Exclusive: Netflix and Disney have scored ratings success in the UK after both streaming services premiered documentaries taking viewers inside the lives of soccer stars.
October proved to be a good month for Netflix and Disney+, with both platforms posting their highest audience reach of 2023 after debuting series about David Beckham and Coleen Rooney, wife of former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
Reach calculates the number of UK viewers who have watched at least three consecutive minutes of a streaming service or linear network channel.
Netflix’s reach stood at 43M last month, while Disney+’s equivalent figure was 27.37M viewers, according to Barb, the UK’s official TV audience research body.
Netflix has not had a better month since December 2022 when its reach was 44.7M at a time when television viewing is high around the festive period.
Beckham, the Fisher Stevens-directed documentary in which David and Victoria Beckham open up their lives,...
October proved to be a good month for Netflix and Disney+, with both platforms posting their highest audience reach of 2023 after debuting series about David Beckham and Coleen Rooney, wife of former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
Reach calculates the number of UK viewers who have watched at least three consecutive minutes of a streaming service or linear network channel.
Netflix’s reach stood at 43M last month, while Disney+’s equivalent figure was 27.37M viewers, according to Barb, the UK’s official TV audience research body.
Netflix has not had a better month since December 2022 when its reach was 44.7M at a time when television viewing is high around the festive period.
Beckham, the Fisher Stevens-directed documentary in which David and Victoria Beckham open up their lives,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney+’s ‘Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story’ First Look
Above is your first look at Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, the Disney+ documentary about the legal case between two England players wives that gripped the UK and made tabloid headlines for weeks. Disney has released three images of Coleen Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney, ahead of the show’s launch. The doc follows how Rooney turned amateur online sleuth to find an explanation for why private stories about her and her family kept arising. Her infamous Instagram post revealing the identity of the leaker ‘broke the internet’ and lead to one of the UK’s highest-profile defamation cases, in which Rooney’s claims about Rebekah Vardy, wife of ex-England striker Jamie Vardy, were found to be “substantially true” by a judge. Dorothy Street Pictures and Lorton Entertainment made the doc, with Julia Nottingham, Emma Tutty,...
Above is your first look at Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, the Disney+ documentary about the legal case between two England players wives that gripped the UK and made tabloid headlines for weeks. Disney has released three images of Coleen Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney, ahead of the show’s launch. The doc follows how Rooney turned amateur online sleuth to find an explanation for why private stories about her and her family kept arising. Her infamous Instagram post revealing the identity of the leaker ‘broke the internet’ and lead to one of the UK’s highest-profile defamation cases, in which Rooney’s claims about Rebekah Vardy, wife of ex-England striker Jamie Vardy, were found to be “substantially true” by a judge. Dorothy Street Pictures and Lorton Entertainment made the doc, with Julia Nottingham, Emma Tutty,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Vardy vs Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, Channel 4’s dramatization of the notorious Wagatha Christie case, has sold to BritBox in North America and networks in Australia and New Zealand.
The factual drama, which stars Michael Sheen as Rooney’s barrister and covers one of the biggest media cases of the past decades, was picked up for distribution by Newen Connect last year and Newen has now struck a slew of sales.
BritBox North America, Australia’s Foxtel and New Zealand’s +Hr=E (formerly TV3) have snapped up Vardy vs Rooney and Newen will be shopping at the upcoming London Screenings. Chalkboard TV’s four-parter is one of a number of English language shows that now feature in the French distributor’s catalog as it pushes further into the English language space.
Vardy vs Rooney, which launched to more than 1M overnight viewers late last year, was the...
The factual drama, which stars Michael Sheen as Rooney’s barrister and covers one of the biggest media cases of the past decades, was picked up for distribution by Newen Connect last year and Newen has now struck a slew of sales.
BritBox North America, Australia’s Foxtel and New Zealand’s +Hr=E (formerly TV3) have snapped up Vardy vs Rooney and Newen will be shopping at the upcoming London Screenings. Chalkboard TV’s four-parter is one of a number of English language shows that now feature in the French distributor’s catalog as it pushes further into the English language space.
Vardy vs Rooney, which launched to more than 1M overnight viewers late last year, was the...
- 2/7/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Shahid Launches ‘Period Market’ Landmark With Global Cast
Middle Eastern streamer Shahid has launched Period Market, a landmark period drama featuring a global cast from across Emea, filmed in more than 100 locations .The show, which comes from Kuwaiti writer Heba Mashari Hamada and Tunisian director Lassaad Oueslat, tells five stories taking place simultaneously in different parts of the world that differ in detail but intersect as each protagonist falls into slavery. The multi-national cast includes Fayez Bin Jurays, Apeksha Porwal, Al Anoud Saud and Janique Charles. Shahid owner Mbc said Period Market was filmed across more than 100 locations with 70 main cast members and more than 17,000 extras. It is another demonstration of the region’s dedication to major TV landmarks. Saudi Arabia now has a tax break in place and is working on other big-budget offerings such as fantasy series Rise of the Witches.
