Latest in Distribution

EXCLUSIVE: Australia’s Foxtel is the latest to take on The Swarm. The pay-TV provider has acquired the eight-part eco-drama series from ZDF Studios, which co-distributes the show with German compatriot Beta. The series comes from Game of Thrones producer Frank Doelger. It will launch on Foxtel…

EXCLUSIVE: International buyers will remain cautious over how the writers’ strike impacts program availability, as the ongoing industrial action dominated chatter at the LA Screenings. A week of international sales showcases brought hundreds of buyers to LA as the likes of Paramount, Disney, Sony…

EXCLUSIVE: ITV Studios is seeking a VP of Global Content to work with natural history and premium doc labels including Tiny World indie Plimsoll. A job ad was put out last week for the newly-created post, which will see a senior exec join EVP Global Content Julie Meldal-Johnsen’s team. Meldal-Johnsen…

Kino Lorber and First Look Media have formed a joint venture to operate their respective streaming services, MHz Choice and Topic. The new entity will be run by Kino Lorber, which will also take a majority stake. Programming, marketing and technology will be handled by MHz Networks founder Frederick…

Lionsgate has taken sub-licensing distribution rights worldwide to The Chosen, the hit Jesus of Nazareth drama widely regarded as the most successful crowdfunded TV series of all time. Lionsgate will shop all three seasons of Dallas Jenkins’ hit globally, having already had more than 110 million…

Sony Pictures Television has pre-sold Twisted Metal, The Winter King and Ten Pound Poms to international buyers as the LA Screenings gets underway. Twisted Metal, based on the classic PlayStation game and starring Anthony Mackie (The Falcon & The Winter Soldier) and Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine Ni…

EXCLUSIVE: Distributor Pink Parrot Media has taken worldwide sales on a pair of 3D animated comedies. The Canadian/Spanish sales company is shopping Norbert and The Bottanix at Cannes this week. Written and directed by José Corral, Norbert spotlights an incompetent spy from a sad, bureaucratic…

Mediawan has been shaking the foundations of the film and TV world in France and Europe since it was launched in 2015 by producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, billionaire entrepreneur Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse. Raising an initial $342 million (300 million euros) by listing shares on the…

The last time a writers strike impacted the LA Screenings in 2008, the world was in recession and studios pared back their spend on glitzy marketing and all-singing, all-dancing parties and soirees. We are not quite at that stage, but, in 2023, these conditions have an air of familiarity. Studios…

Paramount Global’s Lawrence Szabo is joining BBC Studios. Szabo has been named Executive VP of U.S. Content Distribution, effective immediately, based out of LA. He’ll lead a licensing team for scripted and factual programming, looking at co-production and content acquisition deals, and will have a…

EXCLUSIVE: Fremantle has acquired global distribution rights to the upcoming Brigitte Bardot documentary. TF1’s Bardot from Alain Berliner (Ma Vie en Rose), which will air later this year on the French network, is a 90-minute feature from Featuristic Films and Timpelpictures that aims to unearth the…

Comcast-owned Sky has extended its multi-year content agreement with Sony Pictures Television on the eve of the LA Screenings. The agreement gives Sky UK and Ireland rights to new Sony Pictures Entertainment titles such Spider-Man; Across the Spider-Verse, Gran Truism and Equalizer 3. The next…