CASTING
A stellar cast has been revealed by the BBC and House Productions for Season 2 of James Graham’s BAFTA-winning hit crime drama “Sherwood.”
Directed by Clio Barnard (“Ali & Ava”) the news cast included David Harewood (“The Night Manager”), Robert Lindsay (“My Family”), Monica Dolan (“Black Mirror”), Sharlene Whyte (“Small Axe”), Stephen Dillane (“Vigil”), Ria Zmitrowicz (“The Power”), Aisling Loftus (“The Midwich Cuckoos”), Robert Emms (“Andor”), Michael Balogun (“Top Boy”), Christine Bottomley (“Domina”), Oliver Huntingdon (“Happy Valley”) Jorden Myrie (“Mood”), Conor Deane (“All Creatures Great & Small”) and Bethany Asher (“Wild Bill”).
The returning cast includes David Morrissey (“Red Riding”), Lesley Manville (“Mrs Harris Goes to Paris”), Lorraine Ashbourne (“Alma’s Not Normal”), Philip Jackson (“Raised by Wolves”), Perry Fitzpatrick (“Line of Duty”), Bill Jones (“The Village”) and Adam Hugill (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”).
Season 2 introduces two new families entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge and betrayal. Meanwhile, a newly appointed Sheriff of Nottingham is passionately fighting local government and influential business leaders, to save the community from the prospect of a proposed new mine for the area.
BBC Studios is handling international sales.
WEAKENED WANDA
China’s Dalian Wanda Group is to sell a 49% stake in Wanda Investment, which is the largest shareholder in the Wanda Cinema chain for RMB2.26 billion ($314 million). The buyer is Ruyi Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed production company offshoot of Tencent Group. The move coincides with the imminent repayment deadline of $400 million of bonds owned by another Wanda subsidiary Wanda Commercial Management Group. It also follows the sale by Wanda Investment of $306 million of shares in Wanda Cinema earlier this month.
Dalian Wanda was at the forefront of Chinese expansion into Hollywood between 2012 and 2018 when it was ordered to scale back and reduce its borrowings. Although this appeared to have stabilized the group, the burgeoning woes of other Chinese property entities have now put Wanda back into financial difficulties.
MARKET
International content industry market NATPE Global has revealed industry expert, producer and Epyllion CEO Matthew Ball as the opening keynote speaker. The event will take place January 16-18, 2024 at the InterContinental Miami.
“Matthew Ball is a creative visionary and we’re honored he’ll be presenting our opening keynote. His insightful views on the state of the global media business landscape, future economics of video content production, monetization, and consumption will provide invaluable intel to the NATPE Global audience,” said Claire Macdonald, executive director, NATPE Global.
NORMAL BEHAVIOR
Seoul based sales company Finecut has struck key deals for Hur Jin-ho’s intense drama “A Normal Family,” which will have its world premiere as a special presentation at September’s Toronto International Film Festival. Rights for France and French-speaking Switzerland were sold to Diaphana Distribution, while rights in Vietnam were sold to Lumix Media. Worldwide airline rights (excluding South Korea and Taiwan) were sold to Encore Inflight.
The film is another film adaptation based on the bestselling Dutch novel “The Dinner” written by Herman Koch. It tells the tale of the intense dilemma faced by two families who must deal with a crime committed by their children. Hur’s Korean adaptation has a particularly high-powered cast. It includes Sul Kyung-gu (Netflix’s “Kill Boksoon,” “The Merciless,” Oasis”) and Jang Dong-gun (known for “Rampant,” Friend”) as two brothers. Kim Hee-ae (Netflix’s “Queenmaker,” TV’s “Moonlit Winter” and “The World of the Married”) and Claudia Kim (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “The Avengers: Age Of Ultron”) play their wives.
BANZAI BANDAI
In what might have been construed as a Japanese antidote to the San Diego Comic-Con, Japanese firms Bandai Namco, publisher Shuiesha and Toei Animation held a two-day event built around their “One Piece” comics, animation and series property. Held at the Tokyo Big Sight venue on Friday and Saturday, the live activities and live-streamed events claimed a total of two million fan-spectators.
The first day included the re-presentation of last year’s “One Piece Film Red” ($276 million global box office) as a “One Piece Film Red Special Cheer Screening.” The second day included fan meetings by Tanaka Mayumi (Monkey D. Luffy), Nakai Kazuya (Roronoa Zoro), Okamura Akemi (Nami), Yamaguchi Kappei (Usopp), and Hirata Hiroaki (Sanji) – the voice cast of the animated series. It also saw the world premiere release of a trailer for the live action adaptation “One Piece.” The live action show will release on Netflix from Aug. 31.
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS
“Trainspotting” producer Andrew Macdonald has been appointed as the new chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. He will lead the formation of a new organization that will deliver EIFF from 2024.
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Over at the Edinburgh TV Festival, presenter, broadcaster and journalist Claudia Winkleman will receive the outstanding achievement award at this year’s TV Awards. The honor is being given to BAFTA-winner Winkleman, in recognition of her popular and acclaimed work spanning 30 years. She recently presented Channel 4’s “The Piano” and the BBC’s “The Traitors” “Strictly Come Dancing.” Winkleman will also appear at the festival in an In Conversation event with broadcaster Kirsty Young.
HAYDEN OUT
Nick Hayden, the head of entertainment at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has resigned with effect from August. Rachel Millar will serve as acting head of entertainment. As head he was responsible for shows including“Question Everything,”“Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery,”“Win the Week,”“Why Are You Like This?,”“Ms Represented,”“Back to Nature,”“Frankly,”“Shaun Micallef’s Pagan Holiday Special”and the upcoming“FWTFAQ.” Hayden joined the ABC in 2016 as an executive producer. He has credits including “The House with Annabel Crabb,”“Tomorrow Tonight,”“Spicks and Specks,”“Tonightly,”“Whovians,”“Celeste Barber Challenge Accepted”and“Hack Live.”
BACKING BUSAN
K-pop girl group Kep1er is to release a promotional music video in support of Busan’s hosting of the 2030 World Expo. Last year, boy band BTS held a major public concert in support of the city’s bid.
CJ ENM said that Kep1er’s video is based on the theme of the Busan Expo, which is “The Great Transformationofthe World,Sailingfor a Better Future.” The background music is the title track ofKep1er’s third mini album, “We Fresh.”
Nine-member, Kep1erwas created throughMnet‘s global project ‘Girls Planet999:Girls’ War,’and symbolized nine young women from various countries with their owncircles.