Vx Outfit Alkemy X Expands To Canada...
Middle Eastern streamer Shahid has launched Period Market, a landmark period drama featuring a global cast from across Emea, filmed in more than 100 locations .The show, which comes from Kuwaiti writer Heba Mashari Hamada and Tunisian director Lassaad Oueslat, tells five stories taking place simultaneously in different parts of the world that differ in detail but intersect as each protagonist falls into slavery. The multi-national cast includes Fayez Bin Jurays, Apeksha Porwal, Al Anoud Saud and Janique Charles. Shahid owner Mbc said Period Market was filmed across more than 100 locations with 70 main cast members and more than 17,000 extras. It is another demonstration of the region’s dedication to major TV landmarks. Saudi Arabia now has a tax break in place and is working on other big-budget offerings such as fantasy series Rise of the Witches.
Vx Outfit Alkemy X Expands To Canada...
- 1/12/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The BBC has mined the 1960s and 1970s for its award-winning A Very English Scandal strand but, for the next one, viewers could be treated to a modern-day saga they are slightly more familiar with.
Deadline can reveal that a retelling of the Wagatha Christie drama is in early stage development as the potential third instalment of the hit series and Paramount+’s Flatshare scribe Rose Lewenstein is attached. The show once again comes from Sony-backed Blueprint Pictures and was initially rumored to be penned by Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield before Lewenstein came on board.
The as-yet-untitled latest in the Scandal series, which Deadline understands is one of a number of stories being considered and may not be greenlit at all, will cover one of the hottest British legal disputes of the past few years and comes fresh off the back of a Channel 4 factual drama titled...
Deadline can reveal that a retelling of the Wagatha Christie drama is in early stage development as the potential third instalment of the hit series and Paramount+’s Flatshare scribe Rose Lewenstein is attached. The show once again comes from Sony-backed Blueprint Pictures and was initially rumored to be penned by Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield before Lewenstein came on board.
The as-yet-untitled latest in the Scandal series, which Deadline understands is one of a number of stories being considered and may not be greenlit at all, will cover one of the hottest British legal disputes of the past few years and comes fresh off the back of a Channel 4 factual drama titled...
- 1/11/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Grab your notepads and detective hats... because The Masked Singer is back on our screens.
The popular ITV1 reality show, in which a group of celebrities stage musical performances while wearing elaborate themed costumes, has returned for its fourth UK series.
As with previous years, viewers and the roster of judges – Mo Gilligan, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross, and Davina McCall – are tasked with guessing the identity of the masked singers. Each week, the worst performer is eliminated from the programme and “de-masked”.
Football pundit Chris Kamara has already become the first casualty of the new series, having been disguised as Ghost before his elimination in week one.
Among the other costumes featured on this year’s series are Phoenix, Knitting, Jellyfish, Rubbish, Jacket Potato, and Pigeon.
Who is Pigeon? The clues...
Only six contestants actually sung during Sunday’s (1 January) premiere episode, and Pigeon wasn’t one of them – so...
The popular ITV1 reality show, in which a group of celebrities stage musical performances while wearing elaborate themed costumes, has returned for its fourth UK series.
As with previous years, viewers and the roster of judges – Mo Gilligan, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross, and Davina McCall – are tasked with guessing the identity of the masked singers. Each week, the worst performer is eliminated from the programme and “de-masked”.
Football pundit Chris Kamara has already become the first casualty of the new series, having been disguised as Ghost before his elimination in week one.
Among the other costumes featured on this year’s series are Phoenix, Knitting, Jellyfish, Rubbish, Jacket Potato, and Pigeon.
Who is Pigeon? The clues...
Only six contestants actually sung during Sunday’s (1 January) premiere episode, and Pigeon wasn’t one of them – so...
- 1/7/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
A dramatisation of the Wagatha Christie trial has captivated viewers with its portrayal of the legal battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney.
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, starring Natalia Tena and Chanel Cresswell, is a two-part series that began on Channel 4 on Wednesday (21 December).
The Independent’s reviewer, Nick Hilton, wasn’t too impressed with the programme. His one-star review said that the speed of its production felt “typical of the laziness of the British TV conveyor belt” and summarised: “It’s.......... a pile of crap.”
Vardy sued Rooney for libel at the High Court in May, after Rooney claimed that Vardy’s Instagram account had been responsible for leaks to the media.
After the case was dismissed by the judge in July, production on Vardy v Rooney began one month later, using the real court transcripts to make up the majority of the script.
However, plenty...
