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To declare a subject a “genius” in a title is a bold opening move. Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius arrives timed for the 250th anniversary of its subject’s birth, positioning itself not just as a biography but as a definitive cultural statement.

This three-part series aims to dismantle the stuffy, tea-and-doilies image of Austen, reassembling her for a contemporary audience as a sharp-witted social critic and a revolutionary force in literature. The program’s ambition is clear: to move beyond the familiar romance plots and investigate the mechanics of a mind that permanently altered the novel form.

It sets out on a comprehensive exploration of her life, her meticulously crafted work, and her creative process. The project undertakes the significant task of explaining why Austen’s contributions from two centuries ago continue to feel immediate and vital in the modern world.

The Documentary’s Framework – A Mixed Media...

Cinephobia Acquires U.S. Rights To ‘Brute 1976’

Exclusive: Cinephobia Releasing has bought U.S. rights to Marcel Walz and Joe Knetter’s Brute 1976 from Canada’s Raven Banner Entertainment. The film, which Walz (That’s a Wrap) directed and Knetter (Twilight of the Dead) wrote, is billed as an homage to 1970s horror classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. Cinephobia plans to debut the film over the summer with a limited theatrical run followed closely by an on-demand and digital release. It takes place in 1976 and follows a woman and her girlfriend whose car breaks down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. At the same time, a group of people in the desert for a photoshoot stumble upon an abandoned town where a family of masked psychopaths reside. ”Brute 1976 is bloody and sexy, with a deranged family...

Sneak Peek test-footage, plus images from director Barry J. Kelly's ultraviolent “Deadpool" animated TV series, that was passed on by FX after 'creative differences' with producers David Glover and Stephen Glover:

FX ordered the 10-episode series May 2017 from animation house Titmouse, for the 'Fxx' comedy channel, with the Glover brothers as executive producers and showrunners.

According to FX: "Due to creative differences, FX, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover and Marvel Television have agreed to part ways on Marvel's 'Deadpool' animated series. FX will no longer be involved with the project. FX and Marvel have an ongoing relationship through our partnership on 'Legion'…”

Click the images to enlarge….

On April 19, 1995, the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history devastated the nation, claiming 168 lives—including 19 children—and injuring hundreds more. The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building shattered families and changed America forever.

Now, 30 years later, National Geographic has unveiled the trailer and key art for its new three-part docuseries, Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America, a raw and unflinching account of that tragic day, told by those who lived through it. The series premieres April 2 at 8/7c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Photo courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

From 72 Films, the Emmy Award-winning team behind the One Day in America franchise, the series is an unprecedented moment-by-moment account of the Oklahoma City bombing, including extraordinary stories of survival, heroic rescue efforts, the nationwide search that followed, and a city’s need for justice and healing after the tragedy.

Apple TV+ is heading back to the war zone to unearth and recover the untold stories of the Vietnam War in “Vietnam: The War That Changed America.”

Over the course of six episodes, “Vietnam: The War Changed America” will feature first-account interviews with Vietnam War veterans as they recall their experiences fighting in the conflict and speaking on the dramatic impact it had in shaping the U.S. as Americans know it today.

“Vietnam: The War That Changed America” is produced for Apple TV+ by the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning team at 72 Films, directed by Rob Coldstream (“John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial”) and produced by Caroline Marsden (“9/11: One Day in America”), with executive producers David Glover (“9/11: One Day in America”) and Mark Raphael (“Crime and Punishment”). The series marks the second collaboration for Apple TV+ and 72 Films, following the launch of “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” last year.

National Geographic is freshening up its programming slate.

The network has ordered four new series including The Real Finding Nemo and Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston.

It is the first slate of programming since it emerged that a large number of Nat Geo titles including Life Below Zero and Wild Tuna were coming to an end.

Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston is a historical exploration about the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and the preserved Roman city it left behind. Hiddleston, who studied Classics at Cambridge University, exec produces alongside his Loki executive producer Kevin R. Wright.

It comes from Plimsoll Productions, which is behind Nat Geo series including A Real Bug’s Life and The Devil’s Climb. Grant Mansfield, Alan Eyres, Helen Flint and Tom Barbor-Might exec produce for Plimsoll and Carolyn Payne exec produces for Nat Geo.

Hiddleston is the latest celebrity to front a Nat Geo series after Chris Hemsworth,...

Fremantle has acquired the global distribution rights for “Mozart: Rise of a Genius,” a three-part docudrama from 72 Films. The show offers an in-depth exploration of the life and legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The series will premiere on Sept. 16 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Variety is debuting an exclusive clip, below.

