Canal + Drama ‘Marie Antoinette’ Sells to PBS Distribution

Catherine Lacey’s novel The Answers is being adapted for television by Sorry for Your Loss creator Kit Steinkellner, Dopesick creator Danny Strong and Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Freevee has given a series greenlight to a coming-of-age drama from Queen Sono creator Kagiso Lediga and writer Camilo Saloojee, Skybound Galactic, a part of Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment, Johannesburg-based producer Diprente and Sony Pictures Television.

Coleen Rooney and her son Kai have modelled together in a new fashion campaign. Coleen, 36, looked every inch the proud mum as she posed next to her eldest son, 12, for designer boutique Cricket. Coleen sported an oversized Balenciaga shirt with matching trousers and a neon green studded bag, while she rocked a slick ponytail with hooped earrings.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France tv distribution has picked up five new documentaries: “The Climate: A 50 Year Battle,” “The Epic History of Europe: From Cesar to Charles de Gaulle,” “Denisova Unveiled,” “Icons of the 20th Century: An Historical Journey” and “MBZ: The Hidden Face of the UAE.” “The Climate: A 50-Year Battle” shines a spotlight on the first time the United Nations set forth the risks human activities pose to the climate in June 1972. The one-off documentary also recounts the scientific and political battles to raise global awareness about climate change in the last 50 years. Written and directed by Alexis Barbier-Bouvet et Elena Sender, “The Climate: A 50-Year Battle” is produced by Effervescence for French Broadcaster France 5.

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount+ has set launch dates for France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ziad Doueiri, the French-Lebanese filmmaker of the Oscar-nominated movie “The Insult” who made his TV debut with the hit series “Baron Noir,” will next direct “Fièvre” (“Fever”). “Fièvre” was penned by “Baron Noir” screenwriter Eric Benzekri and has been co-developed by French pay TV group Canal+’s Creation Originale label. The show is being produced by Quad, the Paris-based company behind Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s “Intouchables” and the series “The Bonfire of Destiny.” “Fievre” is headlined by two female characters played by Nina Meurisse, who notably starred in Celine Sciamma’s Berlinale competition film “Petite Maman,” and Julia Piaton, from Emmanuel Mouret’s “Love Affair(s)” which was part of Cannes 2020’s official selection.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Julianne Moore is set to lead Sky and AMC period-drama series Mary & George, about powerful royal family favourites Mary Villiers and her son George.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paris-based sales and co-production banner Have A Good One (HAGO), has boarded two new series, “Sex (re) Education” (“Septième Ciel”) and “Caro Nostra,” in the run up to Mipcom, the Cannes TV market. “Sex (re) Education” is a 10-part half-hour comedy series directed by Alice Vial, who won the Cesar Award in 2018 with her short “The Winkles.” The series, penned by Clémence Azincourt, Clement Marchand and Vial, follows Jacques, an pensioner who has been placed by his daughter in a retirement home. When he thinks his life is over, he meets Rose and embarks on a passionate and lustful affair, wrecking havoc in the residence. The cast includes Irene Jacob, the well-known actor of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Rouge.” Ordered by French pay TV group OCS, the show recently won best series at La Rochelle Fiction Festival and is produced by Next Episode, Henri Debeurme’s UGC-backed company.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent On the outskirts of Paris, in a vast, industrial-looking studio in Bry-sur-Marne, the clocks have turned back to the 1770s. Opulent decor — gilded furniture, flower-adorned curtains and marble everywhere — fills the soundstage. The atmosphere is studious on the set of “Marie-Antoinette,” a lavish French-produced costume drama created, co-written and executive produced by Deborah Davis. She’s delivering a feminist take on an infamous historical figure, best-known for apocryphally advising the starving masses to eat cake. We all know how that ended. On screen, Marie-Antoinette hasn’t been treated better than she was at the guillotine, where she’s often depicted as a villain or a frivolous airhead.

ill-advised defamation case since Oscar Wilde”, and now viewers will finally get the inside scoop on the Wagatha Christie case in a new Channel 4 dramatisation of the events, featuring the legendary Michael Sheen. For those who, for whatever reason, didn’t follow every single second of the excruciatingly addictive court case back in May of this year: after Coleen Rooney (wife of former footballer Wayne) publicly accused Rebekah Vardy (wife of Leicester striker Jamie) of leaking information contained within her private Instagram stories to the press, Rebekah Vardy made the decision to sue Rooney for defamation.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given access to the international trailer (below) for “A Thousand Lines,” by one of Germany’s most successful directors, Michael Bully Herbig (“Manitou’s Shoe”), and starring two of its leading actors, Elyas M’Barek (“Fuck You Göhte”) and Jonas Nay (“Deutschland 83”). The film opened via Warner Bros. across German-speaking Europe two weeks ago. Beta Cinema is presenting it to buyers at AFM. “A Thousand Lines” – a blend of satire, drama and comedy – is written by Hermann Florin, inspired by Juan Moreno’s “Tausend Zeilen Lüge.” It is the fictional adaptation of one of Germany’s biggest media scandals. The story centers on freelance journalist Juan Romero, played by M’Barek, who encounters inconsistencies in a cover story by award-winning reporter Lars Bogenius, played by Nay.