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, starring Natalia Tena and Chanel Cresswell, is a two-part series that began on Channel 4 on Wednesday (21 December).
The Independent’s reviewer, Nick Hilton, wasn’t too impressed with the programme. His one-star review said that the speed of its production felt “typical of the laziness of the British TV conveyor belt” and summarised: “It’s.......... a pile of crap.”
Vardy sued Rooney for libel at the High Court in May, after Rooney claimed that Vardy’s Instagram account had been responsible for leaks to the media.
After the case was dismissed by the judge in July, production on Vardy v Rooney began one month later, using the real court transcripts to make up the majority of the script.
However, plenty...
- 12/22/2022
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
When the term Wag (standing for the Wives And Girlfriends of England’s top footballers) first appeared in British newspapers, it beckoned in a new era of scurrilous journalism. These women – who were unfairly blamed for England’s miserable exit from the World Cup in 2006 – became a perpetual motion machine for tabloid column inches. But when The Book of the Wag is finally written, the story that began with Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole will climax with the wives of two former England strikers going head-to-head in the High Court. This is the story of Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, Channel 4’s verbatim retelling of the infamous “Wagatha Christie” saga.
But that name was always a misnomer. This story was never a whodunnit. Instead, it was a she said, she said popularity contest played out on a public stage. In the red corner: Coleen Rooney (Trollied’s Chanel Cresswell...
But that name was always a misnomer. This story was never a whodunnit. Instead, it was a she said, she said popularity contest played out on a public stage. In the red corner: Coleen Rooney (Trollied’s Chanel Cresswell...
- 12/21/2022
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
The TV dramatisation of the Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney trial is upon us. Exploring the Instagram age whodunnit, the series Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama portrays one of the most high profile, and most reported, libel cases to ever be brought before the High Court.
The drama, airing on Channel 4 on 21 December, recounts the notorious events that unfolded after Rooney (Chanel Cresswell) publicly alleged that Vardy (Natalia Tena) had been leaking stories about her to The Sun newspaper.
Vardy then sued Rooney for libel in June 2020, with the trial taking place over the course of seven days in May 2022, where the WAGs went head-to-head with their lawyers in the small, mahogany-clad room 13 at the Royal Courts of Justice. Vardy strongly denied leaking fake stories, but the judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, ruled in Rooney’s favour in July.
Though the drama skips the build-up to the legal case...
The drama, airing on Channel 4 on 21 December, recounts the notorious events that unfolded after Rooney (Chanel Cresswell) publicly alleged that Vardy (Natalia Tena) had been leaking stories about her to The Sun newspaper.
Vardy then sued Rooney for libel in June 2020, with the trial taking place over the course of seven days in May 2022, where the WAGs went head-to-head with their lawyers in the small, mahogany-clad room 13 at the Royal Courts of Justice. Vardy strongly denied leaking fake stories, but the judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, ruled in Rooney’s favour in July.
Though the drama skips the build-up to the legal case...
- 12/21/2022
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - TV
The TV dramatisation of the Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney trial is upon us. Exploring the Instagram age whodunnit, the series Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama portrays one of the most high profile, and most reported, libel cases to ever be brought before the High Court.
The drama, airing on Channel 4 on 21 December, recounts the notorious events that unfolded after Rooney (Chanel Cresswell) publicly alleged that Vardy (Natalia Tena) had been leaking stories about her to The Sun newspaper.
Vardy then sued Rooney for libel in June 2020, with the trial taking place over the course of seven days in May 2022, where the WAGs went head-to-head with their lawyers in the small, mahogany-clad room 13 at the Royal Courts of Justice. Vardy strongly denied leaking fake stories, but the judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, ruled in Rooney’s favour in July.
Though the drama skips the build-up to the legal case...
The drama, airing on Channel 4 on 21 December, recounts the notorious events that unfolded after Rooney (Chanel Cresswell) publicly alleged that Vardy (Natalia Tena) had been leaking stories about her to The Sun newspaper.
Vardy then sued Rooney for libel in June 2020, with the trial taking place over the course of seven days in May 2022, where the WAGs went head-to-head with their lawyers in the small, mahogany-clad room 13 at the Royal Courts of Justice. Vardy strongly denied leaking fake stories, but the judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, ruled in Rooney’s favour in July.
Though the drama skips the build-up to the legal case...
- 12/21/2022
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - TV
It’s………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.” Three years later, this remains the celebrity tweet sign-off that keeps on giving. Coleen Rooney probably didn’t anticipate that hitting send on her message back in October 2019 would ignite a petrol bomb of a scandal. Nor one that involved allegations of secret Wag wars, a phone being tossed into the ocean, and Peter Andre’s privates just not being up to scratch. It’s the tweet itself, though, that’s had the most substantial legacy. That delightfully creative use of ellipsis. The wealth of memes it inspired. Then, last summer, the dramatic court case it led to.
