Made Up Stories and Fifth Season to Adapt Dianne Yarwood’s ‘The Wakes’ as a TV Series (EXCLUSIVE)

Shanina Shaik is a mom!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Chinese filmmaker, Bi Gan, best-known for his single-take feature “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” has seen his “A Short Story” picked up by Kino Lorber for distribution in North America. A fairy tale that follows the relationship between man and cat, the film had its world premiere in competition at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and now has its North American premiere in the Currents section of the New York Film Festival. Kino Lorber plans to qualify “A Short Story” for the 96th Academy Awards, showing it theatrically nationwide in early 2023 in tandem with a theatrical re-release of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” “Kino Lorber rarely acquires short films, but Bi Gan has packed more cinematic delight into the fifteen minutes of ‘A Short Story’ than many feature length films deliver in two hours,” said Kino Lorber SVP Wendy Lidell. The deal was brokered by Les Films du Losange.

Matt Brodlie and Jonathan Kier’s Upgrade Productions has signed up Mediawan and Leonine Studios co-pro exec Caroline Kusser to head up series.

K.J. Yossman Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories has launched a U.K. office led by Sarah Harvey (“Ticket to Paradise”). Harvey, who boasts a two decades long career in film and high-end drama, joins the company as a producer and creative director. She has previously worked at production companies including Blueprint Pictures, Intermedia Films and Working Title Films. Harvey took up the her new role in August. She has previously worked on productions including “Strangers,” which starred Claire Foy, Paul Mescal and Jamie Bell, for Searchlight Pictures and the film “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” directed by John Madden and starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. She also co-produced Colin Farrell starrer “In Bruges,” directed by Martin McDonagh.

Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea’s production company, Made Up Stories, is expanding with a new UK office run by Sarah Harvey, who has joined the company as a producer and creative director. Harvey officially began her new position in August.

Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, the film and TV production company behind “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” among others, is expanding its presence to open a new U.K. office, and it’s tapped “Ticket to Paradise” producer Sarah Harvey to lead the office.

Matt and Kaia Wright are exploring the Australian outback, a task they say would not have been possible without Steve Irwin opening that door so many years ago. Their new Netflix show, "Wild Croc Territory," features Matt and his team as they explore the Australian outback, looking to catch and relocate crocodiles and other dangerous animals living in the bush.

Pete Davidson is taking the first steps in erasing all traces of his relationship with Kim Kardashian.In new pics of Davidson from the set of his upcoming Peacock series, , the former  comedian was seen wearing a bandage over his neck, on the very spot that he inked «my girl is a lawyer» earlier this year. Davidson was dressed in a tracksuit and sneakers, rocking his signature dark hairdo for the role. It's not clear if Davidson did indeed have the tattoo removed, or just scratched himself up.

Manchester’s nightlife really has it all — from the mega-clubs, side-street speakeasies, and bustling bars, the city serves residents and visitors alike well for their choice of watering hole.

Watch Below: Grace Tame & Brittany Higgins Address Gendered Violence In National Press Club Speeches“For all the bad things that have happened, there have been so many more amazing things that have occurred and fortunate opportunities,” she tells WHO over a coffee and a fresh juice. “Out of the bad things that have happened, I’ve had opportunities to learn and grow that otherwise wouldn’t have happened.”The outspoken firebrand, who we came to know when she was awarded the Australian of the Year in 2021 for her advocacy of survivors of sexual assault, shares this powerfully optimistic outlook in her newly released memoir. And after reading it, you realise there’s still a lot you don’t know about Tame – which is no accident.Grace's new memoir has just been released.“There’s more parts of myself that aren’t in there than are,” she says.“This [book] is a parting of ways with an especially, particularly dark time and honouring a lot of the people who helped me get through it, and who were, and are, part of that. I know I don’t know a lot.

EXCLUSIVE: Sean Penn, star of Milk and Gaslit, and Lost‘s Matthew Fox are set as leads of an Australian satirical comedy series for streaming service Stan. The pair will star in C*A*U*G*H*T, a six-part series from Kick Gurry (Edge of Tomorrow) that takes aim at fame and stardom.

Vivienne Kelly Australian streaming service Stan and production and content studio Lionsgate have commissioned a new original drama series “Prosper.” “Prosper” will be produced by Lingo Pictures and benefits from major production investment from Screen Australia, with additional assistance from the New South Wales government via Screen NSW and the Made in NSW Fund. The series is part of the ongoing television development partnership for Stan Originals to deliver worldwide content for Lionsgate. It will be set in the inner sanctum of a family bound together by unfathomable wealth and unchecked power as they build an evangelical megachurch hell-bent on global domination, Stan said.Matt Cameron (“Jack Irish”), Liz Doran (“Please Like Me”), Louise Fox (“Broadchurch”) and Belinda Chayko (“Stateless”) are writers on the project. Jason Stephens (“Lambs of God”) and Helen Bowden (“The Secret She Keeps”) are producers for Lingo Pictures, alongside Andrew Walker (“Rosehaven”). Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie will executive produce for Stan.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sally Aitken a two-time Emmy nominated writer and director (“Playing with Sharks”) and producer and media executive Aline Jacques (“Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story”) have launched SAM Content. The Sydney-based independent production company will develop and produce all genres of unscripted and scripted projects for local platforms and the international marketplace. They open their doors with four film and TV shows in production with Australian broadcasters and screen agencies. They include an untitled Wiggles project in partnership with Augusto Entertainment’s Cass Avery and Daniel Story, and with funding from federal screen agency Screen Australia. The Wiggles is a successful children’s musical group that has been on the scene for 30 years and has been involved with both TV and film.

Marta Balaga “The Woodcutter Story,” a Finnish drama with a surreal touch, has been sold to Australia (Palace Films), Baltics (Estinfilm), Sweden (Njuta), Germany (Eksystent) and France (Urban), Paris-based Totem Films shared exclusively with Variety. Directed by Mikko Myllylahti, it sees a good man who runs into bad luck: he loses his job and his wife leaves, but Pepe (Jarkko Lahti) is trying to keep his head high. Even when strange things start to happen in his sleepy village. The film, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics Week, screens Wednesday at the Helsinki Film Festival – Love & Anarchy. It will have its North American premiere at Chicago Film Festival and its U.K. premiere at the London Film Festival.

Matthew McConaughey is not letting being blackmailed into sex at 15 or being molested by a man at 18 make him "afraid of relationships." McConaughey first detailed the two encounters he had in his memoir, "Greenlights," which was released in October last year. He appeared as a guest on "The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet" on Sunday to share that these negative experiences will not "beat him." "'I'm not going to be afraid of relationships because my first experience was blackmail.That's an aberration. No, no, that's not the way it is," he said on the podcast.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Action star, Jai Courtney is to narrate “For the Love of Pets,” a factual animal welfare series set in Australia. Commissioned for the 9Network Australia and filmed in 4K, the 8-part series follows the heart-warming stories of the staff, volunteers and animals that come through the doors of the Animal Welfare League of South Australia Inc. (AWL) and Vets4Pets Emergency Hospital in Adelaide. Production is by Context Media with production funding from Omnicom Media Group subsidiary, OMnet Australia. Escapade Media is on board to handle international distribution and says that it is close to announcing a raft of licensing deals.