Shekhar Kapur Making Young Bruce Lee Biopic; Scripps Networks Hires Paul Welling – Global Briefs

Elizabeth helmer Shekhar Kapur has been set to direct and is co-scripting a biopic about the young Bruce Lee. The $20M Little Dragon (working title) project is currently in pre-production and is planned as a U.S.-China-Hong Kong co-pro financed by Dadi Media Group, Beijing Golden World Pictures, Shanghai Longzhilin Cultural Investment Partnership and Kirin Media. Bruce Lee Entertainment’s Shannon Lee (the martial arts legend’s daughter) is co-writing with Kapur. The story takes place in 1950s Hong Kong, where a young Bruce Lee is forced to come face-to-face with his family’s disappointment, young love, true friendship, betrayal, racism, deep hardship and the inner fire that threatens to unravel his destiny. Tim Kwok of Convergence Entertainment is producing with Lee. Kapur, who recently wrapped TNT’s 10-part event series Will, is executive producer with Yu-San Yu, Allen Tan, Leo Zheng and Jeff Chao. A worldwide casting search for the actor to play teenage Bruce Lee began last week.

Media veteran Paul Welling has been tapped to lead Content in UK and EMEA for Scripps Networks Interactive. Welling joins the company today and is responsible for all programming and content functions that span linear, digital and VOD-OTT services. He’ll be based in London and will report to Phillip Luff, Managing Director, UK and EMEA, Scripps Networks Interactive. In the role, Welling will be responsible for developing the strategic vision and guidance for the content and brand portfolio including HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel and Fine Living Network, which are distributied in more than 130 countries and territories across the EMEA region. He has been tasked with setting the vision and priorities for the program planning, scheduling, acquisitions, commissioning and digital creative teams.

All3Media International has scored a major package deal with HBO Europe, including pay-TV rights in Central and Eastern Europe plus SVOD rights for HBO Nordic (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) and Spain, to six-part Clique from Skins creator Bryan Elsley. The show is a new launch that will feature as part of the upcoming MIP Drama Screenings. Story focuses on childhood friends Georgia and Holly who are drawn into an elite clique of alpha girls at university. HBO Europe has also acquired Rellik, written by Harry and Jack Williams (The Missing) and starring Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones) and Jodi Balfour (The Crown). It’s produced by New Pictures and Two Brothers Pictures for BBC One and Cinemax in association with all3Media International. HBO Europe has also picked up Liar, a six-part thriller for ITV UK and SundanceTV USA, starring Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd.

London-based indie Nevision and Barcelona-based Diagonal TV are developing six-part crime-thriller series The Barcelona Connection, which will be set in Spain and shot in English and Spanish. Goya-winning director Roger Gual, whose latest film 7 Anos was Netflix’s first original film in Spanish, is set to direct. Brit scribe Alan Whiting writes the script, based on Tim Parfitt’s new crime novel of the same name. Story revolves around a politically inspired kidnapping that coincides with Barcelona hosting its first G20 event. The fast-moving plot intertwines art, murder, politics and the media.