Vardy, the wife of Leicester City striker Jamie, sued Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne, for libel in 2020. Rooney alleged that her personal stories had been leaked to the media via Vardy’s Instagram account, after months of personal investigation. Vardy insisted that she was innocent,...
Vardy, the wife of Leicester City striker Jamie, sued Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne, for libel in 2020. Rooney alleged that her personal stories had been leaked to the media via Vardy’s Instagram account, after months of personal investigation. Vardy insisted that she was innocent,...
- 12/21/2022
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
At 10.29am on 9 October 2019, Coleen Rooney posted a statement on Twitter. It was crafted with all the narrative tension and dramatic flair of a classic whodunnit. “For a few years now,” it read, a follower on her private Instagram account had been sharing details of her posts with The Sun newspaper. After puzzling over the case for “a long time”, she developed a hunch as to “who it could be” – to prove it, she constructed a simple but dazzlingly effective social media sting operation.
Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne, blocked all but one account from viewing her Instagram Stories, then cooked up a handful of fake news titbits: one claimed she was considering flying to Mexico to investigate gender selection treatment, another hinted at a return to TV and a third bemoaned a (fictional) flood at the Rooneys’ new home. These stories made their way into the...
Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne, blocked all but one account from viewing her Instagram Stories, then cooked up a handful of fake news titbits: one claimed she was considering flying to Mexico to investigate gender selection treatment, another hinted at a return to TV and a third bemoaned a (fictional) flood at the Rooneys’ new home. These stories made their way into the...
- 12/17/2022
- by Katie Rosseinsky
- The Independent - TV
Chanel Cresswell has joined the cast of Guy Ritchie’s series followup to “The Gentlemen” at Netflix, Variety has learned exclusively.
Cresswell will appear in a recurring role as Tammy, though further character details are being kept under wraps. Production is currently underway on the series in the U.K.
The series takes place in the same world as the film, but will feature an entirely new cast of characters. Theo James will star as Eddie, described as “the estranged son of an English aristocrat who inherits the family pile – only to discover that it’s sitting on top of the biggest weed farm in Europe.” Other cast members include Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Giancarlo Esposito, Peter Serafinowicz, and Vinnie Jones.
Cresswell is next set to be seen in the highly-anticipated limited series “Vardy v. Rooney: A Courtroom Drama” opposite Michael Sheen. The series is based on the...
Cresswell will appear in a recurring role as Tammy, though further character details are being kept under wraps. Production is currently underway on the series in the U.K.
The series takes place in the same world as the film, but will feature an entirely new cast of characters. Theo James will star as Eddie, described as “the estranged son of an English aristocrat who inherits the family pile – only to discover that it’s sitting on top of the biggest weed farm in Europe.” Other cast members include Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Giancarlo Esposito, Peter Serafinowicz, and Vinnie Jones.
Cresswell is next set to be seen in the highly-anticipated limited series “Vardy v. Rooney: A Courtroom Drama” opposite Michael Sheen. The series is based on the...
- 12/7/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Newen Connect is the distribution arm of TF1-owned Newen Studios.
Josephine Fontaine, a former ITV Studios and BBC Studios executive, has joined TF1-owned Newen Connect to handle English-language acquisitions across UK, North America and Australia.
Newen Connect is the distribution arm of TF1-owned Newen Studioss and marks the next step in Newen Connect’s rapid global expansion.
Fontaine will be the key contact for in-house Newen Studios’ UK producers and will consolidate or initiate new partnerships with English-speaking third-party producers. She is tasked with developing ambitious TV shows and supporting creative financing concepts with UK commissioners.
Fontaine...
Josephine Fontaine, a former ITV Studios and BBC Studios executive, has joined TF1-owned Newen Connect to handle English-language acquisitions across UK, North America and Australia.
Newen Connect is the distribution arm of TF1-owned Newen Studioss and marks the next step in Newen Connect’s rapid global expansion.
Fontaine will be the key contact for in-house Newen Studios’ UK producers and will consolidate or initiate new partnerships with English-speaking third-party producers. She is tasked with developing ambitious TV shows and supporting creative financing concepts with UK commissioners.
Fontaine...
- 11/22/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Channel 4 has cast Harry Potter star Natalia Tena and BAFTA winner Chanel Creswell as Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney in its upcoming Wagatha Christie courtroom drama, with Michael Sheen set to play high-profile barrister David Sherborne.
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom will recreate the high-stakes UK High Court defamation case between the two earlier this year, with two sparring legal teams in the spotlight. The Wagatha Christie case was one of the most high-profile in recent history in the UK. Rooney famously tried to catch out Vardy for selling news stories about her to the tabloids using sleuth tactics, thus dubbed Wagatha Christie. Each day was covered extensively by the press and included many memorable moments.
