Exclusive: Artist International Group has signed Swedish actor, screenwriter and producer Alexander Karim for management.
Most recently, Karim was seen starring in Frank Doelger’s eco-thriller limited series The Swarm, an eight-parter considered one of Europe’s biggest TV drama swings in some time, at a reported budget of €40 million. Making a splash when it premiered on Zdf in Germany last year, the show’s home in the U.S. is The CW.
Previously starring in three seasons of FX’s political drama Tyrant, Karim also played the lead in The Lawyer, which was Sweden’s most-watched series of 2019. Other recent TV credits include Viaplay’s The Box, a supernatural character-driven anthology series which had him starring opposite Anna Friel and Peter Stormare, and Amazon’s The Wheel of Time.
Past film credits for Karim include Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Picture contender Zero Dark Thirty and the spy thriller Dying of the Light...
Most recently, Karim was seen starring in Frank Doelger’s eco-thriller limited series The Swarm, an eight-parter considered one of Europe’s biggest TV drama swings in some time, at a reported budget of €40 million. Making a splash when it premiered on Zdf in Germany last year, the show’s home in the U.S. is The CW.
Previously starring in three seasons of FX’s political drama Tyrant, Karim also played the lead in The Lawyer, which was Sweden’s most-watched series of 2019. Other recent TV credits include Viaplay’s The Box, a supernatural character-driven anthology series which had him starring opposite Anna Friel and Peter Stormare, and Amazon’s The Wheel of Time.
Past film credits for Karim include Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Picture contender Zero Dark Thirty and the spy thriller Dying of the Light...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Seriesmakers, a joint initiative of Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV festival, and European film-tv powerhouse Beta Group, has revealed the 10 top-notch project lineup of the second edition of its novel and high-powered mentoring program for filmmakers making their TV creator debut.
This year’s Seriesmakers features in development drama series from Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (“George Blake”), behind “The Last King Of Scotland,” and from Finnish director Mikko Myllylahti, who burst onto the scene co-writing with Juho Kuosmanen the latter’s “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Makki,” a 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard winner.
Also in the mix is the highly courted Kaouther Ben Hania, a double Oscar nominee for the “compelling, ambitious hybrid” “Four Daughters,” said Variety, in the doc category and the “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020), Tunisia’s entry in international feature.
In all, however, nine of the ten directors winning berths this...
This year’s Seriesmakers features in development drama series from Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (“George Blake”), behind “The Last King Of Scotland,” and from Finnish director Mikko Myllylahti, who burst onto the scene co-writing with Juho Kuosmanen the latter’s “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Makki,” a 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard winner.
Also in the mix is the highly courted Kaouther Ben Hania, a double Oscar nominee for the “compelling, ambitious hybrid” “Four Daughters,” said Variety, in the doc category and the “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020), Tunisia’s entry in international feature.
In all, however, nine of the ten directors winning berths this...
- 3/4/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Iconic German film and TV executive Jan Mojto is launching a partnership with longstanding friend and UFA head Nico Hofmann that will produce German and European series and films for the international market.
They are joined in the unnamed venture by Beta producer Jan Wünschmann.
The partnership was announced Wednesday, on the eve of the annual Berlin Film Festival. No projects were disclosed.
Hofmann and Mojto are connected by half a lifetime of producing. With “The Tunnel”, the duo pioneered the TV event genre in Germany in the early 2000s. Since then, two dozen collaborative and internationally successful television and film productions have followed. These include hits “Generation War,” “Dresden,” “The Tower” and “The Same Sky.”
“This partnership is the fulfillment of a long-held wish. Nico Hofmann is one of the best German producers; He is a gifted storyteller. His professional and personal qualities, which I have known for more than 25 years,...
They are joined in the unnamed venture by Beta producer Jan Wünschmann.
The partnership was announced Wednesday, on the eve of the annual Berlin Film Festival. No projects were disclosed.
Hofmann and Mojto are connected by half a lifetime of producing. With “The Tunnel”, the duo pioneered the TV event genre in Germany in the early 2000s. Since then, two dozen collaborative and internationally successful television and film productions have followed. These include hits “Generation War,” “Dresden,” “The Tower” and “The Same Sky.”
“This partnership is the fulfillment of a long-held wish. Nico Hofmann is one of the best German producers; He is a gifted storyteller. His professional and personal qualities, which I have known for more than 25 years,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Once upon a time, there was the Swedish queen of crime Camilla Läckberg, steadily delivering international best-selling adult/children’s books, cook books and song lyrics.
Some of her books have turned into series –“The Fjällbacka Murders” – or soon will be – “The Golden Age,’ optioned by Legendary Entertainment.
One day she met Swedish star actor Alexander Karim while shooting the Swedish show “Stars in the Castle” (“Stjärnorna på slotet”).
“We started talking TV, movies, creative ideas and immediately hit it off!” Läckberg tells Variety, in a zoom interview ahead of Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market. There, her executive produced thriller “The Dog,” starring Alexander Karim and helmed by his brother Baker Karim (“Malcolm”), is having its market world premiere.
The Karim brothers and Läckberg are, moreover, now ‘partners in crime’ in Bad Flamingo Studios (Bfs), a Stockholm-based film and TV production outfit founded to “break the film industry’s norms and barriers.
Some of her books have turned into series –“The Fjällbacka Murders” – or soon will be – “The Golden Age,’ optioned by Legendary Entertainment.
One day she met Swedish star actor Alexander Karim while shooting the Swedish show “Stars in the Castle” (“Stjärnorna på slotet”).
“We started talking TV, movies, creative ideas and immediately hit it off!” Läckberg tells Variety, in a zoom interview ahead of Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market. There, her executive produced thriller “The Dog,” starring Alexander Karim and helmed by his brother Baker Karim (“Malcolm”), is having its market world premiere.
The Karim brothers and Läckberg are, moreover, now ‘partners in crime’ in Bad Flamingo Studios (Bfs), a Stockholm-based film and TV production outfit founded to “break the film industry’s norms and barriers.
- 1/29/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Any new show by producer Frank Doelger – whose credits include “Game of Thrones,” “The Swarm,” “John Adams” and “Rome” – must rate as an event. That event takes place Oct. 17 at Cannes Mipcom trade fair, with the world premiere of “Concordia,” on which Doelger serves as executive producer and showrunner.
Produced by Intaglio Films, a joint venture of Zdf Studios and Beta Film, which share international distribution, “Concordia” is backed by a powerful partnership of Zdf, Mbc, France Télévisions and Hulu Japan. Shot in English, the six-part series is directed by Barbara Eder.
“Concordia” begins in classic Noir style cutting from a seeming suicide on a windswept moor to the discovery of a young man’s dead body, found beside a road just outside Sweden’s Concordia, a attempt to create a utopia powered by AI surveillance to ensure a fairer, more humane and safer society.
Near 20 years old, Concordia is...
Produced by Intaglio Films, a joint venture of Zdf Studios and Beta Film, which share international distribution, “Concordia” is backed by a powerful partnership of Zdf, Mbc, France Télévisions and Hulu Japan. Shot in English, the six-part series is directed by Barbara Eder.
“Concordia” begins in classic Noir style cutting from a seeming suicide on a windswept moor to the discovery of a young man’s dead body, found beside a road just outside Sweden’s Concordia, a attempt to create a utopia powered by AI surveillance to ensure a fairer, more humane and safer society.
Near 20 years old, Concordia is...
- 10/17/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Coming off another year marked by uncertainty and conflict, ordinary, unlikely heroes take center stage in a slew of new shows. While crime especially the Nordic-inspired kind is not going anywhere, and there are quite a few spectacles waiting around the corner, including Mipcom world premiere “Concordia,” intimate stories about families and friends butting heads but ultimately trying to come together continue to dominate the market stage. There are also more portrayals of strong, complicated women who dare to dream big today or in the past. The following is a list of some of the buzziest titles at Mipcom.
“After the Party”
(ITV Studios)
Penny Wilding (played by Robyn Malcolm) likes to keep herself very busy: she is a science teacher, basketball coach, environmental activist, mother and grandmother. Famously outspoken and suffering no fools, she alienates many in her close-knit community. But Penny is perfectly fine with that.