“The series examines the tragically short yet profoundly impactful 35 years of the musical prodigy who revolutionized the world of music,” according to a statement. “Marked by intrigue, rivalry and scandal, Mozart’s story is told through a masterful blend of interviews, rich dramatic reenactments, and electrifying live orchestral performances. Set against the backdrop of a flourishing European culture, the series charts his journey from a high-society darling to a rebellious outsider.”

The show will be filmed on location across historic sites – including theaters, palaces and Mozart’s homes – in Vienna and Hungary. The series also features performances by the Hungarian Studio Orchestra,...

Exclusive: Apple TV+ has turned to the producers of Emmy-winner 9/11: One Day In America to tell the story of the Vietnam War.

72 Films, the British production company owned by Fremantle, will mix immersive archive footage with first-person testimony for Apple’s six-part docuseries Vietnam: The War That Changed America.

The show has been commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and will bring together soldiers and civilians on all sides who lived through the conflict.

Each episode features reunions and the emotional stories told by those who faced agonizing life-or-death situations and impossible moral decisions.

Vietnam: The War That Changed America is directed by Rob Coldstream, who teamed with 72 Films to helm John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial for Apple last year.

Caroline Marsden (9/11: One Day In America) produces. Executive producers are David Glover (9/11: One Day in America) and Mark Raphael (Crime and Punishment...

The BBC and Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story producer 72 Films are teaming on a feature-length documentary about the state of Georgia’s fight to put Donald Trump behind bars.

Unveiled at Sheffield DocFest, The State of Georgia v. Donald J. Trump has gained access to inner workings around the criminal trial and will explore key evidence. Using a small observational team, the film will follow members of the prosecution and defence as they build their case and witness first-hand how day-to-day trial preparation is now a world of body doubles and safe houses.

Georgia is a hugely important swing state in the upcoming presidential run-off and the battleground was the venue for Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The doc comes just a few weeks after Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes following a case in New York.

72 Films has...

Oscar-nominated actor, producer and author Taraji P. Henson is set to return as the host of this year’s BET Awards. It will air live on June 30 on BET at 8 p.m. Et and will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

“I am thrilled to be returning as the host of the ‘BET Awards’ for the third time. I am also looking forward to celebrating my peers and the impact of our culture on entertainment,” Henson said in a statement.

Usher will be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement BET Award, and set performers include GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey and Victoria Monét.

“Taraji is a phenom, known for her vibrant personality and charisma, and we are excited to welcome her back to host Culture’s Biggest Night, ‘BET Awards,’ the ultimate celebration of Black creativity,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET.

National Geographic and Hulu have announced the premiere of the third installment of the Emmy Award-winning, critically acclaimed franchise One Day in America with the Hulu Original Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown.

The three-part series from Emmy Award-winning 72 Films executive producers David Glover and Mark Raphael, BAFTA Award-winning director Marian Mohamed, and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin will premiere June 17 on Hulu and air on National Geographic on Aug. 14.

Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown tells the story of an idealistic religious organization led by the infamous Jim Jones, who set out to establish a utopian community in Guyana. What began as a peaceful movement seeking social justice ultimately spiraled into a mass casualty that left 918 dead.

Told by survivors and eyewitnesses, along with rare footage and rare recordings of Jones, the powerful series takes an immersive look into the final harrowing hours leading up to...

Revisit the tragic and infamous Jonestown massacre in the new trailer for an upcoming docuseries that examines the final hours of Jim Jones’ cult in Guyana.

Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown — the latest installment in Nat Geo and Hulu’s One Day in America franchise — features rare archival footage as well as interviews from witnesses and survivors to explore the downfall of the utopian community turned militarized cult and the group’s final descent to murder and mass suicide that left 918 dead in November 1978.

“There’s not a day...

Peacock has released the trailer for Season 2 of “Dr. Death,” starring Edgar Ramírez and Mandy Moore. The series is based on a true story told by the popular Wondery podcast of the same name.

Per the series’ description, Season 2 of “Dr. Death” centers on “’Miracle Man’ Paolo Macchiarini, a charming surgeon renowned for his innovative operations. When investigative journalist Benita Alexander approaches him for a story, the line between personal and professional begins to blur, changing her life forever.”

The description continues, “As she learns how far Paolo will go to protect his secrets, a group of doctors halfway across the world make shocking discoveries of their own that call everything about Paolo into question.”

In addition to Ramírez and Moore, the rest of the cast includes Luke Kirby, Ashley Madekwe and Gustaf Hammarsten.

Ashley Michel Hoban serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer. Patrick Macmanus also serves as executive...

The elusive motives behind Mark David Chapman fatally shooting John Lennon are now finally being explained in a boundary-breaking Apple TV+ docuseries.

