All the latest news from the global content industry on Thursday, 23 January

 

Thursday, 4.03pm: Banijay partners with base for cloud & AI transformation

Banijay Entertainment has has formed a “strategic alliance” with base to create a, “next-generation, cloud-first content ecosystem”. 

It has also selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider, and the trio hope to improve the production giant’s “collaborative creativity, operational efficiency, and monetisation efforts” through a unified platform for its production companies. This will aim to take advantage of cloud and AI technologies.

This project will run through three steps, cloud migration, content hub creation and media workflow transformation. Banijay and AWS are currently migrating the former’s 200,000+ hours of content to the cloud, while base is designing, building and implementing a content hub and acting as the project’s architect. 

 

Thursday, 3.45pm: NPO3 extends daily dating show

NPO3 in the Netherlands has extended Love on the Road into a second season, following the show’s debut in November.

The 30 x 50-minute daily dating show is produced by Tuvalu and follows seven people travelling across Europe in their vans who meet new singles. The series explores who will stay on the road to love, and who will say goodbye.

 

Thursday, 12.08pm: WBD’s Max appoints Spanish scripted originals chief

Warner Bros. Discovery has appointed Jose Maria Caro to oversee scripted originals for Max in Spain.

Caro will lead the development and production of all of Max’s scripted output in the country.

He replaces Alberto Carullo, who stepped down as Max’s vice president of production for Italy and Iberia last year to join Mediaset Spain. Read more

 

Thursday, 10.27am: Prime Video preps Rise of the Empress 

Prime Video has ordered Rise of the Empress from JuVee Productions (The Woman King), Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions (Godfather of Harlem) and Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians).

The show, based on the book series of the same name, has Crystal Liu (American Horror Story) attached as co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer alongside James Wong (American Horror Story).

Amazon MGM Studios is also producing, with the drama set to premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

 

Thursday, 10.03am: ZDF to sell Ancient Betrayals

Germany’s ZDF Studios has struck a deal to distribute Ancient Betrayals from factual production and distribution company, BIG Media. 

The 6 x 52 minute show uncovers the clandestine world of conspiracies, murder, and acts of treason that shaped some of the most pivotal betrayals in history.

It is being co-produced with ZDFinfo and WildBear Entertainment. Currently in production, the series is being shot in the style of a true crime documentary complemented with archival footage and expert interviews.

 

Thursday, 9.40am: BBCS’s NHU names director of programmes 

BBC Studios has appointed Sreya Biswas to the newly created position of director of programmes for its Natural History Unit.

Biswas will focus on delivering commissioned titles and expanding the development of new programmes for clients around the world. She report into Jonny Keeling, the NHU’s head, and will work closely with creative director Mike Gunton. Read more

 

Thursday, 9.36am: Amazing Maurice’s Cantilever expands

UK production company Cantilever Media, producers of animated features The Amazing Maurice and Bollywoof, is expanding its production team.

Carys Rowan has been promoted to become head of creative, with Darren Chouings taking the role of production manager.

The rejig at Cantilever, which also produces 2D series Badjelly the Witch, follows the company’s launch of its new UK kids and family animated feature distribution company Kazoo Films.

 

Thursday, 9.10am: Beta Film boards Other People’s Money

Germany’s Beta Film has taken global distribution rights to financial crime drama Other People’s Money, which tells the story of how a criminal network of megarich investors, bankers, and lawyers stole €146bn from European taxpayers.

The show is produced by X Filme Creative Pool and True Content Entertainment, in co-production with EPO-Film.

Commissioning broadcasters are ZDF and DR in co-production with European commissioning club New8. The series is co-funded by Fisa+, GMPF, the European Union, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, The Nordvisions Fund and Croatian Audiovisual Center. The drama will premiere in February at Berlinale’s Panorama section.

 

Thursday, 8.49am: HBO returns to White Lotus

HBO has ordered a fourth season of Mike White’s hit drama, The White Lotus.

The show’s renewal comes ahead of the third season premiere on 16 February and again tracks the exploits of guests and employees at a luxury resort, this time in Thailand. 

The first installment, which premiered July 2021, was set in Hawaii and was followed by a Sicily-based seires that premiered in December 2022. The show is created, written, and directed by White, who exec produces alongside David Bernad and Mark Kamine.

 

Thursday, 8.46am: Netflix extends Love is Blind

Netflix has extended hit dating show Love is Blind by a further two series.

The show launched on the streamer in 2020 and has already run to seven series, with the eighth run launching next month.

It is produced by Kinetic Content, part of Peter Chernin’s North Road.