She is harboring a painful memory,...
“After the Party”
(ITV Studios)
Penny Wilding (played by Robyn Malcolm) likes to keep herself very busy: she is a science teacher, basketball coach, environmental activist, mother and grandmother. Famously outspoken and suffering no fools, she alienates many in her close-knit community. But Penny is perfectly fine with that.
She is harboring a painful memory,...
- 10/14/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Beta Film has released a moving trailer for the Ukrainian war drama “In Her Car,” a gripping series about the ongoing crisis told through the eyes of those who are living it, the company announced ahead of Mipcom.
“In Her Car” (10 x 30’) is produced by Starlight Media and Gaumont in co-production with France Télévisions, Zdf (Germany) and Swiss public broadcaster Srf. The show was also boarded in its early stages by Nordic public broadcasters Svt (Sweden), Dr (Denmark), Yle (Finland), Nrk TV (Norway) and RÚV (Iceland). Showrunner and creator Eugen Tunick directs alongside Arkadiy Nepytaliuk.
The story begins with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lydia, played by Anastasia Karpenko, (“How is Katia?”), is a seasoned therapist who alongside her practice fields questions and concerns from her followers on social media. Privately, her life is in disarray, as she tries to divorce a husband who not only cheated on...
“In Her Car” (10 x 30’) is produced by Starlight Media and Gaumont in co-production with France Télévisions, Zdf (Germany) and Swiss public broadcaster Srf. The show was also boarded in its early stages by Nordic public broadcasters Svt (Sweden), Dr (Denmark), Yle (Finland), Nrk TV (Norway) and RÚV (Iceland). Showrunner and creator Eugen Tunick directs alongside Arkadiy Nepytaliuk.
The story begins with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lydia, played by Anastasia Karpenko, (“How is Katia?”), is a seasoned therapist who alongside her practice fields questions and concerns from her followers on social media. Privately, her life is in disarray, as she tries to divorce a husband who not only cheated on...
- 10/13/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Beta Film has acquired international sales rights to the Greek drama series “The Beach,” a primetime sensation for Greek public broadcaster Ert, the Munich-based production and distribution powerhouse announced on the eve of Mipcom.
The 24-part one hour series begins on an idyllic commune on the shores of Crete in 1969, where love and freedom intertwine, until a murder exposes the messy entanglements spurred on by the hippie residents. Yet even the straightlaced police officer assigned to investigate the crime finds he can’t resist the temptations of paradise.
Stefanos Blatsos (“Love After”) directs the hit drama set at Matala Beach in Crete with scripts from George Chrysovitsanos and Kostas Gerampinis. The cast includes Danai Michalaki (“Wild Bees”), starring as Hypatia, a London-based doctor coming back to her hometown, where she meets Harry, played by Dimitris Mothonaios (“A Day in the Life of a Teddy Bear”).
Since launching on Ert in early September,...
The 24-part one hour series begins on an idyllic commune on the shores of Crete in 1969, where love and freedom intertwine, until a murder exposes the messy entanglements spurred on by the hippie residents. Yet even the straightlaced police officer assigned to investigate the crime finds he can’t resist the temptations of paradise.
Stefanos Blatsos (“Love After”) directs the hit drama set at Matala Beach in Crete with scripts from George Chrysovitsanos and Kostas Gerampinis. The cast includes Danai Michalaki (“Wild Bees”), starring as Hypatia, a London-based doctor coming back to her hometown, where she meets Harry, played by Dimitris Mothonaios (“A Day in the Life of a Teddy Bear”).
Since launching on Ert in early September,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
San Sebastian — Blessed by blowsy sun, two Conferences and a Co-Pro Forum, which brought the highest caliber and number of U.S., European execs and Latin American producers ever seen in festival history, San Sebastian rounded its final bend Friday after a packed, busy and upbeat event, also suggesting a stability in contrast to other major European events, such as Berlin.
Below, eight takeaways, some 24 hours before Saturday night’s closing gala and prize ceremony.
Women Rule Still
Coming into the festival, many of the biggest main competition buzz pictures were directed by women. Many now figure, according to a El Diario Vasco Spanish critics’ poll, as Golden Shell frontrunners: Isabel Helguera’s animated pic “Sultana’s Dream,” Raven Jackson’s Sundance hit “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” Jaione Camborda’s Toronto platform screener “The Rye Horn” and Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang’s “A Journey in Spring.”
New...
Below, eight takeaways, some 24 hours before Saturday night’s closing gala and prize ceremony.
Women Rule Still
Coming into the festival, many of the biggest main competition buzz pictures were directed by women. Many now figure, according to a El Diario Vasco Spanish critics’ poll, as Golden Shell frontrunners: Isabel Helguera’s animated pic “Sultana’s Dream,” Raven Jackson’s Sundance hit “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” Jaione Camborda’s Toronto platform screener “The Rye Horn” and Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang’s “A Journey in Spring.”
New...
- 9/29/2023
- by John Hopewell and Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon is diving into The Swarm, snatching up rights for its Prime Video service across sub-Saharan Africa for the ecological thriller from Game of Thrones producer Frank Doelger.
The limited series, adapted from Frank Schätzing’s international best-seller, tells the story of a series of escalating disasters emerging from the world’s oceans. As scientists around the globe rush to discover their cause, it becomes clear that there is something bigger at play: an intelligent life force, dwelling in the deeps that is manipulating all life below the surface.
Barbara Eder (Barbarians, Concordia), Luke Watson (Ripper Street) and Philipp Stölzl (The Physician) directed the series, which features an ensemble cast including Alexander Karim (Dying of the Light), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch (Babylon Berlin, The Crown), Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Takuya Kimura (2046, I Come With The Rain). Doelger produced through his Intaglio Films, together with Eric Welbers,...
The limited series, adapted from Frank Schätzing’s international best-seller, tells the story of a series of escalating disasters emerging from the world’s oceans. As scientists around the globe rush to discover their cause, it becomes clear that there is something bigger at play: an intelligent life force, dwelling in the deeps that is manipulating all life below the surface.
Barbara Eder (Barbarians, Concordia), Luke Watson (Ripper Street) and Philipp Stölzl (The Physician) directed the series, which features an ensemble cast including Alexander Karim (Dying of the Light), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch (Babylon Berlin, The Crown), Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Takuya Kimura (2046, I Come With The Rain). Doelger produced through his Intaglio Films, together with Eric Welbers,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Swarm‘s already been released internationally, but now U.S. audiences will have the opportunity to watch the dramatic thriller beginning September 12, 2023 on The CW. The network picked up the event series to help fill a gap in a primetime lineup that once was packed with comic book-inspired action-dramas.
Episode one was directed by Luke Watson and written by Steven Lally, Marissa Lestrade, Chris Lunt, and Michael A. Walker. New episodes of the eight-episode ecological thriller will air on Tuesdays at 9pm Et/Pt.
Based on Frank Schätzing’s bestselling novel, The Swarm stars Alexander Karim as Dr. Sigur Johanson, Cécile de France as Dr. Cécile Roche, Leonie Benesch as Charlie Wagner, Joshua Odjick as Leon Anawak, Takehiro Hira as Riku Sato, and Krista Kosonen as Tina Lund. Rosabell Laurenti Sellers plays Alicia Delaware, Barbara Sukowa is Professor Katharina Lehmann, Oliver Masucci is Jasper Alban, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf is Luther Roscowitz,...
Episode one was directed by Luke Watson and written by Steven Lally, Marissa Lestrade, Chris Lunt, and Michael A. Walker. New episodes of the eight-episode ecological thriller will air on Tuesdays at 9pm Et/Pt.
