson, “When I’m Gone” with Katy Perry, “Under Control”, “Let Me Go” with Hailee Steinfeld and Florida Georgia Line and “If I Lose Myself” with OneRepublic.
After first gaining attention for his Chase & Status collaboration on “All Goes Wrong,” Grennan’sdebut album featured hit singles “Found What I’ve Been Looking For” and “Something Better” and was quickly followed by smash-hit second album single “Little Bit of Love”. Webb’s chart-topping tracks include “House on Fire,” “Good Without” and “Red Flags.”
TEASER
India’s ZEE Studios has re-released Anil Sharma‘s 2001 Bollywood blockbuster “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha,” starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, and unveiled a teaser for its sequel “Gadar 2.” Written by Shaktimaan Talwar, “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha” was set across India and Pakistan and followed the love story of Tara Singh and Sakeena. The teaser of “Gadar 2,” releasing Aug. 11, hints that the story begins right from where the story ended in the first film.
