News

Reshet 13, one of Israel’s leading broadcasters, has signed a pact with Deepdub, an AI-based dubbing platform, to deliver news items in different languages, starting with Spanish and English.

The partnership will allow Reshet 13 to expand the network’s audience reach and impact globally. The content will be uploaded on Reshet’s newly-created YouTube Fast channel.

“Reshet’s groundbreaking collaboration with Deepdub Go Platform marks a significant milestone,” said Deepdub CEO Ofir Krakowski. The executive said it “enables Reshet to rapidly deliver its news content globally, ensuring it resonates deeply and authentically far beyond what auto-generated subtitles can offer.” Ultimately, it will also make Reshet 13’s news content “accessible to a worldwide audience like never before,” Krakowski added.

Reshet CEO Emiliano Calemzuk said the “amazing new technology expands our potential worldwide news audience and, for the very first time, enables us to create an engaging, immersive viewer experience that...

Second Marriage

Korea’s Cj Enm has given a second season commission to “Couple Palace,” its hit couple matching survival show. The show stars fifty men and fifty women from various backgrounds who unveil their detailed social status to search for ideal partners based on elements such as ideal marriage values, physical appearance, economic status, and lifestyle. It premiered on Cj Enm’s affiliate music channel Mnet in January 2024.

It was developed by star producers Lee Sun-young and Jeong Min-seok, known for their distinctive global achievements of “I Can See Your Voice” and “Love Catcher.”

“The sequel commission of ‘Couple Palace’ clearly demonstrates the fact that the show’s candid, yet profound portrayal of relationship dynamics associated with marriage has resonated with audiences from different circumstances and environments. We sincerely believe the show can further entice global fans’ interests once it is localized in multiple regions” said Sebastian Kim, director...

Former Fox Television Studios and Shine Americas boss Emiliano Calemzuk is to take charge of Israeli network Reshet 13.

Access Entertainment and Wbd-invested Reshet’s board revealed the news today and Calemzuk takes charge of a channel home to the likes of Big Brother, Got Talent and local drama Red Skies. He replaces Yoram Altman, who left several months ago.

Born in Argentina before moving to the U.S., Calemzuk is a former President of Fox Television Studios and CEO of Shine Group Americas. His production credits during these two roles included The Office, Ugly Betty, The Shield and The Amereicans. He led Fox into a turn-around that boosted its revenue to $400 million and into profitability, according to Reshet. On the networks side, Calemzuk served as President of Fox International Channels Europe in Rome during the launch of Sky Italia in 2002, where he also managed all the multi-channel operations in Spain,...

Noah Yorke, son of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, is back with a tender ballad called “Cerebral Key,” which previews his upcoming EP of the same name. Stream it below.

On the track, the younger Yorke shows off delicate vocals over a sparse piano and sax instrumental. “He lost himself inside a dream/ Nobody was sure what it was supposed to be,” he sings, echoing his father’s famous falsetto. “It’s clear as day/ Just need some time and I’m not afraid.”

Over on Instagram, Yorke excitedly shared that the EP marked his “first time in a studio for my own work.” He continued by saying, “it was a great experience, and i am proud of the results. it has been a reflective and formative process to write and record this project for you, and i hope you enjoy it.” See the full post below.

Since assisting his dad...

Updated: Ron Leshem, creator of the original Israeli “Euphoria” and an exec producer on its U.S. version, has been added to Iberseries & Platino Industria’s conference strand – signalling a larger paradigm pivot at one of the biggest film-tv events in the Spanish-speaking world as it expands to encompass an ever more globalized international TV scene.

Fresh off a huge hit on Israel’s Reshet 13 for Series Mania buzz title “Red Skies,” at Iberseries, Leshem, who co-created “Valley of Tears” and “No Man’s Land,” joins some of the most influential voices on the Spanish-speaking film-tv and beyond such as former Netflix exec Erik Barmack at Wild Sheep Content, Ran Tellem at The Mediapro Studio and Axel Kuschevatzky at Infinity Hill. Wild Sheep has a production alliance with Tms.

At Netflix, Barmack oversaw Netflix’s first-ever push into fully foreign-language content beginning with Mexico’s “Club of Crows” and Brazil’s...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Billie Eilish leans into the existentialism of the Barbie movie for its soundtrack, Karol G enters her “bichota season” in her new electrifying track, and Gucci Mane enlists Lil Baby to set the next generation straight. Plus, new music from Troye Sivan, Pink Pantheress, Rita Ora, and more.

Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For?” (YouTube)

Karol G, “S91” (YouTube)

Gucci Mane feat Lil Baby, “Bluffin” (YouTube)

Pink Pantheress,...

Exclusive: Red Skies, the Israeli drama that counts Euphoria and Shtisel execs behind it, has landed a renewal a month before the first season has launched.

Reshet 13 has made the bold move for an eight-part Season 2, with the first set to debut in mid-June. The series, which has backing from Len Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment, has been building momentum over recent months and had its world premiere in International Competition at Series Mania in March.

Red Skies is based on a best-selling novel from former Israeli Intelligence Officer Daniel Shinar and is set during the bloody Second Intifada period of 2000-2005, exploring events such as Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield in 2002. It follows the Israel-Palestine conflict through the eyes of two friends who are forced to choose sides and stars Maor Schweitzer (Valley of Tears), Amir Khoury (Fauda), Annie Shapero, Lihi Kornowski (Losing Alice), Alona Sa’ar, and Yaakov Zada Daniel...

Exclusive: Zero Gravity Management on Wednesday announced their expansion with the hiring of Karli Doumanis and Kendall Kramer as Talent Managers, and Houston Bradley and Ryan Lewis as Producers.

Prior to joining Zero Gravity, Doumanis spent three years at Brave Artists Management. Some of her notable talent include Tanzyn Crawford (Tiny Beautiful Things), Tyroe Muhafidin (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Sean Keenan (The Power of the Dog), Shannon Berry (The Wilds), Cooper van Grootel & Marianly Tejada (One Of Us Is Lying) and Asher Yasbincek (Heartbreak High). Clients with shows soon to launch include Sam Song Li (The Brothers Sun), Regan Aliyah and Annie Shapero.

Kramer brings with her clients including Erica Dasher (Jane by Design), Paulina Nguyen (Power Book IV: Force) and Travis Labranch (The Oval), having begun her career at A3 Artists Agency.

Both Bradley and...

Cannes — Burgeoning Israeli film-tv studio Sipur and cable channel Hot, behind the original versions of “In Treatment” and “Euphoria,” are introducing at MipTV “Everybody Loves…,” a new global dating reality format.

The news comes just days after France’s Mediawan Rights has pounced on international distribution of another Sipur format, “Hungry for Love,” and partners Sipur and MGM’s winning five Israeli Emmy Awards for chilling doc series “The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes.”

Tel Aviv-based Sipur has also moved into post on “Bad Boy,” a scripted series from Ron Leshem, creator of the original Israeli “Euphoria” and an exec producer on its U.S version.

All these moves mark further signs of growth at Sipur, driven by CEO Emilio Schenker. Formerly Tadmor Entertainment until its rebranding last July, it is quickly emerging as one of Israel’s fastest-growing film-tv studios, playing off unique international relationships, led by a first-look production-distribution deal with MGM,...

Exclusive: Red Skies star Annie Shapero has signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.

The Australian-uk actress’ first major role was in Red Skies, the Israeli drama from the team behind the original Euphoria, and is next up appearing in an FX pilot.

Red Skies debuted last month at Series Mania, where it was in International Competition. Shapero plays Jenny, an American journalist forced to pick a side when an unlikely friendship between an Israeli and a Palestinian is tested when tragedy strikes. Euphoria‘s Ron Leshem and Daniel Amsel co-created the series with Amit Cohen.

The series comes from Yoav Gross Productions alongside U.S. firms Red82 and Nebo Content for Reshet 13, with Shistel’s Alon Zingman is set to direct. Amir Khoury, Maor Schwitzer and Alona Sa’ar are among the other stars.

Shapero is also set to star in the pilot of FX drama The Border, which is...

Peter Chenin’s North Road Company has struck its first international co-production deal – backing Euphoria creator Ron Leshem’s latest drama Bad Boy, which Leshem described as “the next Euphoria.”

North Road will join with Israeli producer Sipur to co-finance the crime drama alongside original Euphoria backers Hot and Tedy Productions. Leshem is creating with Bosch director Hagar Ben-Asher.

Bad Boy tells the story of Dean, who is imprisoned in a cruel juvenile detention facility. While in jail, Dean bonds with Zoro, a grim and mysterious teenage prisoner serving time for murder. He also learns to harness his unique intelligence and creativity and, 20 years later, these traits define Dean as a star comedian, while his time in jail is a secret threatening to resurface and tear his life apart.