“John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” interrogates why Chapman, a photographer from Hawaii, set out to murder Beatle Lennon. Interviews with Chapman’s defense lawyer David Suggs and Dr Naomi Goldstein, the psychiatrist who first assessed Chapman, give new insights into his state of mind at the time of the 1980 killing. A witness to Lennon’s murder, taxi driver Richard Peterson, and Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota who heard Lennon’s last words before he was shot outside of the infamous building, also speculate what compelled Chapman to kill.

Lennon and wife Yoko Ono’s shared confidante Elliot Mintz is further interviewed as the docuseries questions whether Chapman had religious motives or was part of a larger conspiracy to kill celebrities.

Per the series tagline, “Murder Without a Trial...

On November 28th, Apple TV+ released the official trailer for the new three-part documentary series, John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial, narrated by Emmy Award winner Kiefer Sutherland and set to premiere globally on December 6. The docuseries features exclusive eyewitness interviews and previously unseen crime scene photos, shedding new light on the life and murder of music and cultural icon John Lennon, and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman, his confessed killer.

John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial is a deeply researched examination of John Lennon’s 1980 murder, which shocked and saddened the world. The production was granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney’s office; and the series includes exclusive interviews including Richard Peterson, a taxi driver who was witness to the shooting; Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota who heard...

Apple TV+ has released the official trailer for the new three-part documentary series, ‘John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial,’ narrated by Emmy Award winner Kiefer Sutherland.

Set to premiere globally on December 6. The docuseries features exclusive eyewitness interviews and previously unseen crime scene photos, shedding new light on the life and murder of music and cultural icon John Lennon, and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman, his confessed killer.

The docu-series is a deeply researched examination of John Lennon’s 1980 murder, which shocked and saddened the world. The production was granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney’s office; and the series includes exclusive interviews including Richard Peterson, a taxi driver who was witness to the shooting; Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota who heard Lennon’s last words; David Suggs, Mark...

Apple TV+ has announced a new three-part docuseries, John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, about the murder of John Lennon. The series will be narrated by Kiefer Sutherland and directed by Nick Holt and Rob Coldstream.

The docuseries will look at Lennon’s cultural influence and his music, before offering a comprehensive deep dive into the former Beatle’s 1980 murder. It will examine the subsequent murder investigation and the eventual conviction of his confessed killer Mark David Chapman. According to Apple, filmmakers were granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests...

Kiefer Sutherland has been tapped to narrate a three-part docuseries for Apple TV+ about the tragic death of John Lennon, the legendary singer-songwriter shot and killed in 1980 by confessed killer Mark David Chapman at the entrance to the building where he lived in New York City.

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial will look at the investigation and conviction of Chapman, who stalked the famed Beatles band member before gunning him down, and promises exclusive eyewitness interviews and previously unseen crime scene photos.

Sutherland is best known for his TV credits like the long-running 24 and Designated Survivor series but also has film credits ranging from Stand by Me and The Lost Boys to A Few Good Men and A Time to Kill. He most recently starred in the series Rabbit Hole for Paramount+.

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial will also present new materials following Freedom of Information Act requests...

A three-part docuseries about the murder of John Lennon, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, is coming to Apple TV+.

Titled “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial,” the docuseries features “exclusive eyewitness interviews and previously unseen crime scene photos, shedding new light on the life and murder of music and cultural icon John Lennon and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman, his confessed killer,” according to a press release.

“Murder Without a Trial” is being touted as the “most thoroughly researched examination” of Lennon’s 1980 murder, as it was granted extensive access to the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney’s Office through Freedom of Information Act requests. In addition to exclusive interviews with those closest to Lennon at the time of his murder, the series also takes a close look at the motivations of his killer through conversations with Chapman’s defense lawyers,...

Kiefer Sutherland will narrate an Apple TV+ doc series about John Lennon’s murder.

Murder Without a Trial from Jimmy Savile: A British Horrror Story producer 72 Films will feature exclusive eyewitness interviews for the first time along with previously unseen crime scene photos, shedding new light on the life and murder of the Beatles icon and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman, his confessed killer.

Producers obtained Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney’s office, and the series reveals “shocking details of Lennon’s tragic murder,” according to Apple.

The streamer has gone big with high-end docs of late, greenlighting shows on Boris Becker, Stephen Curry and supermodels.

Murder Without a Trial is directed by Nick Holt (The Murder Trial) and Rob Coldstream (Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain) with executive producers David Glover...