The pair’s husbands, the England footballers Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy, will be played by Dion Lloyd and Marci Nagyszokolyai, while Simon Coury will play Rooney’s barrister Hugh Tomlinson.
There has...
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom will recreate the high-stakes UK High Court defamation case between the two earlier this year, with two sparring legal teams in the spotlight. The Wagatha Christie case was one of the most high-profile in recent history in the UK. Rooney famously tried to catch out Vardy for selling news stories about her to the tabloids using sleuth tactics, thus dubbed Wagatha Christie. Each day was covered extensively by the press and included many memorable moments.
The pair’s husbands, the England footballers Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy, will be played by Dion Lloyd and Marci Nagyszokolyai, while Simon Coury will play Rooney’s barrister Hugh Tomlinson.
There has...
- 10/12/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Newen Connect is building up its English-language scripted slate with timely, high-concept titles, including “Wagatha,” a dramatic reconstruction of the viral court case involving Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, the wives of high-profile British footballers. Newen Connect has also acquired the Australian supernatural bromance “Limbo,” and the inclusive British mystery thriller “Blindspot.”
Written by Chris Atkins, “Wagatha” (working title) charts the High Court case which stemmed from alleged leaked Instagram stories in 2019 and opposes Rooney and Vardy. Produced by Chalkboard and commissioned by Channel 4, “Wagatha” stars Chanel Cresswell, the BAFTA-winning actor of “This is England” and Natalia Tena (“Game of Thrones”). Filming just wrapped in September.
The case which has been coined #WagathaChristie in reference to the English detective novelist Agatha Christie, has already been thoroughly covered on social media and in the press, especially in the U.S., but this “TV event will go further, immersing audiences inside...
Written by Chris Atkins, “Wagatha” (working title) charts the High Court case which stemmed from alleged leaked Instagram stories in 2019 and opposes Rooney and Vardy. Produced by Chalkboard and commissioned by Channel 4, “Wagatha” stars Chanel Cresswell, the BAFTA-winning actor of “This is England” and Natalia Tena (“Game of Thrones”). Filming just wrapped in September.
The case which has been coined #WagathaChristie in reference to the English detective novelist Agatha Christie, has already been thoroughly covered on social media and in the press, especially in the U.S., but this “TV event will go further, immersing audiences inside...
- 10/4/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Did Harry Styles really spit on Chris Pine? Why did Selena unfollow the Jenner sisters? Did Katy Perry actually steal Taylor Swift’s backup dancers? Who knows.
Tabloid media and TikTok sleuths be damned, most celebrity beefs end without a satisfying denouement. After all, the court of public opinion lacks subpoena power. And what celebrity is petty enough to spend millions of dollars — and years of their lives — airing their own dirty laundry?
WAGs, that’s who.
Short for Wives And Girlfriends, WAGs are the better halves of the ultra-famous British Association Football (aka “soccer”) players. And when two go to war, an impeccably styled irresistible force meets a glamorously immovable object. While their husbands settle their differences on the field, WAGs take it to the courts.
It all started in fall 2019 when Coleen Rooney, wife of legendary (now-retired) Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney,...
Did Harry Styles really spit on Chris Pine? Why did Selena unfollow the Jenner sisters? Did Katy Perry actually steal Taylor Swift’s backup dancers? Who knows.
Tabloid media and TikTok sleuths be damned, most celebrity beefs end without a satisfying denouement. After all, the court of public opinion lacks subpoena power. And what celebrity is petty enough to spend millions of dollars — and years of their lives — airing their own dirty laundry?
WAGs, that’s who.
Short for Wives And Girlfriends, WAGs are the better halves of the ultra-famous British Association Football (aka “soccer”) players. And when two go to war, an impeccably styled irresistible force meets a glamorously immovable object. While their husbands settle their differences on the field, WAGs take it to the courts.
It all started in fall 2019 when Coleen Rooney, wife of legendary (now-retired) Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Daniel Novack
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney+ has commissioned a doc on the sensational ‘Wagatha Christie’ legal case, another on fashion magazine Vogue and a Keanu Reeves-voiced Formula 1 series as part of its UK slate.
In total, the streamer’s Director of Unscripted Content, Emea Sean Doyle has commissioned five unscripted series, which will premiere on Disney+ in Emea and Asia Pacific. Full details of the slate can be found below.
“Our aim was to find brilliant once-in-a-lifetime stories that showcase a wide range of subjects; and these latest projects truly deliver on that promise,” said Doyle. “We’re working with our elite creative partners on this slate, reflecting the UK’s status as an unscripted powerhouse and establishing Disney+ as a destination for unscripted titles.”
Disney+ plans to create 60 local productions by 2024 as it seeks to up its global subscriber base.
