Korea’s ‘Battle In The Box’ Set For U.S.; Distribs Kit Up For MIPCOM; Viu Bolsters Chinese Drama Lineup; Gianfranco Rosi At Camerimage; UFA Launches New Label — Global Briefs
UK Indie Taking Korean Format ‘Battle In The Box’ To U.S.
Interstellar, the UK indie that made the British version of Something Special’s format Battle in the Box in the UK, is to take the Korean format into the U.S. The format, initially from Nmedia for MBN in Korea, sees two celebrity teams enter an empty box for 24 hours divided by a moveable wall and armed with just a toothbrush. They earn space and luxuries by conquering mental and physical challenges. Interstellar made the UK version of the show for BBC Studios-owned network U&Dave, with comedian Jimmy Carr the host. The company will now take the format to the U.S. after striking a deal with Something Special, which has the international distribution rights. “We cannot wait to take everything we’ve learned about this groundbreaking reality and gameshow format and apply it to a host of new famous faces in the U.S.,” said David Williams, Managing Director of Interstellar. “American celebrities beware, the Box is coming for you.”
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Distributors Kit Up For MIPCOM
Less than a month out from MIPCOM Cannes, distributors are keeping busy dealmaking and stocking their shelves for the event. Sphere Abacus has struck pre-sales for season three of true crime show Murdered at First Sight with FilmRise in the U.S. and Channel 5 in the UK. The show, which exposes deeply shocking accounts of people being murdered by someone they had never met, is from Woodcut Media. Over at the newly merged Fred Media/Radar in Australia, a deal has been struck for more than 150 hours from Seven Network, including Instant Hotel, Australia’s Cheapest Weddings and The Mentor. “Much of Fred Media/Radar’s activity aligns with our strategic vision and I’m confident this new partnership will encourage a strong relationship into the future,” said Richard Henson, Director, Distribution & Content Partnerships at Seven. Meanwhile, Blue Ant Studios is headed into MIPCOM with a slate of kids and family programs including the Canadian version of Nippon TV format Old Enough!. The TVO show follows children aged 3-6 as they get their first taste of independence, heading out to run everyday errands for their parents. The original has been a hit on Netflix. ZDF Studios-owned Off the Fence, meanwhile, is headed to the Croisette with rights (excl North America and Latin America) to We Are Guardians. The Appian Way-exec produced doc is the feature debut of directors Edivan Guajajara, co-founder of Mídia Indígena, an Indigenous-led investigative journalism collective in Brazil, and environmental filmmakers Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman. Netflix snapped up Lat Am rights earlier this year, while the producers are in negotiations over a North American theatrical release.
Viu Bolsters Chinese Drama Slate
Pan-regional Asian streamer Viu is adding four Chinese dramas to its service in the fourth quarter of 2024. Following the recent release of In Between (半熟男女), Viu will launch Guardians of the Dafeng (大奉打更人), Smile Code (失笑), Reborn (焕 羽) and workplace romance drama Love Has Fireworks (爱情有烟火) in coming months, bringing the total of new Chinese releases to eleven for the year. Chinese content for the wider Asian market has become a key driver, along with globally popular Korean and Japanese fare. Viu has particularly leaned into K-drama, both in originals and acquisitions, and now Chinese content is driving subscriptions, being flagged as a key driver behind an 11% year-on-year increase. “We have always leveraged data insights and market intelligence to ensure our consumers continue to be delighted with our content offerings,” said Janice Lee, CEO of Viu and PCCW Media Group. “Beginning this year, we made the decision to significantly ramp up simulcast Chinese dramas on our platform. The positive uptake in terms of engagement has reinforced that our decision was indeed the right one. As we continue to diversify our offerings, our unwavering focus on remaining relevant to our consumers remains steadfast.”
Gianfranco Rosi To Be Feted At Camerimage
Poland’s Camerimage Film Festival will hand filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi it’s honorary award for Outstanding Achievements in Documentary during this year’s edition, which runs November 16-23. Born in Italy, Rosi moved to New York and graduated from the New York University Film School in 1985. His credits include El Sicario – Room 164, Sacro GRA, which won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2013, and Fuocoammare, the Golden-bear winner at Berlin in 2016.
UFA Launches New Label In Leipzig
Germany’s UFA has launched UFA Mitte, a Leipzig-based division led by producer Katharina Rietz and Sebastian Werninger, who will both be Managing Directors. UFA Mitte is out of the gate with feature film Neus Land (working title), which has received funding approval from the Central German Media Fund (MDM). The film will tell the “moving story of a family that is struggling with the challenges of structural change in the former Saxon lignite mining area and is threatened with falling apart due to an old debt.” Filming is planned for spring 2025 in Leipzig and Thuringia. UFA, which is part of Fremantle, has around 100 staff in Leipzig, where the likes of ZDF’s Dresden, Sat.1’s Der Tunnel and Prime Video and Sundance TV drama Deutschland ’86 were made.
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