Peacock has announced the cast for Season 2 of the reality competition series “The Traitors.” Like Season 1, the show features reality stars from a variety of other series like “The Bachelor” and “The Real Housewives.” Unlike Season 1, the second season cast will be all reality stars, without any non-celebrities in the competition.

Familiar facing joining Season 2 include Maksim Chmerkovskiy of “Dancing With the Stars,” Phaedra Parks of “Married to Medicine” and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” two-time “Survivor” winner Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tamra Judge of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and Bachelor Nation alum Peter Weber.

Unfolding in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, host Alan Cumming guides the contestants through a series of challenges with the aim of winning $250,000. However, the contestants deemed “the Traitors” will come up with a plan to steal the prize from the contestants deemed “the Faithful.”

Rounding out the rest of the 21-person cast...

Netflix is getting in on Oppenheimer fever by ordering a doc about Albert Einstein’s complex relationship with Hitler, Germany and the devastating aftermath of the atomic bomb in Japan.

Einstein and the Bomb will mix Archie with dramatization and explore key moments in science genius Einstein’s let, and how his work change history’s course. Everything he says in the film is taken from words he said or wrote.

BBC Studios is producing, with James Van Der Pool and Andrew Cohen the EPs and Anthony Philipson the director.

Also new is the John Boyega-narrated World War II: From the Frontlines is billed as a “moving and innovative six-part documentary series” that uses restored, “spectacular and rare WW2 footage, much of it shot by the soldiers themselves,” to create an immersive cinematic experience.

The 72 Films series will launch later this year. 72 bosses David Glover and Mark Raphael are...

Exclusive: Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald is among the marquee names set to participate in Sheffield DocFest’s Industry Program, according to an announcement Wednesday from the UK’s leading documentary festival.

Macdonald, director of the scripted/narrative features The Last King of Scotland and The Mauritanian, and the documentaries Whitney, Marley, and Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang among other films, will serve as a mentor for the DocFest’s Filmmaker Challenge. Under the innovative program, “six early-career UK filmmakers will make a short documentary in and around Sheffield during the festival… on the fly, with a micro budget and equipment support… All filming is to be undertaken in a single day and the final work will be screened for industry and invited guests on the last day of Sheffield DocFest.”

Cutler’s Hall, one of the venues for the Sheffield DocFest Industry Program

The Filmmaker Challenge — supported by Prime,...

Made-for-tv movies have developed from their Hallmark stereotype in recent years, thanks to the rise of companies such as HBO. Although these films feature lower budgets and smaller casts than larger productions, they offer directors and actors greater freedom – leading them toward more successful results.

Related: Top 10 Best TV Series of All Time, Ranked by Viewers

Despite this shift away from melodrama for sensationalism’s sake, made-for-tv movies remain a viable alternative to seeing stories on screen without spending too much cash or time in cinemas.

10 Highest-Ranked TV Movies on IMDb Duel (1971) – 7.6 You Don’t Know Jack (2010) – 7.6 Battlestar Galactica: Razor (2007) – 7.6 Conspiracy (2001) – 7.6 61* (2001) – 7.7 A Christmas Carol (1984) – 7.8 The Normal Heart (2014) – 7.9 Prayers for Bobby (2009) – 8.0 Threads (1984) – 8.0 Temple Grandin (2010) – 8.2 10 ‘Duel’ (1971)

Genre: Action, Thriller

Director: Steven Spielberg

Stars: Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell

IMDb: 7.6/10 74K | Popularity: 1,865 | Metascore: 81 | Awards: 3 (1 Primetime Emmy Award)

“Duel,” a 1971 suspense thriller from the mind of acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, follows...

Sharon Acker, a Canadian film, television and theater actor best known for her roles in “Point Blank,” “The New Perry Mason” and “Happy Birthday to Me,” has died. She was 87.

Acker’s death was confirmed by her cousin, David Glover, in a tribute to his family member on Facebook: “My wife Judy and I were very close with Sharon and we spoke regularly even after she moved back to Toronto to be close to with daughters and family. I can never forget Sharon’s million dollar smile. She made everyone she came in contact with feel so much better.”

According to reports, Acker died March 16 at her retirement home in Toronto.

Across an acting career spanning four decades, Acker found one of her most enduring roles in the 1967 neo-noir “Point Blank,” helmed by John Boorman. Acker played the wife to Lee Marvin’s lead, who betrays her conman husband after a robbery on Alcatraz.

Exclusive: Banijay Rights has acquired global distribution rights to 72 Films’ four-part doc series on former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Channel 4 series, Boris (working title), chronicles the rise and fall of Johnson, who is one of the most divisive and perplexing characters in modern politics.