Based on Frank Schätzing’s bestselling novel, The Swarm stars Alexander Karim as Dr. Sigur Johanson, Cécile de France as Dr. Cécile Roche, Leonie Benesch as Charlie Wagner, Joshua Odjick as Leon Anawak, Takehiro Hira as Riku Sato, and Krista Kosonen as Tina Lund. Rosabell Laurenti Sellers plays Alicia Delaware, Barbara Sukowa is Professor Katharina Lehmann, Oliver Masucci is Jasper Alban, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf is Luther Roscowitz,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water! Now that summer is nearly over, Shark Week and The Meg 2 have swum off into the horizon and killer whales seem to have stopped attacking boats, you’d think the ocean would be a bit less unsettling. Nope, not once The Swarm surfaces this September on The CW! Based on Frank Schatzing’s 2004 sci-fi novel about a massive underwater life force targeting mankind, the series is hitting our screens after a European run earlier this year. And it’s both an eco-thriller and straight-up scarefest. “When I was thinking about it, I thought I’d much rather make a monster movie than a disaster movie,” says showrunner Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones). “I like the idea of a group of people out there knowing something’s problematic, [but] they don’t know what it is, so they...
- 8/22/2023
- TV Insider
The Swarm is coming to The CW next month, but a little later than expected. The smallest network has changed the premiere date for the international sci-fi horror series.
Starring Cécile de France, Alexander Karim, Leonie Benesch, and Joshua Odjick, the series was created by Frank Doelger and is based on the bestselling novel by Frank Schätzing. The story follows the discovery of a life force from the depth of the oceans that is causing chaos on the planet.Read More…...
Starring Cécile de France, Alexander Karim, Leonie Benesch, and Joshua Odjick, the series was created by Frank Doelger and is based on the bestselling novel by Frank Schätzing. The story follows the discovery of a life force from the depth of the oceans that is causing chaos on the planet.Read More…...
- 8/14/2023
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
A few months ago, we heard that The CW had picked up the U.S. rights to the TV series adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link). Now Deadline has revealed that The Swarm is set to begin airing on The CW at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on Tuesday, September 12th. A trailer for the show can be seen in the embed above.
The Swarm, not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones...
The Swarm, not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones...
- 8/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
A series that originally aired in Germany earlier this year, eco-thriller “The Swarm” is surfacing here in the United States thanks to The CW this September, Deadline reports.
“The Swarm” will premiere September 12 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on The CW.
Deadline previews, “In the first episode, after years of unrestrained pollution and relentless climate change, a mysterious force of the deep starts using the creatures of the ocean as hostile hosts and declares war on humanity.”
Here’s the full official logline…
“Around the world, strange happenings, borne out of the oceans: Whales destroy boats, deep sea crabs attack beaches, mussels block container ships. An unknown ice worm destabilizes continental slopes and triggers tsunamis. A deadly pathogen spreads into the drinking water. Across the globe, lives are increasingly imperiled, the situation worsening by the day—and yet, nobody can draw a connection between the seemingly random attacks.
“Except for...
“The Swarm” will premiere September 12 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on The CW.
Deadline previews, “In the first episode, after years of unrestrained pollution and relentless climate change, a mysterious force of the deep starts using the creatures of the ocean as hostile hosts and declares war on humanity.”
Here’s the full official logline…
“Around the world, strange happenings, borne out of the oceans: Whales destroy boats, deep sea crabs attack beaches, mussels block container ships. An unknown ice worm destabilizes continental slopes and triggers tsunamis. A deadly pathogen spreads into the drinking water. Across the globe, lives are increasingly imperiled, the situation worsening by the day—and yet, nobody can draw a connection between the seemingly random attacks.
“Except for...
- 8/10/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The CW has pushed back the premiere date for the anticipated eco-thriller series The Swarm, based on Frank Schätzing’s bestelling novel, from Game of Thrones exec producer Frank Doelger.
The series now will premiere September 12 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on the CW, a week later than its initial September 5 date.
The CW landed the U.S. rights to the series in May. The eight-part series about an unknown enemy that lives deep below the sea launched in Germany earlier this year, where it premiered on Zdf.
Per the logline: Around the world, strange happenings, borne out of the oceans: Whales destroy boats, deep sea crabs attack beaches, mussels block container ships. An unknown ice worm destabilizes continental slopes and triggers tsunamis. A deadly pathogen spreads into the drinking water. Across the globe, lives are increasingly imperiled, the situation worsening by the day—and yet, nobody can draw a...
The series now will premiere September 12 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on the CW, a week later than its initial September 5 date.
The CW landed the U.S. rights to the series in May. The eight-part series about an unknown enemy that lives deep below the sea launched in Germany earlier this year, where it premiered on Zdf.
Per the logline: Around the world, strange happenings, borne out of the oceans: Whales destroy boats, deep sea crabs attack beaches, mussels block container ships. An unknown ice worm destabilizes continental slopes and triggers tsunamis. A deadly pathogen spreads into the drinking water. Across the globe, lives are increasingly imperiled, the situation worsening by the day—and yet, nobody can draw a...
- 8/10/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Former Berlinale Series Head Julia Fidel has been snapped up by Frank Doelger’s The Swarm and Concordia producer Intaglio Films.
Fidel will start working for the Beta Film and Zdf Studios joint venture in October as a Producer. She will join a team that has worked on the likes of pan-European thriller The Swarm as co-producer, upcoming spy thriller Doing Good and Concordia, the futuristic AI drama for Zdf, France Télévisions and streamer Hulu Japan that will launch pre-sales at Mipcom.
Fidel shepherded the Berlinale Series – the Berlin Film Festival’s TV sibling – over four years. Under her watch, the Series grew, issuing its first Award last year, launching a market-skewing Series Market Selects strand, working with top talent and expanding to showcase content from regions such as Latin America and China. Shows in competition in recent years include HBO Max’s Lust, Netflix’s The Eddy and...
Fidel will start working for the Beta Film and Zdf Studios joint venture in October as a Producer. She will join a team that has worked on the likes of pan-European thriller The Swarm as co-producer, upcoming spy thriller Doing Good and Concordia, the futuristic AI drama for Zdf, France Télévisions and streamer Hulu Japan that will launch pre-sales at Mipcom.
Fidel shepherded the Berlinale Series – the Berlin Film Festival’s TV sibling – over four years. Under her watch, the Series grew, issuing its first Award last year, launching a market-skewing Series Market Selects strand, working with top talent and expanding to showcase content from regions such as Latin America and China. Shows in competition in recent years include HBO Max’s Lust, Netflix’s The Eddy and...
- 7/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The CW Network today announced premiere dates for its Fall 2023 primetime schedule. The CW’s new fall season kicks off with the highly anticipated premiere of the Emmy® Award-winning weekly studio series Inside The NFL on Tuesday, September 5 (8:00-9:00pm Et/Pt) followed by the debut of the global hit event series The Swarm (9:00-10:00pm Et/Pt) from “Game of Thrones” executive producer Frank Doelger about an unknown enemy that lives deep below the sea. The new drama series Sullivan’S Crossing starring Scott Patterson, Chad Michael Murray and Morgan Kohan begins on Wednesday, October 4 (8:00-9:00pm Et/Pt) followed by the premiere of The Spencer Sisters (9:00-10:00pm Et/Pt) featuring Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber. A brand new season ... Read more...
- 7/12/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
Updated, Sept. 19: The CW has pushed the Season 10 premiere for Penn & Teller: Fool Us to October 27 (8-9 Pm), from its originally scheduled October 20 date.
Previous, July 12: The CW has unveiled premiere dates for its fall primetime slate.
The new season kicks off on September 5 with the premiere of Emmy-winning weekly studio series Inside the NFL at 8 p.m. following the debut of the global hit event series The Swarm at 9 p.m., from Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger.
Scripted dramas All American and 61st Street, originally scheduled for fall, have been pushed to midseason, along with I Am documentary film franchise, with premiere dates Tba.
The new Canadian drama series Sullivan’s Crossing starring Scott Patterson, Chad Michael Murray and Morgan Kohan debuts Wednesday, October 4 at 8 p.m. followed by the premiere of The Spencer Sisters at 9 p.m., with Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber.
Previous, July 12: The CW has unveiled premiere dates for its fall primetime slate.
The new season kicks off on September 5 with the premiere of Emmy-winning weekly studio series Inside the NFL at 8 p.m. following the debut of the global hit event series The Swarm at 9 p.m., from Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger.
Scripted dramas All American and 61st Street, originally scheduled for fall, have been pushed to midseason, along with I Am documentary film franchise, with premiere dates Tba.
