Yahoo News Paramount+ Picks Up ‘Twisted Metal’ In Canada; Piers Morgan RTS Cambridge; Venice VR Lineup; Deauville To Fete Schatzberg; Banijay Italia Partnership; Grierson Shortlist – Global Briefs
Paramount+ Picks Up ‘Twisted Metal’ In Canada
Sony action-comedy Twisted Metal, which is based on the classic PlayStation series, has been picked up in Canada by Paramount+. More markets are to come, according to the streamer, which will launch the Anthony Mackie-starrer on August 10. Executive produced by Will Arnett, Twisted Metal follows a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown named Sweet Tooth who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck. The series comes from Sony Pictures Television and is based on an original story by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland), with Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai) penning. “Twisted Metal is unlike anything in the market today,” said SPT’s Flory Bramnick, EVP, Distribution and Jason Spivak, EVP, Distribution, North America,
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Piers Morgan Added To RTS Cambridge Lineup
Piers Morgan has become the latest high-profile name to be added to the RTS Cambridge Convention lineup. Morgan joins the likes of Roku Media President Charlie Collier and WBD President EMEA Priya Dogra on a growing list that also includes broadcasting bosses Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries and CAA Co-Chairman Bryan Lourd. The biannual gathering of the great-and-good of the UK TV industry is this year being sponsored by Channel 4, with CEO Alex Mahon also set to keynote. Morgan, who hosts a show on Rupert Murdoch’s Talk TV, spoke at the previous RTS Cambridge in 2019, during which he proclaimed: “The world’s gone nuts.”
Neil Gaiman and David Attenborough Projects Among Venice VR Lineup
The Venice Film Festival has named the VR projects set to screen during its 80th edition, running Aug 30 — Sept 9. Venice Immersive will present 44 projects from 25 countries. Among the titles are Emperor, narrated by Olivia Cooke; Gargoyle Doyle, featuring Jason Issacs and Haley Joel Osment; Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens, narrated by Neil Gaiman; and David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies. The Venice immersive jury will feature Singing Chen, German Heller, and Pedro Harres. Check out the full line up here.
Deauville To Fete Photographer & Filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg
The Deauville American Film Festival will honor U.S. photographer and filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg at its upcoming 49th edition, running from September 1 to 10. Schatzberg worked as a photographer for magazines such as Vogue and Esquire before moving into directing, making his name with portraits of Bob Dylan in the 1960s, including the image used for his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. He broke into cinema in 1970 with Puzzle Of A Downfall Child, starring Faye Dunaway, and went on to share the Cannes Grand Prize for Scarecrow in 1973, with later credits including 1987 drama Street Smart, for which Morgan Freeman won his first Oscar nomination. “Nothing predestined him for photography, even less for cinema,” said Deauville of Schatzberg, who was born to a Jewish family of furriers and grew up in the Bronx. “However, it is through these two mediums that Jerry Schatzberg has established himself as one of the most brilliant artists of our time. His iconic shots remain forever imprinted on our retinas, as much as his intense filmography, an emblematic figure of New Hollywood.”
Banijay Italy Partners With Marco Belardi Outfit
Banijay Italia is partnering with Marco Belardi’s nascent premium scripted and docs producer Greenboo Production. The agreement will “look to further build growth and audiences, both locally and beyond,” according to Banijay. Financial terms of the partnership, which does not amount to a full buyout, were not disclosed. Belardi launched Greenboo last year. He is an experienced Italian exec whose recent credits include A casa tutti bene, a series by Gabriel Muccino inspired by his 2018 film of the same name, and Disney+’s upcoming Lions of Sicily. “Greenboo is a promising new venture, which, thanks to the experience of its founder, Marco, has already launched numerous high-profile projects with great writing and directing talent attached,” said Banijay Italia Holding president Paolo Bassetti. “For us at Banijay Italia Holding, partnering with this rising force represents a significant stride to expand our industry position in scripted, feature films and cinema.”
Grierson Awards Unveils 2023 Shortlist
The likes of The Elon Musk Show, Once Upon a time in Northern Ireland and Amazon’s Three Mothers, Two Babies, and a Scandal will battle it out for the Best Documentary Series at this year’s Grierson Awards. The UK’s most prestigious doc awards unveiled shortlist this morning, with the BBC sitting atop the pile with 40 entries. Those in the running for Best Documentary Presenter include established names such as Michael Palin and David Baddiel alongside relative newcomers Munya Chawawa, Runako Celina, and Emily Victoria. Double BAFTA-winner Mo Farah is also up for two awards for the gut-wrenching The Real Mo Farah, while, in the international category, Oscar-nominee All that Breathes leads the pack.
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