Toplining today’s orders, Wagatha Christie (working title) will recall the libel...
In total, the streamer’s Director of Unscripted Content, Emea Sean Doyle has commissioned five unscripted series, which will premiere on Disney+ in Emea and Asia Pacific. Full details of the slate can be found below.
“Our aim was to find brilliant once-in-a-lifetime stories that showcase a wide range of subjects; and these latest projects truly deliver on that promise,” said Doyle. “We’re working with our elite creative partners on this slate, reflecting the UK’s status as an unscripted powerhouse and establishing Disney+ as a destination for unscripted titles.”
Disney+ plans to create 60 local productions by 2024 as it seeks to up its global subscriber base.
Toplining today’s orders, Wagatha Christie (working title) will recall the libel...
- 8/26/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Disney+ has unveiled an eclectic slate of five new U.K. unscripted originals spanning a broad range of talent and topics from Keanu Reeves to arguably the most talked about U.K. trial in years.
Wagatha Christie (working title), produced by Lorton Street Entertainment in association with Dorothy Street Pictures, will be uncovering one of the biggest tabloid news stories in Britain over the last decade, revealing how Coleen Rooney, wife of soccer star Wayne Rooney, turned amateur sleuth to reveal who had been leaking private stories to the press, and the high-profile defamation case brought against her by fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy. In something of a coup for Disney+, the three-part series will be told through exclusive access to Rooney, alongside interviews with family, friends and key players involved in the trial.
In Brawn: The One Pound Formula 1 Team...
Disney+ has unveiled an eclectic slate of five new U.K. unscripted originals spanning a broad range of talent and topics from Keanu Reeves to arguably the most talked about U.K. trial in years.
Wagatha Christie (working title), produced by Lorton Street Entertainment in association with Dorothy Street Pictures, will be uncovering one of the biggest tabloid news stories in Britain over the last decade, revealing how Coleen Rooney, wife of soccer star Wayne Rooney, turned amateur sleuth to reveal who had been leaking private stories to the press, and the high-profile defamation case brought against her by fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy. In something of a coup for Disney+, the three-part series will be told through exclusive access to Rooney, alongside interviews with family, friends and key players involved in the trial.
In Brawn: The One Pound Formula 1 Team...
- 8/26/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Coleen Rooney has allegedly sold the rights to the Wagatha Christie story to Disney+ in a multi-million-pound deal.
The social media influencer and wife of football star Wayne Rooney won the libel case brought by Rebekah Vardy in July.
Vardy attempted to sue Rooney for defamation, but it was ultimately ruled that Rooney's Instagram post, outing Vardy for leaking stories to the press, was true.
Now, Rooney is said to have sold the rights to the story to streaming service Disney+ in a lucrative deal, with a view to creating a documentary about the legal drama.
According to The Sun, the deal is worth more than husband Wayne’s current role as the manager of DC United in Washington, DC, and will be Rooney’s opportunity to share her side of the story.
“Since her first damning social media post outing Rebekah, she has remained steadfastly silent,” a source reported to the publication.
The social media influencer and wife of football star Wayne Rooney won the libel case brought by Rebekah Vardy in July.
Vardy attempted to sue Rooney for defamation, but it was ultimately ruled that Rooney's Instagram post, outing Vardy for leaking stories to the press, was true.
Now, Rooney is said to have sold the rights to the story to streaming service Disney+ in a lucrative deal, with a view to creating a documentary about the legal drama.
According to The Sun, the deal is worth more than husband Wayne’s current role as the manager of DC United in Washington, DC, and will be Rooney’s opportunity to share her side of the story.
“Since her first damning social media post outing Rebekah, she has remained steadfastly silent,” a source reported to the publication.
- 8/25/2022
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
The two women responsible for persuading Prince Andrew to sit down on camera and give his now-notorious interview explaining his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein are now in competition to bring the behind-the-screen events to film.
Deadline previously exclusively announced that Sam McAlister, the former Newsnight interviews producer, had sold the screen rights of her book, Scoops, which explained how Prince Andrew’s chat and other celebrated TV encounters were secured and managed.
Now the Times reports that Emily Maitlis, the interviewer who won plaudits for the way she managed the interview with the Prince, has partnered with production company Blueprint Pictures to bring the 2019 interview to screen as a scripted drama.
Blueprint previously made A Very English Scandal, starring Hugh Grant as shamed British MP Jeremy Thorpe, and A Very British Scandal which starred Claire Foy as the scandalous Duchess of Argyll. The Times reports that it will screen on...
Deadline previously exclusively announced that Sam McAlister, the former Newsnight interviews producer, had sold the screen rights of her book, Scoops, which explained how Prince Andrew’s chat and other celebrated TV encounters were secured and managed.