The new Canadian drama series Sullivan’s Crossing starring Scott Patterson, Chad Michael Murray and Morgan Kohan debuts Wednesday, October 4 at 8 p.m. followed by the premiere of The Spencer Sisters at 9 p.m., with Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber.
- 7/12/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The Berlin Film Festival has said it plans to reduce the size of its 2024 program and cull two competition strands as part of a widescale restructure to tackle a serious budgetary hole.
From next year, the festival will screen approximately 200 films, reduced from 287 in 2023. The festival said all sections, excluding the Official Competition, will present fewer films. Elsewhere in the plans announced, the Perspektive Deutsches Kino sidebar, which highlights new German filmmakers, will be disbanded. Moving forward, films by German newcomers will be presented in the existing sections Competition, Encounters, Panorama, Generation, or Forum.
The festival has also cut the Berlinale Series strand as an independent program. The TV-focused strand will instead be folded into the Berlinale Special Gala screenings. Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian will now program the strand following the exit of Julia Fidel, who left in May after four years in the post. Fidel had been working...
From next year, the festival will screen approximately 200 films, reduced from 287 in 2023. The festival said all sections, excluding the Official Competition, will present fewer films. Elsewhere in the plans announced, the Perspektive Deutsches Kino sidebar, which highlights new German filmmakers, will be disbanded. Moving forward, films by German newcomers will be presented in the existing sections Competition, Encounters, Panorama, Generation, or Forum.
The festival has also cut the Berlinale Series strand as an independent program. The TV-focused strand will instead be folded into the Berlinale Special Gala screenings. Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian will now program the strand following the exit of Julia Fidel, who left in May after four years in the post. Fidel had been working...
- 7/12/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
An adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link), not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, was a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger was teaming with Beta Film and Zdf Enterprises to bring The Swarm to the screen as an eight-part TV series. Five years later, episodes of the show finally had their premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The Swarm is now streaming on multiple services around the world – and Deadline reports that The CW has picked up the U.
- 5/26/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Berlinale Series Head Julia Fidel is exiting after four years in post.
Fidel has been working with the Berlinale for almost two decades. Under her watch, the Berlinale Series – the Berlin Film Festival’s TV sibling – has grown rapidly.
The Series issued its first Award last year in collaboration with Deadline, has launched a market-skewing Series Market Selects strand, worked with top talent and expanded to showcase content from regions such as Latin America and China.
Shows to have been in competition in recent years include HBO Max’s Lust, Netflix’s The Eddy and Jason Segel’s AMC series Dispatches From Elsewhere, while Frank Doelger’s The Swarm played out of competition earlier this year.
The first Berlinale Series Award, meanwhile, was won by Disney+ Italy’s The Good Mothers, beating off competition from the likes of HBO Max’s Spy/Master and Chinese drama Why Try to Change Me Now.
Fidel has been working with the Berlinale for almost two decades. Under her watch, the Berlinale Series – the Berlin Film Festival’s TV sibling – has grown rapidly.
The Series issued its first Award last year in collaboration with Deadline, has launched a market-skewing Series Market Selects strand, worked with top talent and expanded to showcase content from regions such as Latin America and China.
Shows to have been in competition in recent years include HBO Max’s Lust, Netflix’s The Eddy and Jason Segel’s AMC series Dispatches From Elsewhere, while Frank Doelger’s The Swarm played out of competition earlier this year.
The first Berlinale Series Award, meanwhile, was won by Disney+ Italy’s The Good Mothers, beating off competition from the likes of HBO Max’s Spy/Master and Chinese drama Why Try to Change Me Now.
- 5/25/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Though the CW is beginning to pivot much more heavily to reality fare, with “All American” as the only original scripted series on its fall 2023 lineup, the network has added three new scripted projects to its slate for 2024: “Joan,” “The Librarians: The Next Chapter” and “The Swarm.” Additionally, 2024 will see the premieres of unscripted series “Patti Stanger: Millionaire Matchmaking,” “The Force” and “The Great American Bakeover” (all working titles).
All newly announced series are currently in production.
“Joan” stars Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”) as Joan Hannington, the notorious real-life jewel thief. Set in 1980s London, the series sees Joan as a devoted mother to her six-year-old daughter, Kelly, while trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to adopt new identities and embark on a high-stakes journey to create a new life for herself and Kelly.
All newly announced series are currently in production.
“Joan” stars Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”) as Joan Hannington, the notorious real-life jewel thief. Set in 1980s London, the series sees Joan as a devoted mother to her six-year-old daughter, Kelly, while trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to adopt new identities and embark on a high-stakes journey to create a new life for herself and Kelly.
- 5/18/2023
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
The Swarm, the big-budget series based on the Frank Schätzing best-seller and executive produced by Game of Thrones producer Frank Doelger, has landed with The CW in the U.S..
The deal sees the Beta Film and Zdf Studios thriller headed to American audiences after debuting at the Berlin Film Festival and recently being acquired by Sky for the U.K. and Spain’s Movistar+ channel. The U.S. deal also comes amid the WGA writers strike, when the appeal of foreign TV product for American buyers is expected to grow.
The Swarm chronicles the struggle of humankind against an unknown enemy that lives in the depths of the sea. Just as the reckless treatment of the oceans threatens the natural habitat of this mysterious collective, it strikes back.
The series stars Cécile de France, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Jack Greenlees, Lydia Wilson, Krista Kosonen, Alexander Karim, Leonie Benesch and Barbara Sukowa.
The deal sees the Beta Film and Zdf Studios thriller headed to American audiences after debuting at the Berlin Film Festival and recently being acquired by Sky for the U.K. and Spain’s Movistar+ channel. The U.S. deal also comes amid the WGA writers strike, when the appeal of foreign TV product for American buyers is expected to grow.
The Swarm chronicles the struggle of humankind against an unknown enemy that lives in the depths of the sea. Just as the reckless treatment of the oceans threatens the natural habitat of this mysterious collective, it strikes back.
The series stars Cécile de France, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Jack Greenlees, Lydia Wilson, Krista Kosonen, Alexander Karim, Leonie Benesch and Barbara Sukowa.
- 5/18/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The CW has landed the U.S. rights to eco-thriller drama The Swarm, which comes from Game of Thrones exec producer Frank Doelger.
The eight-part series launched in Germany earlier this year, where it premiered on Zdf.
Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network revealed the acquisition after the company’s fall schedule presentation and called The Swarm a “big swing”.
The Swarm follows an unknown enemy from the depths of the sea that strikes back due to the reckless treatment of the oceans. It debuted out of competition in Berlin last month before transferring to Zdf’s streaming service.
Related: The CW Fall 2023 Schedule
The series, considered one of Europe’s biggest TV drama swings in some time, stars Alexander Karim (The Lawyer), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch (The Crown), Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Takuya Kimura (I Come With The Rain).
Doelger, an exec...
The eight-part series launched in Germany earlier this year, where it premiered on Zdf.
Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network revealed the acquisition after the company’s fall schedule presentation and called The Swarm a “big swing”.
The Swarm follows an unknown enemy from the depths of the sea that strikes back due to the reckless treatment of the oceans. It debuted out of competition in Berlin last month before transferring to Zdf’s streaming service.
Related: The CW Fall 2023 Schedule
The series, considered one of Europe’s biggest TV drama swings in some time, stars Alexander Karim (The Lawyer), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch (The Crown), Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Takuya Kimura (I Come With The Rain).
Doelger, an exec...
- 5/18/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
International television market MIPTV kicked off Monday with a slew of territory deals for high-end drama and non-fiction series.
The Swarm, an eco-thriller TV series from Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger and ndF IP Managing Director Eric Welbers, based on the Frank Schätzing bestseller, was snatched up by Sky UK for its Sky Max streaming service, and by pay-tv group Movistar Plus+ for Spain. A U.S. deal for the eight-part limited series, in which a mysterious collective force from deep in the oceans strikes back at humanity for its reckless treatment of the environment, is expected soon.
The Swarm was produced by Schwarm TV Productions, a joint venture between Intaglio Films and ndF IP, for Zdf in Germany, France Télévisions, Italy’s Rai Fiction, Scandinavia’s Viaplay Group, Hulu Japan, Austria’s Orf, and Srf in Switzerland, in co-production with Bravado Fiction and Beside Production, in co-operation with Athos Kg.
