Blink49 Studios To Adapt ‘Things To Do When It’s Raining’ – Briefs

Blink49 Studios To Adapt ‘Things To Do When It’s Raining’

John Morayniss’ Blink49 Studios has picked up the rights to New York Times bestselling author Marissa Stapley’s romantic drama Things To Do When It’s Raining. The novel, Stapley’s second, is set in Canada’s 1,000 Islands and centers around a woman who is driven by deception and despair to return home from the city to her grandparent’s inn. There, she encounters Gabe, the island-dwelling boy who was her companion as a child and her first love as a teenage girl, but then disappeared from her life without a trace. In-house Blink49 execs Virginia Rankin and Carolyn Newman will exec produce for the newly-formed Endeavor Content-backed studio, which was founded by former eOne TV Chief Morayniss, Patrick Theroux, Jeff Lynas and Nelson Kuo-Lee. Stapley said: “Carolyn Newman and Virginia Rankin’s passion for a book so dear to my heart is a writer’s dream — and their commitment to and enthusiasm for bringing it to the screen with a focus on the love story, the charming, setting, and the intrigue of secrets is so exciting.” The company recently rebranded from Blink Studios and signed a first look deal with Lucifer exec producer Sheri Elwood.

Danish Format ‘Love Raft’ Sails Around Europe

A wealth of international producers have picked up Danish activity/dating format Love Raft from distributor Magnify Media, while the show has been commissioned for a second series by its host broadcaster prior to the first airing. Vincent TV for Netherlands, Seapoint for Germany, Baluba TV for Sweden, ITV for Finland and Mastiff for Norway have acquired production rights, with Story Productions’ original version of the 12-parter set to launch next month on Denmark’s DR TV. In Love Raft, 10 daters will be split into pairings for a 10-day journey down a river on self-made rafts, where romances are given opportunities to blossom in the most authentic setting. Story Managing Director Susanne Funder-Mikkelsen called the show a “dynamic story with fresh appeal.”

Fremantle Promotes Jane Atkinson

Fremantle has promoted Jane Atkinson to Director of Global Production, Entertainment, taking on responsibility for overseeing the global outfit’s unscripted business with the streaming platforms. She was previously Senior Vice President of Global Entertainment Production at Fremantle and has also worked for the BBC’s Entertainment and Events department. She will report to Chris O’Dell, Fremantle’s Head of Global Entertainment Production, who said Atkinson had “been an invaluable addition to both Fremantle’s Global Entertainment team and the wider business” since joining in 2018.