News

Paris-based pan-European production and distribution company Newen Studios has acquired a majority stake in independent production Felicita.

The French company led by Marie Guillaumond is best known for its series Belle belle belle, Mensonges and Entre ses mains.

It has also recently branched out into cinema with Delphine and Muriel Coulin’s upcoming film À la hauteur, starring Vincent Lindon.

The sibling directors’ previous films 17 Girls and The Stopover debuted in Cannes Critics’ Week and Un Certain Regard and there are expectations could also premiere somewhere on the Croisette next year.

“Our growth and development relies on our ability to attract and bring together the best talent in the business and as such, I’m delighted to welcome Marie Guillaumond to the Newen Studios family,” said Newen Studios president Romain Bessi.

“She is not only a hugely talented producer, but also has a successful track record as the creative...

Hitman dramedy “Knok,” pandemic-thriller “Lt-21,” and dystopian sendup “Rictus” will head off Have A Good One’s (Hago) Mipcom slate, as the Paris-based TV development and sales company has boarded two additional series currently in production.

Produced by Mifa Pictures (Groupe StoryPlus) and N22 Productions for 13ème Rue France, and created by Guillaume Duhesme, Bastien Ughetto and Lucie Moreau, the off-kilter “Knok” follows a hapless single-dad inducted into the underworld and made an unwilling contract-killer after accidentally witnessing a hit. César-winner Sylvie Testud (“Fear and Trembling”) and up-and-comer Johann Cuny lead the cast for a loopy six-part season that won acclaim at the La Rochelle Fiction Festival earlier this year.

Given the spotlight at the Biarritz Unifrance Rendez-vous last month, eco-thriller “Lt-21” tracks a disquieting pandemic plot about an international virus that forces amnesia on those afflicted. Actors Arnaud Valois (“Bpm”) and Léonie Simaga (“The Eddy”) play a pair doctors...

Lupin star Adama Niane has died aged 56.

The death of the French actor, who starred opposite Omar Sy, in the Netflix series Lupin, was announced by director Olivier Abbou on Sunday (29 January).

A cause of death has not been revealed.

Niane is also known for his roles in Abbou’s 2019 horror film Get In, and the 2000 movie Baise-Moi.

Following news of his death, Niane’s Lupin co-star Sy shared a message on Twitter paying tribute.

Sy wrote in French: “I extend my deep condolences to the loved ones of Adama Niane, an immense actor with whom I had the chance and pleasure of performing alongside.”

He continued to call Niane a “man of rare benevolence”, adding “may his soul rest in peace”.

On Sunday (29 January), Abbou shared the news of Niane’s death on Instagram.

“It is with immense sadness that I learned of the passing of Adam Niane, with...

Adama Niane, the French actor from Baise-Moi, Get In and Lupin, has died. He was 56.

Omar Sy, who co-starred with Niane in the Netflix series Lupin, shared a message on Twitter following news of the actor’s death.

“I extend my deep condolences to the loved ones of Adama Niane, an immense actor alongside whom I had the chance and the pleasure of playing,” Sy wrote in French. “A man of rare benevolence… May his soul rest in peace.”

J’adresse mes profondes condoléances aux proches d’Adama Niane, immense acteur au côté duquel j’ai eu la chance et le plaisir de jouer.

Un homme d’une bienveillance rare…Que son âme puisse reposer en paix. pic.twitter.com/aGdhYMf4gG

— Omar Sy (@OmarSy) January 29, 2023

A cause for his death has not been reported at the moment. Get In film director Olivier Abbou also shared news of Niane’s death on social media.

Apple has signed a first-look deal with Ar Content, the production company led by Academy Award-nominated producer and director Alexander Rodnyansky, Variety can reveal.

The deal is for a slate of both Russian-language and multilingual shows for Apple TV Plus, set both inside and outside Russia, and creatively led by both Russian and international writers and directors.

Although the pact is with Rodnyansky’s L.A.-based Ar Content, which he set up three years ago to finance the development of feature films and television, it is his production expertise and experience in Russia that appeals to Apple most.

The deal is similar to those Apple has signed with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment.

Rodnyansky credits the global streaming platforms with having “opened the doors and destroyed the borders,” enabling foreign-language shows to find audiences worldwide.

“This is an amazing time when you have...

Stephen King, also known as the world’s most successful author, has been giving out tons of viewing recommendations to help his fans get through the quarantine. In the past, the writer has stuck to his usual Mo: thriller and horror. Recently, however, he’s expanded his tastes quite a bit, and these are all the movies and shows on Netflix that he’s given the thumbs up to.

For starters, King recommended Spike Lee’s new film Da 5 Bloods almost as soon as it was released. The first picture which the acclaimed director and civil rights activist produced in collaboration with the streamer, it’s quite a departure from his previous work. Although it’s still very much focused on black life and culture, this tale, about a group of war veterans, takes place not in Bed Stuy, but the jungles of Vietnam. King called it “fabulous,” and we agree.

TF1, France’s top commercial network, is joining forces with Netflix for the first time to co-finance “Le Bazar de la Charité,” a high-profile period series inspired by a real-life tragedy and written by Catherine Ramberg (“The Source”) and Karine Spreuzkouski.

Co-produced by Quad Télévision and TF1, the eight-part series unfolds in Paris in November 1897 and revolves around the consequences of a devastating fire which destroyed the building known as the Bazar de la Charité, where a large charity event was taking place. The fire caused more than 130 deaths, mainly high-society women and their entourages.

The series, which is being directed by Alexandre Laurent (“La Mante”), follows the romantic journey of three women, Adrienne De Lenverpre, Alice De Jeansin and her maid, Rose Rivière, who see their destinies turned upside-down from identity theft, forbidden love, betrayal and emancipation.

The cast is headlined by Audrey Fleurot, Julie De Bona (“Le Tueur du Lac...

Faced with the rising competition from global streaming services and the inflation of sports rights, French networks such as TF1, France Televisions and Canal Plus have ramped up their investment in international drama series in a major way to sustain ratings, boost their brands and lure millennials.

Public broadcasting group France Televisions is spending €280 million ($329 million) in fictional programs. TF1, France’s leading commercial network, is investing more than $176.3 million in fiction per year, while Canal Plus is working with a budget of more than $76.4 million a year.

“The competition, notably from Netflix, is stronger than ever and in this context we need very powerful series to thrive,” says Fabrice de la Patelliere, head of original fiction at Canal Plus.

“We’re going to do two more series per year to reach eight to 10 shows, either French series or international co-productions,” says de la Patelliere. Canal Plus started investing in high-profile drama series 15 years ago,...

Looking past the regular popular streaming playlists, audiences can find quality television shows to binge made in countries both across the pond and south of the border. Read on to find the best international television shows to watch this summer.

Breathe

“Breathe,” starring R. Madhavan and Amit Sadh, is an Indian thriller that features a cat-and-mouse story as a police detective tries to solve a string of murders of organ donors. His prime suspect is a father desperately seeking a donor to save his dying son.

How to Watch: Amazon Prime

Cable Girls

This Spanish period drama follows four women working in Madrid’s first and only telephone company in 1929 right before the global financial crash. The show showcases the hardships working women faced during the time period and how they overcame them. The series stars Blanca Suárez, Maggie Civantos, Ángela Cremonte, and Nadia de Santiago.

How to Watch: Netflix...