The Swarm, an eco-thriller TV series from Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger and ndF IP Managing Director Eric Welbers, based on the Frank Schätzing bestseller, was snatched up by Sky UK for its Sky Max streaming service, and by pay-tv group Movistar Plus+ for Spain. A U.S. deal for the eight-part limited series, in which a mysterious collective force from deep in the oceans strikes back at humanity for its reckless treatment of the environment, is expected soon.
The Swarm was produced by Schwarm TV Productions, a joint venture between Intaglio Films and ndF IP, for Zdf in Germany, France Télévisions, Italy’s Rai Fiction, Scandinavia’s Viaplay Group, Hulu Japan, Austria’s Orf, and Srf in Switzerland, in co-production with Bravado Fiction and Beside Production, in co-operation with Athos Kg.
- 4/17/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Frank Doelger’s The Swarm has sold to the UK and Spain, while a U.S. partner is in the final stages of talks.
As Mip TV kicks off, the German eco-thriller, which already has around a dozen partners, has sold to Sky in the UK and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.
Distributors Beta Film and Zdf Studios are shopping in Cannes and the show played out of competition at the Berlinale Series Market, where its modern themes and bevvy of buyers dominated conversation.
Having scored “phenomenal ratings,” according to Beta, for Germany’s Zdf and Austria’s Orf, the show from Game of Thrones EP Doelger chronicles the struggle of humankind against an unknown enemy that lives in the depths of the sea. When the reckless treatment of the oceans threatens the natural habitat of this mysterious collective, it strikes back.
The Swarm, which is being referred to as one...
As Mip TV kicks off, the German eco-thriller, which already has around a dozen partners, has sold to Sky in the UK and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.
Distributors Beta Film and Zdf Studios are shopping in Cannes and the show played out of competition at the Berlinale Series Market, where its modern themes and bevvy of buyers dominated conversation.
Having scored “phenomenal ratings,” according to Beta, for Germany’s Zdf and Austria’s Orf, the show from Game of Thrones EP Doelger chronicles the struggle of humankind against an unknown enemy that lives in the depths of the sea. When the reckless treatment of the oceans threatens the natural habitat of this mysterious collective, it strikes back.
The Swarm, which is being referred to as one...
- 4/17/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Eco-thriller “The Swarm,” which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, has been acquired in the U.K. by pay-tv operator Sky. Negotiations with a U.S. partner are in the final stages.
The show, produced by multiple Primetime Emmy award winner and “Game of Thrones” executive producer Frank Doelger and Ndf IP’s managing director Eric Welbers, is set to play on the Sky Max channel in the U.K. later this year.
“The Swarm” scored huge ratings in Germany on Zdf and on Austria’s Orf. In Germany, it attracted up to 10 million views per episode (linear and catch-up combined), multiple prime time wins, and big successes within the younger target group (between the ages of 14-49).
The series will continue its international roll-out throughout the year. It was acquired by pay-tv platform Movistar+ Plus for Spain, and will be available on Hulu in Japan; on Viaplay Group in Finland,...
The show, produced by multiple Primetime Emmy award winner and “Game of Thrones” executive producer Frank Doelger and Ndf IP’s managing director Eric Welbers, is set to play on the Sky Max channel in the U.K. later this year.
“The Swarm” scored huge ratings in Germany on Zdf and on Austria’s Orf. In Germany, it attracted up to 10 million views per episode (linear and catch-up combined), multiple prime time wins, and big successes within the younger target group (between the ages of 14-49).
The series will continue its international roll-out throughout the year. It was acquired by pay-tv platform Movistar+ Plus for Spain, and will be available on Hulu in Japan; on Viaplay Group in Finland,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The long-foretold end of Peak TV may be upon us, as studios and streamers — adjusting to a new world of inflation, higher interest rates, and a slowdown in stock prices and subscriber figures — slash costs and reevaluate strategy. The result, whether at Warner Bros. Discovery (which has already taken $3.5 billion in content write-downs and canceled several planned or in-production series) or at the BBC (which needs to chop more than $120 million from its originals budget if it is to meet savings targets) will mean less money for producers and, one assumes, fewer shows getting commissioned.
Nonscripted content, which is cheaper and easier to ramp up to fill programming slots, will be the most obvious beneficiary of this belt-tightening, with much of the focus of the upcoming MIPTV market on less glamorous but typically more profitable reality TV, “shiny floor” entertainment (à la The Voice) and game shows.
“It’s always...
Nonscripted content, which is cheaper and easier to ramp up to fill programming slots, will be the most obvious beneficiary of this belt-tightening, with much of the focus of the upcoming MIPTV market on less glamorous but typically more profitable reality TV, “shiny floor” entertainment (à la The Voice) and game shows.
“It’s always...
- 4/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Germany’s impressive crop of crime drama, mystery, suspense, apocalyptic catastrophe, royal intrigue and tales of the supernatural is certain to attract buyers at this year’s MipTV in Cannes.
The selections of series, TV movies and unscripted shows offer a wide range of content but also remain heavy on crime — a favorite German genre.
Among the new offerings is Beta Film’s fact-based title “I am Scrooge.” Produced by Zeitsprung Pictures, the Cologne-based company behind the hit Netflix spy thriller “Kleo,” “I am Scrooge” chronicles the true story of Arno Funke, a frustrated artist who found fame as a bombmaking extortionist in the early 1990s.
Identifying himself as Dagobert Duck — the German name for the Disney character Scrooge McDuck — Funke targeted some of Germany’s biggest department stores, beginning with Berlin’s KaDeWe in 1988, while continually outwitting police and even becoming a local folk hero. The six-part series stars Friedrich Mücke,...
The selections of series, TV movies and unscripted shows offer a wide range of content but also remain heavy on crime — a favorite German genre.
Among the new offerings is Beta Film’s fact-based title “I am Scrooge.” Produced by Zeitsprung Pictures, the Cologne-based company behind the hit Netflix spy thriller “Kleo,” “I am Scrooge” chronicles the true story of Arno Funke, a frustrated artist who found fame as a bombmaking extortionist in the early 1990s.
Identifying himself as Dagobert Duck — the German name for the Disney character Scrooge McDuck — Funke targeted some of Germany’s biggest department stores, beginning with Berlin’s KaDeWe in 1988, while continually outwitting police and even becoming a local folk hero. The six-part series stars Friedrich Mücke,...
- 4/16/2023
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Season 6 of Canadian cop show “Hudson & Rex,” one of the world’s most successful television brands, has been given the greenlight. The new season has been added to the sales slate of Beta Film at next week’s MipTV television conference and market in Cannes.
The canine star of the police procedural, German Shepherd Diesel, who plays Rex, will walk the pink carpet on Sunday at TV series festival Canneseries, which runs in parallel with MipTV. He will be joined by John Reardon, who plays detective Charlie Hudson. The crime fighting duo are presenting the French premiere of the first episode of Season 4, followed by a Q&a with the talent.
“Hudson & Rex,” which is produced by Shaftesbury and Pope Productions for Citytv, was first unleashed in Austria in the 1990s under the title “Rex, the Cop’s Best Friend.” It is one of Beta’s most successful series,...
The canine star of the police procedural, German Shepherd Diesel, who plays Rex, will walk the pink carpet on Sunday at TV series festival Canneseries, which runs in parallel with MipTV. He will be joined by John Reardon, who plays detective Charlie Hudson. The crime fighting duo are presenting the French premiere of the first episode of Season 4, followed by a Q&a with the talent.
“Hudson & Rex,” which is produced by Shaftesbury and Pope Productions for Citytv, was first unleashed in Austria in the 1990s under the title “Rex, the Cop’s Best Friend.” It is one of Beta’s most successful series,...
- 4/14/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Top International execs from Zdf Studios, Fremantle, All3Media and Banijay have said the potential U.S. writers strike and changing market economics can create opportunities to strike new business.
As Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne put it, likening the challenging of leaving previous market conditions behind to bouncing back after being dumped: “When one door closes, another one opens.” She was talking during a Series Mania panel on windowing and content financing this afternoon in France.