Vardy V Rooney: A Courtroom Drama has been revealed, with none other than Michael Sheen starring as David Sherborne. Buckle up!The Channel 4 programme will dramatise the trial that had the nation hooked, with This Is England star Chanel Cresswell starring as Coleen Rooney and Harry Potter actress Natalia Tena as Rebekah Vardy. Good Omens star Michael will play David Sherborne, with Simon Coury as Hugh Tomlinson QC.

Channel 4 has announced the cast for its upcoming dramatisation of the court battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney – check out a first look image above.The two-part drama-documentary, titled Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, was announced in July, which will use the real court transcripts to recreate the high court defamation case “juxtaposed with analysis from the media and on social media”.Chanel Cresswell (This Is England, Trollied) will play the role of Coleen Rooney, opposite Natalia Tena (Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones) as Rebekah Vardy.Michael Sheen (Good Omens, Quiz) will play Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne, alongside Simon Coury (The Professor And The Madman) as Vardy’s barrister Hugh Tomlinson KC. Rebekah and Coleen’s respective husbands Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney will also be played by actors, although their casting has yet to be announced.Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama is written by Chris Atkins (Who Killed The KLF?) and directed by Oonagh Kearney (Five Letters). The drama-documentary is being developed by Chalkboard, with Tom Popay serving as executive producer.“Created from the real court transcripts, Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama will bring viewers all of the incredible and unbelievable moments from a case that kept the public and media gripped,” a press release reads.In June 2020, Vardy sued Rooney for libel after Rooney alleged she was leaking stories from her private Instagram account to journalists at The Sun.

Channel 4’s drama based on the Wagatha Christie case will star This Is England actress Chanel Cresswell as Coleen Rooney and Harry Potter star Natalia Tena as Rebekah Vardy. Michael Sheen, known for his portrayals of real-life figures such as Sir Tony Blair and broadcaster David Frost, will appear as Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne. Mr Sherborne’s previous clients include Diana, Princess of Wales, Hollywood actor Michael Douglas and model Kate Moss.

Channel 4 has cast Harry Potter star Natalia Tena and BAFTA winner Chanel Creswell as Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney in its upcoming Wagatha Christie courtroom drama, with Michael Sheen set to play high-profile barrister David Sherborne.

How will you remember 2020? The intriguing question is at the heart of Peter Hedges’ “The Same Storm”; filmed using laptops and iPhones, it serves as a cinematic record of the year’s looming issues. Hedges — who wrote and directed the project — tackles a myriad of topics ranging from a then-new pandemic to an upcoming election.

Duran Duran have announced a new, 75-minute documentary, entitled A Hollywood High. You can watch the trailer for it below.The docu-concert film will feature footage of the band performing live on a rooftop in Los Angeles, as well as interviews and archival footage that tells the story of their long-time love affair with the city.Their performance was shot on the roof of The Aster in Hollywood, overlooking the Capitol Records building, the home of Duran Duran’s first record label.Directed by Gavin Elder, Vincent Adam Paul and George Scott, A Hollywood High will be released in cinemas around the world on November 3, 2022.“For our first US show in several years we wanted to do something really special and intimate,” Keyboardist Nick Rhodes said in a statement.“After considering many options, a rooftop performance quickly became the frontrunner.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France tv distribution has boarded “Sweetheart” (“Chouchou”), an eight-part drama series produced by well-known Quebec-based company Passez Go. Written by Simon Boulerice, the drama show revolves around Chanelle, a 38-year-old teacher who is happily married with two children. Her life unravels after she meets Sandrick, a 17-year-old teenager who has just been transferred to her class, and falls under his charm. Chanelle tries to help Sandrick as he struggles at home with his dysfunctional mother, but their relationship turns into an illicit and passionate affair that leaves no one unscathed. The series is directed by Félix Tétreault and Marie-Claude Blouin (“Le Chalet”).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Newen, the Paris-based international production and distribution group owned by France’s leading commercial network TF1, has acquired a majority stake in the Scandinavian outfit Anagram. Anagram, which was founded in 2002 by comedians Anders Jansson and Johan Wester, has offices in Sweden and Norway that mainly produce TV drama, comedy and live entertainment through subsidiary Anagram Live. Some of the banner’s best-known content include “Thin Blue Line” and “My Life as a Comedian,” which premiered at Toronto. The acquisition was unveiled by Newen Studios CEO Romain Bessi, Anagram executives Mats Alders and Miira Paasilinna. During the lengthy presentation, Newen highlighted the latest work from its major labels around the world, including Ringside Studios (U.K.), Pupkin (Netherlands), Capa Drama (France), De Mensen (Belgium) and Kubik Films (Spain).