Boris is billed as “the definitive documentary series that reveals the events that shaped Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson, his meteoric rise to power and his extraordinary premiership.”

Johnson, a Conservative and former London Mayor, became the UK’s Prime Minister in 2019. He won a huge majority in a snap election that year and took the UK out of the European Union a year later. However, he was deposed last year after several scandals, many of which related him breaking the Covid-19 rules his own party put in place.

Grabbing the rights to Boris is something of a coup for Banijay, as rival...

There was a time when Fremantle was shorthand for the American Idol company. ABC’s iconic entertainment brand was undoubtedly a coveted calling card, but it also served to constrain perceptions of a company that harbored a grander vision.

Peter Bose, the preeminent Danish drama producer behind shows including Wallander, knows this better than most. He recalls a conversation he had with CAA in 2013 after telling his agent he wanted to sell his company, Miso Films, to Fremantle.

“Fremantle? Who is Fremantle within scripted?” came the reply. “We couldn’t actually argue, you know,” Bose remembers. A decade on, the acquisition of Miso was a brick in the foundations of Fremantle delivering more than 100 dramas last year.

Fremantle is now firmly established in the scripted game. It was the company that transformed Sir Kenneth Branagh into Boris Johnson for This England. Its Nordic noir hit Face to Face, made by Miso,...

National Geographic has greenlit the 10-part natural history series “Underdogs.”

Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, the series will spotlight the unique and unpredictable behaviors of a cast of little-known animal characters in the natural world, including their camouflage techniques, parenting skills and courtship rituals.

“I love nature series and I love making things my kids can actually watch,” Reynolds said in a statement. “We’re already having a lot of fun trying to bring a new voice to animal docs. Wildstar has the expertise, experience and cutting-edge film tech to help us chew up that healthy National Geographic budget. We’ll deliver a show that is entertaining, surprising and will do justice to animals usually stuck as supporting cast.”

From National Geographic Content, “Underdogs” will be produced by Wildstar Films and Reynold’s Maximum Effort. Executive producers include Reynolds and George Dewey for Maximum Effort, along with Vanessa Berlowitz, Mark Linfield and Dan Rees for Wildstar.

72 Films has produced documentary series ‘Arsenal: All Or Nothing’ and ‘9/11: One Day In America’

Global production and distribution firm Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in UK-based TV production company 72 Films.

72 Films’ credits include Prime Video’s Arsenal: All Or Nothing, the Emmy award-winning 9/11: One Day In America and Netflix’s Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.

Most recently, 72 Films produced the BBC series The Elon Musk Show, about the rise of the billionaire entrepreneur, which was distributed globally by Fremantle.

In a statement, 72 Films founders David Glover and Mark Raphael said they will retain “complete creative...

Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in David Glover and Mark Raphael’s factual powerhouse 72 Films, the producers behind “9/11: One Day in America,” “The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty” and “All or Nothing: Arsenal.”

The deal is the latest in a string of acquisitions for the Bertelsmann and Rtl Group-owned Fremantle, which has been expanding aggressively in scripted in the last year. The acquisition of 72 Films is a major coup in the non-scripted arena for the company considering the production company’s excellent track record of documentary hits.

Under the deal, Fremantle says it will provide 72 Films with its “global infrastructure, distribution, and specialist support” across the 27 territories in which it operates. The deal “reaffirms Fremantle’s commitment and ambition to grow its global documentaries proposition working with the very best filmmaking talent,” said the company, which has been pushing into premium documentary in recent years.

The deal was spearheaded by Fremantle U.

Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in David Glover and Mark Raphael’s 72 Films.

72 is behind factual shows such as the BBC’s doc series The Elon Musk Show, Prime Video’s All or Nothing: Arsenal and Nat Geo’s 9/11: One Day in America. The six-year-old company is considered one of the UK’s most respected unscripted producers.

Financial terms of the deal, which was spearheaded by Fremantle UK CEO Simon Andreae, weren’t disclosed.

BBC Studios previously had a minority stake in 72, but the indie’s founders David Glover and Mark Raphael bought that back last year.

Fremantle has pushing into the global documentary space and the super-indie said today’s deal is part of a strategic plan to invest in and develop key creatively led production companies.

72’s recent productions include The Elon Musk Show, which provides an intimate story uncovering how the new Twitter owner became...

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Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in David Glover and Mark Raphael’s 72 Films, the TV production company behind sports documentary series All or Nothing: Arsenal and the Emmy-winning historical documentary 9/11: One Day in America.

Fremantle, part of media giant Bertelsmann’s Rtl Group, didn’t disclose financial details.