International distribution companies are already wrestling with myriad content financing issues as the U.S. market corrects after streamers’ spending momentum slows. All eyes are now turning to the discussions between the WGA and AMPTP, and one potential upshot if a strike kicks off will likely be more international business for U.S. networks.
All3Media International CEO Louise Pedersen said U.S. execs at the London TV Screenings at the start of the month had begun considering contingency plans.
As Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne put it, likening the challenging of leaving previous market conditions behind to bouncing back after being dumped: “When one door closes, another one opens.” She was talking during a Series Mania panel on windowing and content financing this afternoon in France.
International distribution companies are already wrestling with myriad content financing issues as the U.S. market corrects after streamers’ spending momentum slows. All eyes are now turning to the discussions between the WGA and AMPTP, and one potential upshot if a strike kicks off will likely be more international business for U.S. networks.
All3Media International CEO Louise Pedersen said U.S. execs at the London TV Screenings at the start of the month had begun considering contingency plans.
- 3/21/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Frank Doelger’s eco-thriller drama The Swarm has made a splash on German TV.
The eight-part series launched last night and took 6.8 million on the Zdf network after achieving more than 10 million views during its first 12 days on Zdf’s digital service, per census data from Agf in cooperation with Nielsen.
The overnights equal a 24.4% share and 11.7% of 14-49s, according to Agf in cooperation with GfK / Videoscope 1.4.
In Austria, the show debuted on Orf with a 23% share.
The Swarm follows an unknown enemy from the depths of the sea that strikes back due to the reckless treatment of the oceans. It debuted out of competition in Berlin last month before transferring to Zdf’s streaming service.
The series, considered one of Europe’s biggest TV drama swings in some time, stars Alexander Karim (The Lawyer), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch, Barbara Sukowa...
The eight-part series launched last night and took 6.8 million on the Zdf network after achieving more than 10 million views during its first 12 days on Zdf’s digital service, per census data from Agf in cooperation with Nielsen.
The overnights equal a 24.4% share and 11.7% of 14-49s, according to Agf in cooperation with GfK / Videoscope 1.4.
In Austria, the show debuted on Orf with a 23% share.
The Swarm follows an unknown enemy from the depths of the sea that strikes back due to the reckless treatment of the oceans. It debuted out of competition in Berlin last month before transferring to Zdf’s streaming service.
The series, considered one of Europe’s biggest TV drama swings in some time, stars Alexander Karim (The Lawyer), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch, Barbara Sukowa...
- 3/7/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
‘The Woman King’ & ‘Aftersun’ Dominate Girls On Film Awards
The Woman King and Aftersun dominated the main awards at the second annual Girls On Film Awards. The Woman King picked up Best Ensemble, sponsored by Netflix, and Best Female Friendship On Screen. Woman King star Viola Davis was also awarded the Feminist Superhero award. Woman King lead Sheila Atim was there in person to accept the awards. Aftersun nabbed Best Feature Film Sponsored by Eon Productions, while the film’s publicity team also won Best Publicity Campaign. Other big winners included Sebastián Lelio’s The Wonder, which took home Best Cinematography and the Sinéad O’Connor pic Nothing Compares (Best Documentary). Nominees for the awards were chosen by a selection of critics and journalists. Girls On Film was launched by Deadline critic and broadcaster Anna Smith and producer Hedda Archbold with the aim of rewarding excellence in the field of feminism,...
The Woman King and Aftersun dominated the main awards at the second annual Girls On Film Awards. The Woman King picked up Best Ensemble, sponsored by Netflix, and Best Female Friendship On Screen. Woman King star Viola Davis was also awarded the Feminist Superhero award. Woman King lead Sheila Atim was there in person to accept the awards. Aftersun nabbed Best Feature Film Sponsored by Eon Productions, while the film’s publicity team also won Best Publicity Campaign. Other big winners included Sebastián Lelio’s The Wonder, which took home Best Cinematography and the Sinéad O’Connor pic Nothing Compares (Best Documentary). Nominees for the awards were chosen by a selection of critics and journalists. Girls On Film was launched by Deadline critic and broadcaster Anna Smith and producer Hedda Archbold with the aim of rewarding excellence in the field of feminism,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Zac Ntim, Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content will deliver a keynote at Series Mania’s Lille Dialogues whose one-day summit looks set to take the pulse on a global content industry as content investment flattens and ask how to build a more responsible industry in the future.
Marking an early opportunity to hear from streaming platforms after both Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney have announced multi-billion dollar cuts in content investment, the Lille Dialogues also count on a keynote from James Farrell, head of local originals, Prime Video.
Further keynotes will be delivered by top execs at France’s biggest free-to-air service, TF1, as well as its energetic public broadcaster France Télévisions and Europe’s biggest pay TV operator, Sky. Jan Mojto, CEO, Beta Film, can be expected to deliver a wide-angled vision of how stories made in Europe can find a market worldwide.
“With the theme...
Marking an early opportunity to hear from streaming platforms after both Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney have announced multi-billion dollar cuts in content investment, the Lille Dialogues also count on a keynote from James Farrell, head of local originals, Prime Video.
Further keynotes will be delivered by top execs at France’s biggest free-to-air service, TF1, as well as its energetic public broadcaster France Télévisions and Europe’s biggest pay TV operator, Sky. Jan Mojto, CEO, Beta Film, can be expected to deliver a wide-angled vision of how stories made in Europe can find a market worldwide.
“With the theme...
- 2/24/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The restructures, layoffs, cancellations and a maybe-strike currently impacting the U.S. TV industry rippled through the halls of the Berlinale Series Market this week as senior execs forecasted an international future.
Mass redundancies at the likes of Disney, AMC, Paramount and Netflix in recent months and major strategic rethinks from the studios and streamers were the talk of the market. Among the chatter was a sense this may lead to a wave of non-u.S. activity.
Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak didn’t mince his words when he described U.S. TV as a “disaster zone” Monday. Hasak, who is currently making shows in Scandinavia and the Middle East, was heavily critical of Disney in particular for a strategy that he deemed akin to a “mental breakdown.”
And he wasn’t the only big name pointing to U.S. strife — albeit the others perhaps less forcefully.
‘The Good Mothers’
Danna Stern,...
Mass redundancies at the likes of Disney, AMC, Paramount and Netflix in recent months and major strategic rethinks from the studios and streamers were the talk of the market. Among the chatter was a sense this may lead to a wave of non-u.S. activity.
Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak didn’t mince his words when he described U.S. TV as a “disaster zone” Monday. Hasak, who is currently making shows in Scandinavia and the Middle East, was heavily critical of Disney in particular for a strategy that he deemed akin to a “mental breakdown.”
And he wasn’t the only big name pointing to U.S. strife — albeit the others perhaps less forcefully.
‘The Good Mothers’
Danna Stern,...
- 2/23/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The Good Mothers, Disney+’s hard-hitting mafia drama series, has won the first ever Berlinale Series Award.
Forged in co-operation with Deadline, the award is the first of its kind for TV at a major film festival.
Revealed as winner at the Berlin Zoo Palast in the past few minutes, the Italian drama from Baghdad Central scribe Stephen Butchard tells the true story of how three courageous women inside the notorious Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia worked with female prosecutor, Alessandra Cerreti, to bring down down a criminal empire. The Good Mothers is directed by Julian Jarrold and Elisa Amoruso and stars Gaia Girace, Valentina Bellè, Barbara Chichiarelli, Simona Distefano and Micaela Ramazzotti. Producers are House Productions and Wildside. It streams on Disney+ from April 5.
Related: 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
The Berlinale Series Award Jury, comprised of former Yes Studios boss Danna Stern, Moonlight star André Holland...
Forged in co-operation with Deadline, the award is the first of its kind for TV at a major film festival.
Revealed as winner at the Berlin Zoo Palast in the past few minutes, the Italian drama from Baghdad Central scribe Stephen Butchard tells the true story of how three courageous women inside the notorious Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia worked with female prosecutor, Alessandra Cerreti, to bring down down a criminal empire. The Good Mothers is directed by Julian Jarrold and Elisa Amoruso and stars Gaia Girace, Valentina Bellè, Barbara Chichiarelli, Simona Distefano and Micaela Ramazzotti. Producers are House Productions and Wildside. It streams on Disney+ from April 5.