Now the Times reports that Emily Maitlis, the interviewer who won plaudits for the way she managed the interview with the Prince, has partnered with production company Blueprint Pictures to bring the 2019 interview to screen as a scripted drama.
Blueprint previously made A Very English Scandal, starring Hugh Grant as shamed British MP Jeremy Thorpe, and A Very British Scandal which starred Claire Foy as the scandalous Duchess of Argyll. The Times reports that it will screen on...
- 8/6/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
The race is on to bring the already notorious ‘Wagatha Christie’ defamation trial to our screens, following this week’s conclusion at London’s High Court.
The battle between footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy (married to Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy respectively) concluded after two and a half long years, with the judge ruling in favour of Rooney. Vardy had originally brought the case to court, claiming defamation after Rooney unveiled her as the culprit behind a roll-call of stories about her and her family leaked to the press. Rooney had laid a trap for Vardy restricting her Instagram account so that she knew who could see her posts, leading to the day she announced on social media the results of her investigation, saying, “It’s….. Rebekah Vardy.” Thus was #WagathaChristie born.
When Vardy’s case for libel finally arrived in the British courtroom, weeks of witness statements...
The battle between footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy (married to Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy respectively) concluded after two and a half long years, with the judge ruling in favour of Rooney. Vardy had originally brought the case to court, claiming defamation after Rooney unveiled her as the culprit behind a roll-call of stories about her and her family leaked to the press. Rooney had laid a trap for Vardy restricting her Instagram account so that she knew who could see her posts, leading to the day she announced on social media the results of her investigation, saying, “It’s….. Rebekah Vardy.” Thus was #WagathaChristie born.
When Vardy’s case for libel finally arrived in the British courtroom, weeks of witness statements...
- 7/31/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
The Wagatha Christie saga is.......finally over. The long-standing legal battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney—the wives of two prominent British soccer stars—concluded on July 29 when a London High Court judge ruled that Coleen, 36, had not defamed Rebekah, 40, in her October 2019 viral tweet, per CNN. The libel lawsuit, which began in June 2020 and resulted in a dramatic trial in May, centered around Coleen's social media post in which she claimed that Rebekah was leaking private information about her and her family to the British tabloid The Sun, per the BBC. In a written decision, the...
- 7/29/2022
- E! Online
Exclusive: The Kardashian’s journey to achieving stratospheric wealth is to be explored in a two-part documentary series from UK public broadcaster Channel 4, Deadline can reveal.
The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty will examine how arguably the most influential family of the 21st century defied critics to build a brand that has earned billions, and transformed social media.
The series from All3Media-backed indie Optomen will feature rarely-seen archive footage and candid insight from close friends of the family, revealing the deals and decisions that have boosted the family’s finances and changed their dynamic.
Optomen, which is also behind a Richard Hammond science show for Channel 4, has moved into the celebrity documentary space of late, producing a trio of shows for Discovery+ on Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Britney Spears and Jamie Lynn Spears, and Rebekah Vardy and Colleen Rooney.
The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty will “offer a new perspective on this famous family,...
The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty will examine how arguably the most influential family of the 21st century defied critics to build a brand that has earned billions, and transformed social media.
The series from All3Media-backed indie Optomen will feature rarely-seen archive footage and candid insight from close friends of the family, revealing the deals and decisions that have boosted the family’s finances and changed their dynamic.
Optomen, which is also behind a Richard Hammond science show for Channel 4, has moved into the celebrity documentary space of late, producing a trio of shows for Discovery+ on Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Britney Spears and Jamie Lynn Spears, and Rebekah Vardy and Colleen Rooney.
The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty will “offer a new perspective on this famous family,...
- 6/14/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Discovery+ U.K. has landed two of the most high-profile legal figures involved in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial for its next doc-series about the court battles between the former married couple.
Camille Vasquez and Benjamin G. Chew, who represented Depp, are set to appear in the second series of Johnny vs. Amber, which will feature extensive testimonies and interviews with the lawyers, alongside representatives from Heard’s side.
Commissioned by Discovery+ U.K. and announced late last month, the two-part doc series is a follow-up to the first Johnny vs. Amber, which explored Depp’s 2020 defamation trial in the U.K. High Court. This time, the focus will be on the recent defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, which eventually would award Depp 10 million in compensatory damages and 5 million in punitive damages from Heard. Looking at extensive evidence and the testimonies of both parties,...
Discovery+ U.K. has landed two of the most high-profile legal figures involved in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial for its next doc-series about the court battles between the former married couple.
Camille Vasquez and Benjamin G. Chew, who represented Depp, are set to appear in the second series of Johnny vs. Amber, which will feature extensive testimonies and interviews with the lawyers, alongside representatives from Heard’s side.