Leshem, whose Red Skies drama is in competition at this week’s Series Mania, is co-creating with Ben-Asher alongside Israeli comedian Daniel Chen,...

Lille’s Series Mania Forum is kicking off today with a packed schedule of talks, screenings and competitions.

Fighting it out in International Competition are the likes of Prime Video’s Toni Collette starrer The Power, Haven of Grace from Magnetic Beats director Vincent Maël Cardona, and Quoc Dang Tran’s Apple TV+ series Drops of God.

They compete against Greek series Milky Way, which opened the festival, Viaplay’s futuristic Russell Tovey drama The Fortress, Red Skies from Israel, The Actor from Iran and Fleeting Lies from Spain. Each will have its world premiere at the event.

The Power is a fantasy series set in a world where the physical balance of power between men and women switches when electric arcs emerge from the fingers of teenage girls all around the world. Debuting later this month, it comes from Sister, the UK producer behind Chernobyl and is based on Naomi Alderman’s sci-fi novel.

When Deep Blue, a computer, beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997 some journalists found comfort in the thought that A.I. would never be able to write like Shakespeare.

Well, think again. Or, better, check out the title sequence of Series Mania live action entry “Red Skies.”

Shared with Variety, it is being hailed by the series’ makers, including designer Merav Shaham, as the first ever title sequence made solely with Artificial Intelligence.

What’s so impressive – and perhaps even preoccupying for those who fear A.I. – is that the sequence is, more than technically brilliant or absolutely incoherent, highly touching in human terms and unexpectedly and sometime mysteriously poetic – the last qualities you might expect from A.I.

This is a major series as well, playing Series Mania main competition, backed in a just-announced deal by Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen’s Access Entertainment, and counting among its creators on Ron Leshem,...

High-flying Access Entertainment, a division of Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries and equity investor in A24 and “His Dark Materials” producer Bad Wolf, is investing in “Red Skies,” one of the biggest titles set to world premiere at this year’s Series Mania, in main International Competition.

Blavatnik and Danny Cohen, Access Entertainment president, will serve as executive producers on “Red Skies,” a position they also hold one upcoming movies such as Beau is Afraid, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jonathan Glazer’s “Zone of Interest,” “Iron Claw,” starring Zac Efron, and “Conclave,” from Edward Berger, director of “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

An eight-episode series, “Red Skies” will be broadcast on Reshet 13 later this year.

“Red Skies” marks Access Entertainment’s first foray into Israeli television drama production. It makes its bow on a series which involves a bevy of the prime movers on Israel’s international TV scene.

Produced by Yoav Gross,...

Event closes with Anna Winger’s Netflix series Transatlantic.

Series Mania will kick off its 2023 event with Cédric Klapisch’s Amazon French Original series Greek Salad before serving up 32 world premieres, an industry Forum, and closing with Anna Winger’s Netflix series Transatlantic.

The International Competition of the annual television festival and industry event includes Franco-Belgian Arte series Grace of Heaven, Apple TV+, France Televisions and Hulu Japan’s Drops of God, Paramount+’s Spanish Fleeting Lies, Reshet 13’s Israeli series Red Skies, Viaplay’s Norwegian The Fortress and Prime Video’s US series The Power. Among the titles from...

The world premieres of Cédric Klapisch’s Amazon Prime Video show “Greek Salad” and Anna Winger’s Netflix series “Transatlantic” will open and close the 2023 edition of Series Mania.

The event will feature masterclasses with “Succession” star Brian Cox, “Westworld” producer Lisa Joy, who also will preside over the international competition jury, Klapisch and renowned French actors Cécile de France (“Lost Illusions”) and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (“Emily in Paris”).

Series in the international competition this year include Arte’s “Grace of Heaven” (France/Belgium); Apple TV+, France Télévisions, Hulu Japan’s “Drops of God” (France/U.S./Japan); Paramount+’s “Fleeting Lies” (Spain); Mega TV’s “Milky Way” (Greece); Reshet 13’s “Red Skies” (Israel); Filimo, Namava’s “The Actor” (Iran); Viaplay’s “The Fortress” (Norway); and Prime Video’s “The Power” (U.S.)

The international jury, which also includes French actor Emmanuelle Béart, British showrunner-screenwriter Chris Chibnall (“Broadchurch”), French-British singer-songwriter and actor Lou Doillon,...