Related: 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
The Berlinale Series Award Jury, comprised of former Yes Studios boss Danna Stern, Moonlight star André Holland...
- 2/22/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Members of the first ever Berlinale Series Award jury have predicted that TV awards could soon rival film at the world’s major festivals.
Former Yes Studios boss Danna Stern, Moonlight star André Holland and Danish writer Mette Heeno sat down with Deadline on day one of the Series Market – the TV section of the European Film Market – to discuss their role choosing the debut Berlinale Series Award winner, which is the first ever TV series award at an A-list festival. They forecasted more recognition for the small screen in the not-too-distant future.
“I have been doing international TV for years and the fact that an A-list festival is finally recognizing us and putting us at the same level as big budget films and filmmakers is really special,” said Stern. “I hope [other festivals] will follow suit.”
Stern said the “time feels right” for TV to be put in the same category as film.
Former Yes Studios boss Danna Stern, Moonlight star André Holland and Danish writer Mette Heeno sat down with Deadline on day one of the Series Market – the TV section of the European Film Market – to discuss their role choosing the debut Berlinale Series Award winner, which is the first ever TV series award at an A-list festival. They forecasted more recognition for the small screen in the not-too-distant future.
“I have been doing international TV for years and the fact that an A-list festival is finally recognizing us and putting us at the same level as big budget films and filmmakers is really special,” said Stern. “I hope [other festivals] will follow suit.”
Stern said the “time feels right” for TV to be put in the same category as film.
- 2/22/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Genre sales title goes to UK, Gemany, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Cis.
Patrick Ewald’s Epic Pictures has reported strong interest in its completed EFM genre title The Jester as talks continue on outstanding territories.
Rights have gone in the UK & Ireland (Dazzler), Germany and Italy (Koch), Japan (Pflug), Latin America (Cine Video y TV), and Cis (Tenletters).
Deals have also closed for Spain and Portugal (Energia), Turkey (Siyah Beyaz), and India (PictureWorks). Talks are ongoing with buyers from Australia/New Zealand, among others.
Epic Pictures produced and Colin Krawchuk directed the story about two estranged half-sisters who are reunited...
Patrick Ewald’s Epic Pictures has reported strong interest in its completed EFM genre title The Jester as talks continue on outstanding territories.
Rights have gone in the UK & Ireland (Dazzler), Germany and Italy (Koch), Japan (Pflug), Latin America (Cine Video y TV), and Cis (Tenletters).
Deals have also closed for Spain and Portugal (Energia), Turkey (Siyah Beyaz), and India (PictureWorks). Talks are ongoing with buyers from Australia/New Zealand, among others.
Epic Pictures produced and Colin Krawchuk directed the story about two estranged half-sisters who are reunited...
- 2/21/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“I think we need to find a way to avoid the U.S. brainwash,” said Newen Connect CEO Rodolphe Buet at this morning’s Berlinale Series Adapting to the Market session.
The head of the French distributor urged global buyers to stop “copying too much from the U.S. audience” as he cited research that showed the streamers have far more U.S. and UK shows on their platforms locally than they do from the rest of the world.
Ruth Berry, ITV Studios Head of Global Distribution, struck a more positive tone when she said stories in foreign languages have become “far more accessible” due to audiences being more willing to watch dubbed or subtitled shows, which is “clearly an exciting opportunity.”
And Zdf Studios Vice President of Drama Robert Franke is “not too afraid” of “U.S. brainwash” as the market over the past decade has turned from “push to pull.
The head of the French distributor urged global buyers to stop “copying too much from the U.S. audience” as he cited research that showed the streamers have far more U.S. and UK shows on their platforms locally than they do from the rest of the world.
Ruth Berry, ITV Studios Head of Global Distribution, struck a more positive tone when she said stories in foreign languages have become “far more accessible” due to audiences being more willing to watch dubbed or subtitled shows, which is “clearly an exciting opportunity.”
And Zdf Studios Vice President of Drama Robert Franke is “not too afraid” of “U.S. brainwash” as the market over the past decade has turned from “push to pull.
- 2/20/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Berlinale Series, established in 2015, keeps offering new shows proper cinema treatment. But it’s not just about that “dark room and the level of concentration you hardly get when you sit on a sofa,” explains head of the event Julia Fidel, noting a surge in stories with a “reasonable” budget.
“We want to screen very different episodic narrative styles from any country in the world. There is this expectation of showcasing ‘blockbuster’ series, which we also include, but the real benefit of [having] a series section at a major festival are the discoveries.”
Such as Market Selects’ Israeli offering “Traitor.” “If the story is outstanding and the characters relatable, the language doesn’t matter,” state showrunners Ron Leshem and Amit Cohen.
“Good shows have to be meaningful,” states Cristina Iliescu, creator- director of Co-Pro Series title “Export Only,” the first foray into series by “Bad Luck Banging” producer Ada Solomon.
“We want to screen very different episodic narrative styles from any country in the world. There is this expectation of showcasing ‘blockbuster’ series, which we also include, but the real benefit of [having] a series section at a major festival are the discoveries.”
Such as Market Selects’ Israeli offering “Traitor.” “If the story is outstanding and the characters relatable, the language doesn’t matter,” state showrunners Ron Leshem and Amit Cohen.
“Good shows have to be meaningful,” states Cristina Iliescu, creator- director of Co-Pro Series title “Export Only,” the first foray into series by “Bad Luck Banging” producer Ada Solomon.
- 2/20/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
German powerhouse Zdf Studios and U.K.-based Factual Fiction are reteaming for “#DorianGray,” an updated social media spin on Oscar Wilde’s classic, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
In Wilde’s original, first published as a novella in 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, the self-besotted Dorian Gray sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth, a picture painted of him recording the decay of his soul as in outward appearance he remains physically forever young.
Currently being written by Maiya John, a young London-based screenwriter, the contemporary reimagining is described by Zdf Studios as “a suspenseful ride through the life of a teenager as they construct their identity.”
While navigating sex, and gender, mental health and consent, through tweets and #instagram and Tik Tok videos, Dorian Gray, as in Wilde’s central concept, projects an image of who he’d like to be, rather than who he really is.
In Wilde’s original, first published as a novella in 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, the self-besotted Dorian Gray sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth, a picture painted of him recording the decay of his soul as in outward appearance he remains physically forever young.
Currently being written by Maiya John, a young London-based screenwriter, the contemporary reimagining is described by Zdf Studios as “a suspenseful ride through the life of a teenager as they construct their identity.”
While navigating sex, and gender, mental health and consent, through tweets and #instagram and Tik Tok videos, Dorian Gray, as in Wilde’s central concept, projects an image of who he’d like to be, rather than who he really is.
- 2/20/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
When Frank Doelger, a six-time Emmy award-winning showrunner, whose credits include “Game of Thrones,” “John Adams” and “Rome,” was preparing to adapt Frank Schätzing’s 900-page novel “The Swarm” into an eight-part eco-thriller, he resolved to place it in a different genre. Whereas the novel read like a “disaster movie,” Doelger wanted the series to be a “monster movie” — but with a twist, the monster was us.
In the first few episodes of the show, which premieres at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday, seemingly random, unconnected events occur in different parts of the world in which marine creatures start behaving in abnormal ways that threaten the lives of those who come in contact with them. After each event, scientists are given the task of finding the cause of the change in behavior, and they slowly start to wonder whether the events are connected, and ask what is triggering them.
In the first few episodes of the show, which premieres at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday, seemingly random, unconnected events occur in different parts of the world in which marine creatures start behaving in abnormal ways that threaten the lives of those who come in contact with them. After each event, scientists are given the task of finding the cause of the change in behavior, and they slowly start to wonder whether the events are connected, and ask what is triggering them.
- 2/19/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Now firmly established as a key component of the Berlin Film Festival, this year’s Berlinale Series will welcome Italy’s “The Good Mothers,” Norway’s “Arkitekten” and “Dahaad,” about a female police officer dealing with misogyny and traditional Indian society while also chasing a possible serial killer.