“The acquisition of 72 Films further underlines Fremantle’s strategic plan to invest in and help develop premium production companies with the world’s most exceptional creative talent,” the firm said. “72 Films and Fremantle share a passion for iconic, imaginative storytelling and under the deal, Fremantle will provide its global infrastructure, distribution and specialist support across the 27 territories in which it operates around the world. The deal further reaffirms Fremantle’s commitment and ambition to grow its global documentaries proposition, working with the very best filmmaking talent.”

The deal was spearheaded by Fremantle’s U.

ITV today announced the first slate of factual commissions set to debut on Itvx, its soon-to-launch streamer. The list includes a new behind-the-scenes documentary series about the British royal family.

Pieced together with rare archive footage and new interviews with key figures – some of whom have never previously spoken on camera — the doc, currently titled The Royal Family, will set out to provide a rare insight into the Queen’s personal experience of navigating the events that shaped her family’s fortunes and the history of the United Kingdom over the decades of her reign.

The doc is a 72 Films production, produced in association with All3Media International, for Itvx. Ella Wright and Kate Quine are Series Producer/Directors and David Glover is Executive Producer. The series will unravel across five-hour-long episodes.

Itvx will also host a new investigative series from former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore who confirmed earlier this...

Exclusive: The BBC has greenlighted a landmark documentary series on Elon Musk from Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story producer 72 Films, Deadline can reveal.

Airing later this year, BBC Two’s The Elon Musk Show (working title) comes with the world’s richest man in the headlines like never before as he pushes through his 44B mega-deal to buy Twitter. Deadline understands the producers have updated the three-part doc series in order to accommodate for the Twitter acquisition, the big news of the past few weeks.

72 Films, which has nursed a reputation over the years for producing top-quality archive docs including the BBC’s Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty, A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad and The Trump Show, has interviewed family members, close friends and business associates of the Tesla tycoon, who tell the intimate story of his journey to becoming the globe’s wealthiest person and one of its most controversial.

Russell T. Davies’ Channel 4 series “It’s a Sin” led the field at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and the British Academy Television Craft Awards with 11 nominations, while Will Sharpe’s Sky show “Landscapers” followed with seven. Both shows stream in the U.S. on HBO Max.

Nominations for “It’s A Sin” include for Director: Fiction, Editing Fiction, Make-up & Hair Design, Scripted Casting, Writer Drama, Leading Actor, Leading Actress, Mini-Series and Supporting Actor, while “Landscapers” scored in the Director: Fiction, Editing Fiction, Original Music, Photography & Lighting Fiction, Production Design, Leading Actor and Mini-Series categories.

The international category nominees feature a roster of global heavy hitters including “Call My Agent!,” “Lupin,” “Succession,” “Squid Game,” “Mare of Easttown” and “The Underground Railroad.”

The British Academy Television Craft Awards will take place on Apr. 24 and the Television Awards on May 8.

British Academy Television Awards Nominees

Comedy Entertainment Program

“The Graham Norton Show” – Graham Norton,...

The world of James Bond is hitting the streaming world a lot sooner than you’d think.

Amazon’s Prime Video has greenlit its first TV show based on the iconic British spy with “007’s Road to a Million,” a Bond-style spin on a race around the world.

The eight-part series will be produced by Britain’s 72 Films and Bond guardians and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, along with MGM Television.

Sources tell Variety that the project has been in the works at Prime Video for around four years, long before the MGM deal was finalized, and it sits separately to any shows that are yet to come out of the pact. The e-commerce giant closed its $8.5 billion deal for MGM last week, with the James Bond franchise believed to be a powerful driving force behind the acquisition.

Production on “007’s Road to a Million” will begin later this year,...

There’s always somebody new in the rat race trenches whose motto is ‘how to make friends and deceive people.’ Howard Duff’s photographer uses his camera to extort money from criminals while polishing his image as a grabber of Pulitzer-worthy news photos. But how long can he maintain his charade with mobsters Brian Donlevy and Lawrence Tierney, and how soon will his kissing partners Peggy Dow and Anne Vernon see through his lies? This efficient noir was the first feature directing job from the prolific Joe Pevney.

Shakedown

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1950 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 80 min. / Street Date March 29, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Howard Duff, Brian Donlevy, Peggy Dow, Lawrence Tierney, Bruce Bennett, Anne Vernon, Peter Virgo, Charles Sherlock, Rock Hudson, Roy Engel, Gregg Martell, Joseph Pevney.

Cinematography: Irving Glassberg

Art Director: Robert Clatworthy, Bernard Herzbrun

Film Editor: Milton Carruth

Music director: Joseph Gershenson

Screenplay by Alfred Lewis Levitt,...

