Friday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Ink Factory preps George Smiley series

The Night Manager indie The Ink Factory is to produce a series based on the novels featuring George Smiley by John le Carré, with Succession star Matthew Macfadyen playing the show’s protagonist.

It is understood that the show, A Legacy of Spies, will draw on storylines from several of the Smiley novels and some of le Carré’s unpublished work about British intelligence in the middle of the last century. The Ink Factory was founded by the author’s sons Stephen and Simon Cornwell. 

NBC takes Stumble to pilot

US broadcaster NBC has ordered a pilot of Stumble, a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheerleading.

The show is being produced by Defining Eve Productions, with Universal Television attached as studio. 

Exec producer and writer Jeff Astrof is attached, along with Liz Astrof, Dana Honor and Monica Aldama.

Síminn, Dynamic take on Avalanche

Icelandic broadcaster Síminn has commissioned Avalanche, a new drama from local producer Glassriver that is being co-produced with Finland’s Whatevergroup.

The show goes into production next week and. Dynamic Television has picked up global distribution rights. Elin Hall stars, while Thordur Palsson (The Damned, The Valhalla Murders) is creator and director of the series. Guðgeir Arngrímsson is producing for Glassriver.

The series co-creator and head writer is Óttar Nordfjord (The Valhalla Murders, RVK 112, The Darkness). Margrét Örnólfsdóttir (Prisoners, The Flatey Enigma, The Press) is also attached as a writer.

Limited series Avalanche is a climate disaster miniseries set in Iceland. It follows Freyja, a meteorologist who returns to her hometown to warn the villagers of an imminent catastrophe. The series explores the tension between scientific reality and community disbelief, the struggle for acceptance and change, and the profound impact of natural disasters on human lives and relationships. 

Cinesite secures US$215m investment

VFX and animation house Cinesite has announced a series of transactions which will result in a new long-term funding package of US$215 million to support its continued operations, technological innovation and strategic expansion.

The funding package makes it possible for Cinesite to overcome the challenges posed by recent industry disruption that has affected the entire sector.

NatWest Corporate Bank led the financing alongside the studio’s long-standing relationship banks Barclays and Santander. Its shareholders, including family office Gryphion, supported the overall package of senior and junior debt and equity lines.

The funding comes at a time where VFX giants The Mill and MPC have closed down following the collapse of parent company Technicolor, and VFX house Jellyfish has suspended operations. Read more