Commissioned by Discovery+ U.K. and announced late last month, the two-part doc series is a follow-up to the first Johnny vs. Amber, which explored Depp’s 2020 defamation trial in the U.K. High Court. This time, the focus will be on the recent defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, which eventually would award Depp 10 million in compensatory damages and 5 million in punitive damages from Heard. Looking at extensive evidence and the testimonies of both parties,...
- 6/9/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Commission
Warner Bros. Discovery U.K. is re-teaming with Optomen TV to produce a follow-up to “Johnny vs Amber,” a two-part documentary which explored Johnny Depp’s defamation trial in the U.K. High Court with explosive evidence, intimate personal archive and in-depth interviews from both legal teams. Following the success of that documentary, the follow up will be focused on the recent and very high-profile legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, this time in the U.S. The two-part Discovery+ documentary will again look at the extensive evidence and testimony of both Depp and Heard. Each episode will present one side of the argument through legal teams, friends, family and key witnesses.
In addition, Discovery+ has also greenlit two further ‘vs’ series: “Coleen vs Rebekah,” will examine the recent U.K. court battle between high profile footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy; and “Britney vs Jamie,...
Warner Bros. Discovery U.K. is re-teaming with Optomen TV to produce a follow-up to “Johnny vs Amber,” a two-part documentary which explored Johnny Depp’s defamation trial in the U.K. High Court with explosive evidence, intimate personal archive and in-depth interviews from both legal teams. Following the success of that documentary, the follow up will be focused on the recent and very high-profile legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, this time in the U.S. The two-part Discovery+ documentary will again look at the extensive evidence and testimony of both Depp and Heard. Each episode will present one side of the argument through legal teams, friends, family and key witnesses.
In addition, Discovery+ has also greenlit two further ‘vs’ series: “Coleen vs Rebekah,” will examine the recent U.K. court battle between high profile footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy; and “Britney vs Jamie,...
- 5/31/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Leaked Instagram stories, viral tweets, and a solo sting operation are just a few of the elements at play in the ongoing U.K. libel case between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, the wives of two prominent British soccer stars. On May 10, the so-called Wagatha Christie case officially went to trial in London's High Court, nearly two years after Rebekah, 40, first sued Coleen, 36, for defamation back in June 2020. In a witness statement on May 13, Coleen said that she was "glad to have put an end" to Rebekah leaking others' private information to the press after she caught the fellow soccer wife "betraying" her...
- 5/14/2022
- E! Online
Rebekah Vardy is still living a nightmare. Back in October, Coleen Rooney epically exposed her fellow British Wag for selling stories about her to British tabloids. In a lengthy Instagram post, Coleen detailed how she had blocked all of her Instagram followers from viewing her stories except for one in the hopes of finding the culprit. "I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way into the Sun newspaper," she wrote. "And you know what, they did! The story about gender selection in Mexico, the story about returning to TV and then the latest story about the basement flooding in my new house." "Now I now for certain with account / individual it's come from,"...
- 2/13/2020
- E! Online
The public fallout was a slow-burn psychodrama of deceit and betrayal, ideal for the big screen – as Knightley has confirmed. So who should tackle Danielle Lloyd?
Go home Kramer vs Kramer. Bog off Frost/Nixon. You want drama? You want glamour? You want the sheer white-knuckle thrill of watching one woman block her Instagram followers one by one? Then there’s only one thing for it? The Coleen Rooney/Rebekah Vardy Wag Wars film.
And it will. Sure, no script exists yet, and no director is attached. But in a press junket for her new film yesterday, Keira Knightley has thrown her hat into the ring for the role of Coleen Rooney.
Go home Kramer vs Kramer. Bog off Frost/Nixon. You want drama? You want glamour? You want the sheer white-knuckle thrill of watching one woman block her Instagram followers one by one? Then there’s only one thing for it? The Coleen Rooney/Rebekah Vardy Wag Wars film.
And it will. Sure, no script exists yet, and no director is attached. But in a press junket for her new film yesterday, Keira Knightley has thrown her hat into the ring for the role of Coleen Rooney.
- 10/11/2019
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy are giving the Real Housewives franchise a run for their money. Before today, these two women were otherwise entirely unknown in the realm of American pop culture. Some soccer fans might recognize them as the wives or girlfriends, aka Wags, of football players Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy, who play on the England national team. Or, maybe, social media users came across their Instagram profiles. Regardless, Coleen and Rebekah are now on everyone's radar thanks to Coleen's expert sleuthing skills. This story begins on a Wednesday morning, when Coleen publicized accusations against Rebekah. Coleen's followers woke up...
- 10/9/2019
- E! Online
Most people have been on at least one bad date, but none like the one British stars Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo and Rebekah Vardy experienced on Wednesday’s “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!” The pair had to chow down on an array of disgusting dishes for the show’s infamous eating challenge, in a bid to […]...
- 11/23/2017
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
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