We loved James Bond but diehard ’60s spy fans hold a special admiration for Len Deighton’s ‘thinking man’s secret agent’ Harry Palmer. Viavision pulls off a slick trick by assembling the three top Michael Caine Harry Palmer pictures, each from a different studio, in a single deluxe gift box. Harry fights the Brain Drain, encounters criss-crossing conspiracies at the Berlin Wall, and witnesses a privatized invasion of the U.S.S.R., in The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, three great pictures by three very different directors. The presentations come with a glut of special edition extras.

The Harry Palmer Collection

All-Region Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 75, 76, 77

1965-67 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date October 20, 2021 / Available from Amazon / 109.99

Starring: Michael Caine

From the novels by Len Deighton

Produced by Harry Saltzman

Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Guy Hamilton, Ken Russell

It didn’t seem possible that there...

Twenty years after the tragic events of 9/11, it’s hard to imagine anyone doesn’t have the images of the Twin Towers, whether on fire or collapsing, permanently etched in their brains.

But there were other events of the day — from the crash at the Pentagon, to the hole United Airlines Flight 93 created in a field in Somerset County, Penn., to individual stories of escape and survival and bravery — that may have receded to the backs of memories. And for Gen Z, those stories are just stories — not memories at all.

The filmmakers behind “9/11: One Day in America,” a new six-part docuseries that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival but is launching just ahead of the milestone anniversary (on Aug. 29) on National Geographic, knew they therefore had to be “unflinching but respectful,” as producer Caroline Marsden puts it, in the archival footage they selected to include, as well as the...

Someone’s racist past has finally caught up to him.

It was reported by the LA Times that the new owners of Hollywood & Highland, Djm and Gaw Capital Partners, are dismantling a pair of white elephants at the center in a move to cleanse itself from the racist legacy of D.W. Griffith.

The elephants, which are an homage to a set from Griffith’s 1916 film Intolerance, are being removed as part of a larger set of redesigns by the company to better cater a newer, younger audience. Architect and head of redesign David Glover of Gensler said the center needs to “pivot and transform away from being a hub of transaction to a hub of culture.”

Griffith, son of a Confederate army colonel, was a film director most well-known for 1915’s Birth of a Nation and Intolerance, the former valorizing the pursuits of the Ku Klux Klan with the latter...

HBO announced that “Tig Notaro: Drawn” will premiere on July 24 at 10 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.

The hourlong animated comedy special blends Notaro’s signature voice and storytelling with an array of captivating artistic styles as she recounts a hospital bed proposal, a high school talent show gone awry, the repercussions of a dental procedure, unintentionally blowing off fellow comedian Jenny Slate and a road trip with Dolly Parton.

The special is directed by Greg Franklin; executive produced by Notaro, Thomas Ouellette, Hunter Seidman, Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Kleeman, Greg Franklin and Brendan Burch; and produced by Rachel Abarbanell.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

Dates

National Geographic announced that the six-part limited series “9/11: One Day in America” will premiere on August 29 at 9 p.m. The seven-hour docuseries premiered its feature-length first episode, “First Response,” on June 11 as an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. After airing on National Geographic,...

The Tribeca Festival is bringing back in-person events for its 2021 lineup, and that includes programming typically seen at home. The Tribeca TV lineup will feature nine shows total, consisting of eight series premieres and a season premiere, as well as panel appearances by featured guests Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Joshua Jackson, Helen Hunt, and more.

Oh, and to kick things off, Kiss will be performing. Yes, Kiss the band. At a film and television festival. Just go with it.

“When we launched Tribeca TV five years ago, we created space within the film festival to recognize the incredible, boundary-pushing work being done by filmmakers in the episodic format as official festival selections,” Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and VP of Programming, said in a statement. “In a year defined by at-home entertainment, we are proud to continue that tradition with an exciting Tribeca TV lineup of new series from today’s...

World premieres from Disney+, AMC, Startz, Peacock, A&e, OWN, FX and National Geographic are among the highlights of the 2021 Tribeca Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration, announced today.

The events will take place in New York City June 9-20 and claim to be the first major film festival to host in-person events since the worldwide pandemic began.

The Tribeca Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The festival focus is on new and returning TV series, new indie episodic storytelling, and an industry-facing Creators Market. The Tribeca TV lineup will include nine shows made up of six series premieres, one season premiere, two docuseries, and speaking appearances by Tina Fey, Christian Slater, Joshua Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Helen Hunt.

The Tribeca Festival will also feature a performance by rock icons Kiss.

As part of the 50th-anniversary celebration for his album Tumbleweed Connection, Elton John has released a previously unheard jazz version of “Come Down in Time.”