“Why Try to Change Me Now” and “Agent,” Denmark’s answer to the French smash, will also be shown, joined by Australia’s “Bad Behavior” – made by Matchbox Pictures, also behind Yvonne Strahovski and Cate Blanchett starrer “Stateless” – and HBO Max drama “Spy/Master,” all vying for the newly established Berlinale Series Award. Already announced eco-thriller “The Swarm” will debut out of competition.
“Stories with a reasonable budget – that’s certainly a new trend coming from commissioners,” said Julia Fidel, head of Berlinale Series.
“It’s no longer all about dramas that will cost ridiculous amounts of money. The argument is that people value good ideas,...
“Why Try to Change Me Now” and “Agent,” Denmark’s answer to the French smash, will also be shown, joined by Australia’s “Bad Behavior” – made by Matchbox Pictures, also behind Yvonne Strahovski and Cate Blanchett starrer “Stateless” – and HBO Max drama “Spy/Master,” all vying for the newly established Berlinale Series Award. Already announced eco-thriller “The Swarm” will debut out of competition.
“Stories with a reasonable budget – that’s certainly a new trend coming from commissioners,” said Julia Fidel, head of Berlinale Series.
“It’s no longer all about dramas that will cost ridiculous amounts of money. The argument is that people value good ideas,...
- 1/16/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
From Trigger Point to The Empress to Marie-Antoinette, the past year has been another stellar one in the world of international drama as a wealth of streamers splashed the cash on shows across the globe and public broadcasters joined together to greenlight the best talent in the business. Below, Deadline identifies just a few of the major launches set to light up the world of scripted in 2023. Read on.
The Swarm (Germany)
With numerous co-production partners already in place, this thriller from Game of Thrones EP Frank Doelger is one of the most hotly anticipated European dramas of 2023. Distributed by both Beta Films and Zdf Studios, the high-stakes adaptation of Frank Schätzing’s bestseller is an example of the modern TV drama world at play and has partners including Zdf, France TV, Rai and Hulu Japan, who all want a piece of The Swarm, which also counts Marc Huffam (Saving Private Ryan...
The Swarm (Germany)
With numerous co-production partners already in place, this thriller from Game of Thrones EP Frank Doelger is one of the most hotly anticipated European dramas of 2023. Distributed by both Beta Films and Zdf Studios, the high-stakes adaptation of Frank Schätzing’s bestseller is an example of the modern TV drama world at play and has partners including Zdf, France TV, Rai and Hulu Japan, who all want a piece of The Swarm, which also counts Marc Huffam (Saving Private Ryan...
- 12/24/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Audiences at the opening of the Tokyo International Film Festival had a chance to glimpse Nakajima Kento stretching his acting range in “Fragments of the Last Will” (aka “From Siberia With Love”), Takahisa Zeze’s melodrama about coming home from the front after WWII.
Nakajima, a J-Pop star with a major fan following, is committing himself to making acting a greater part of his career going forward. With youthful looks and good English-language skills he stands a strong chance of attracting international attention next.
His apprenticeship in entertainment was, typical of the Japanese industry, long and arduous. It involved a stint at Johnny’s Jr music act B.I. Shadow and four years of multi-disciplinary training within the all-powerful Johnny & Associates talent agency, before being unleashed as part the of the idol group Sexy Zone.
The agency training obstacle course is designed to weed out the weak while also developing a range of music,...
Nakajima, a J-Pop star with a major fan following, is committing himself to making acting a greater part of his career going forward. With youthful looks and good English-language skills he stands a strong chance of attracting international attention next.
His apprenticeship in entertainment was, typical of the Japanese industry, long and arduous. It involved a stint at Johnny’s Jr music act B.I. Shadow and four years of multi-disciplinary training within the all-powerful Johnny & Associates talent agency, before being unleashed as part the of the idol group Sexy Zone.
The agency training obstacle course is designed to weed out the weak while also developing a range of music,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
An adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link) has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger was teaming with Beta Film and Zdf Enterprises to bring The Swarm to the screen as an eight-part TV series… and four years later, that series is finally ready to be seen! A television airdate hasn’t been set yet, but Variety reports that The Swarm will premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Hopefully details on the TV and/or streaming release...
- 12/20/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
German director Robert Schwentke’s drama “Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes,” starring John Malkovich as the Roman-era Stoic philosopher, Alex Gibney’s untitled Boris Becker doc, and high-end European TV series “The Swarm” are set for Berlin Film Festival world premiers.
The Berlinale on Tuesday announced several titles that will screen out-of-competition across various sections, most of them as Berlinale Special galas.
Besides “Seneca” and the Becker doc the galas also comprise the European premiere of Canadian chiller “Infinity Pool,” directed by Brandon Cronenberg and starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård; Todd Field’s “Tár” which premiered in Venice – and for which Field, Cate Blanchett and co-star Nina Hoss will hold an onstage concersation – Japanese thriller “#Mannhole” by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, and Peter Geyer’s animation feature “Loriot’s Great Cartoon Revue” about German multihyphenate Vicco von Bülow, aka Loriot.
“The Swarm,” which is the first title announced for the Berlinale Series section,...
The Berlinale on Tuesday announced several titles that will screen out-of-competition across various sections, most of them as Berlinale Special galas.
Besides “Seneca” and the Becker doc the galas also comprise the European premiere of Canadian chiller “Infinity Pool,” directed by Brandon Cronenberg and starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård; Todd Field’s “Tár” which premiered in Venice – and for which Field, Cate Blanchett and co-star Nina Hoss will hold an onstage concersation – Japanese thriller “#Mannhole” by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, and Peter Geyer’s animation feature “Loriot’s Great Cartoon Revue” about German multihyphenate Vicco von Bülow, aka Loriot.
“The Swarm,” which is the first title announced for the Berlinale Series section,...
- 12/20/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The full programme will be revealed in January 2023.
The Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 16-26) has announced six titles for its Berlinale Special Galas, including the world premieres of John Malkovich starrer Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes and Alex Gibney’s untitled Boris Becker documentary.
The festival has also unveiled eight Forum titles, including world premieres of Fiona Tan’s Dearest Fiona and Vincent Dieutre’s This Is The End.
In addition, the festival has named the first title to play in Berlinale Series, the eco-thriller The Swarm (Der Schwarm) – based on the eponymous bestseller by Frank Schätzing.
Robert Schwentke...
The Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 16-26) has announced six titles for its Berlinale Special Galas, including the world premieres of John Malkovich starrer Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes and Alex Gibney’s untitled Boris Becker documentary.
The festival has also unveiled eight Forum titles, including world premieres of Fiona Tan’s Dearest Fiona and Vincent Dieutre’s This Is The End.
In addition, the festival has named the first title to play in Berlinale Series, the eco-thriller The Swarm (Der Schwarm) – based on the eponymous bestseller by Frank Schätzing.
Robert Schwentke...
- 12/20/2022
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Mike Adler, a former partner at Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark who repped such clients as Viola Davis, Steven Soderbergh, Cary Joji Fukunaga and Tom Felton, has died. He was 73.
Adler died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles after what was described as a short illness, a spokesperson for the firm announced.
Adler joined what was then Lichter Grossman & Nichols in 1997, five years after it was founded, and he was “an absolutely integral part” of the business until his retirement in 2019, the firm said.
“Throughout his career, he was a fearless and tenacious advocate for his clients, who included some of the most celebrated actors, writers, directors and producers in the film and television industries,” it noted. “His clients meant the world to him.
“He was a brilliant attorney and a real mentor to so many of the lawyers at...
Mike Adler, a former partner at Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark who repped such clients as Viola Davis, Steven Soderbergh, Cary Joji Fukunaga and Tom Felton, has died. He was 73.
Adler died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles after what was described as a short illness, a spokesperson for the firm announced.
Adler joined what was then Lichter Grossman & Nichols in 1997, five years after it was founded, and he was “an absolutely integral part” of the business until his retirement in 2019, the firm said.
“Throughout his career, he was a fearless and tenacious advocate for his clients, who included some of the most celebrated actors, writers, directors and producers in the film and television industries,” it noted. “His clients meant the world to him.
“He was a brilliant attorney and a real mentor to so many of the lawyers at...
- 11/10/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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