Recorded on March 20th, 1970, at Trident Studios in London, “Come Down in Time (Jazz Version)” more than doubles the length of the final version of the song, which was re-recorded three months later with different musicians for Tumbleweed Connection. The original jazz-influenced instrumental features piano and guitar interplay between John and Caleb Quaye, supported by David Glover on bass and Roger Pope on drums. At one point,...

It’s finally back on Blu in Region 1, the ‘sixties spy movie beloved by enthusiasts that yearned for something a bit more substantial & nutritious than James Bond. This first Harry Palmer adventure seems even more perfect than when it was thanks to a great espionage recipe and quality ingredients. Michael Caine is sensational as the anti-007, the feel of London streets is intoxicating, and John Barry’s music score is beyond praise. Are Sidney Furie’s directorial mannerisms too show-offy, too fussy? I only raise the question to defend him.

The Ipcress File

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 109 min. / Street Date October 27, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, Gordon Jackson, Aubrey Richards, Frank Gatliff, Thomas Baptiste, Oliver MacGreevy, Freda Bamford, David Glover, Mike Murray, Anthony Baird.

Cinematography: Otto Heller

Film Editor: Peter Hunt

Production Designer: Ken Adam

Original Music: John Barry

Written by W.H. Canaway,...

Twenty women working at the mid-career level have been selected as mentees.

Women in Film and TV (UK) is launching its 10th mentoring scheme for film and TV workers, led by mentors including Apple’s Jay Hunt and Netflix’s Sam Doyle.

The scheme is run in association with ScreenSkills and supported by Avid, the BBC, Channel4, Eon Productions, Lionsgate, Panalux; Panavision, Twickenham Studios and UKTV.

Twenty women working at the mid-career level have been selected as mentees (full list below). They are working across directing, producing, script editing and development.

Wftv’s mentoring producer Tracy Forsyth, who is also...

The BBC has ordered “A Tabloid Empire,” a three-part documentary series on Rupert Murdoch’s influence over the British press.

The series will air on BBC Two in the U.K. and examine in detail Britain’s popular press between 1997 and 2012, a period that covers phone hacking and corruption but that also saw Murdoch’s and other papers wielding great influence over politics and society in general.

“House of Assad” producer 72 Films will make the series, which will use archives from the period as well as interviews with key figures from the time. The BBC promised that the series will document “the colorful characters and unrivaled power of those at the top, forensically deconstructing some of the most iconic and infamous moments of modern times.”

Despite closing down the weekly News of the World as a result of the phone-hacking scandal, Murdoch still owns The Times and The Sun in Britain.

The BBC is to examine Rupert Murdoch’s influence over the British press in a major three-part documentary series.

The British public broadcaster has commissioned A Tabloid Empire (w/t) from Trump: An American Dream producer 72 Films.

The three-part series, which will air on BBC Two, will explore the extraordinary reach of the Murdoch empire across the British press. Covering the period from 1997 to 2012, the series examines how the press went from exerting astonishing influence over British politics and public to being mired in scandal from phone hacking to corruption, culminating in the revelations of the Leveson Enquiry.

The series will use archive and exclusive interviews with those at the center of the story, highlighting the colourful characters and unrivalled power of those at the top.

Executive produced by Cate Hall and David Glover, it was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning,...

With relations between North Korea and the West in the spotlight, National Geographic is launching a series looking at the ruling Kim family, which has controlled the secretive East Asian state for three generations.

U.K.-based 72 Films is producing the four-part factual series, titled “Inside North Korea’s Dynasty,” which has been a year in the making. Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin, the directors of acclaimed Nat Geo documentary “La 92” on the L.A. riots, were consultants on the series.

The meeting in June between current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump made global headlines. “Inside North Korea’s Dynasty” goes further back to tell the story of Kim’s predecessors: his father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather and the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung. The Kims have ruled the country for more than 70 years. Using secret audio recordings from inside North Korea,...

The BBC is looking to commission more Whitney: Can I Be Me-style feature documentaries as it looks to compete against global digital giants such as Netflix and Amazon.

This comes as the British public broadcaster lines up a feature doc about boyband Bros, which is premiering at next month’s London Film Festival.

Alison Kirkham, Controller of Factual Commissioning at the BBC, urged producers to bring it more large-scale feature docs in a webinar organized by British producers’ association Pact.

“We did Whitney [Can I Be Me] and in fact that’s something we’d like to do more of,” she said. “I’d like to be pitched more feature docs, in truth, we’re not pitched enough of them. The bar is really high but they deliver a sense of event.”

Whitney: Can I Be Me, directed by Kurt & Courtney director Nick Broomfield, was produced for BBC Two and Showtime and aired in...