Rob Sinclair Bestseller ‘Sleeper 13’ Acquired for Series Adaptation by India’s Turning Point (EXCLUSIVE)

Naman Ramachandran The next magnum opus from Amazon Prime Video India is “Jubilee,” a period piece that charts the growing pangs of India and the rise of the country’s Hindi-language film industry that would come to be known by the term Bollywood in later years. Beginning around the months in 1947 when the subcontinent was partitioned into India and Pakistan, the dramatis personae in the series include studio boss Srikant Roy (Prasenjit Chatterjee), his movie star wife Sumitra Kumari (Aditi Rao Hydari), trusted aide with acting ambitions Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurana), talented refugee Jay Khanna (Sidhant Gupta) and courtesan Nilofer (Wamiqa Gabbi), whose worlds collide.

Naman Ramachandran Leading Indian studio Yash Raj Films’ streaming production arm YRF Entertainment has revealed its second show. Titled “Mandala Murders,” the multi-season series is billed as a gritty crime thriller. It is created and will be directed by Gopi Puthran (“Mardaani 2”). Manan Rawat, who has worked on several films as an associate director for the studio, will serve as co-director. Vaani Kapoor, who won critical acclaim playing a transgender character in film “Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui,” will lead the series, her debut in the streaming space, alongside Vaibhav Raj Gupta (SonyLIV series “Gullak”). Surveen Chawla (Netflix series “Decoupled”) and Jameel Khan (“Gullak”) have also been cast in prominent roles in “Mandala Murders.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief In cricket-mad India the upcoming Indian Premier League tournament could be a watershed for the country’s jostling media empires, according to Singapore-based consultancy and analysis firm, Media Partners Asia. Video rights for the tournament were split between incumbent pay-TV player Disney Star India, which paid close to $3.1 billion for broadcast rights to the five 2023-2027 editions, and Viacom18, which is backed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Paramount (as a minority stakeholder), in partnership with financier Bodhi Tree Systems. It paid a similar sum for the separate digital rights. Media Partners Asia estimates that advertising revenues spawned by the two-month 2023 competition will end up around $550 million – representing a clear loss on the annualized cost of $1.2 billion, or roughly $600 million per conglomerate, for the tournament rights. (The analysis firm forecasts that RIL will earn $300-350 million in ad sales, while Star’s best-case scenario is $220 million.)

Amazon Prime Video is exploring more global franchise opportunities following the success of the Russo Brothers’ Citadel.

first look between Young Queen Charlotte and Young King George as well as the overwhelming weight societal pressure that awaits her in the “Bridgerton” prequel series’ teaser, the trailer spotlights Queen Charlotte’s rise to the throne amid a loving yet tumultuous marriage.As Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) arrives to the famed palace lamenting “Why me?” her brother attempts to knock some sense into his stubborn sister, saying “there are worse fates than marrying the king of England.”While her brother might be right, Charlotte quickly starts to feel the weight of the nation on her shoulders as her union with the king is expected to bring about societal unity and “as many babies as possible.” While Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) offers Charlotte support as she prepares for her impending marriage and royal debut, there’s just one problem: Charlotte has not yet met her soon-to-be husband.Then comes the highly anticipated introduction as Young King George (Corey Mylchreest) discovers Charlotte trying to climb over the castle wall from what she expects will be a disaster of a life — which is intercepted when George provides the reassurance Charlotte had been craving.“I realize you have no reason to like me,” George tells Charlotte. “But if you will give me one evening of your time, then I might make you hate me a little bit less.” While their whirlwind romance satisfies the desires of both the pair and their closest advisors, their relationship is quickly shrouded in secrecy as George’s whereabouts and condition is hidden from Charlotte, leading to a tense confrontation between the couple.“I do not want to fight,” George insists, while Charlotte declares “I want to fight with you.

BreAnna Bell Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for its forthcoming “Bridgerton” prequel series, “Queen Charlotte.” The first full trailer of the upcoming season introduces viewers to a young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio), who goes on a journey of self-discovery and love. After being paired in an arranged marriage to King George, a worried Charlotte opens the nearly three-minute clip wondering why she was chosen by the royal family to ascend the throne as the wife of England’s young leader. “Centered on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, this ‘Bridgerton’-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in ‘Bridgerton,'” reads the show’s official logline, per Netflix.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian Canadian actor Giacomo Gianniotti, who played Dr. Andrew DeLuca on “Grey’s Anatomy,” is set to star in “Inganno,” Netflix’s Italian adaptation of the U.K. TV series “Gold Digger” that starts shooting this week on the Amalfi coast. The taboo-breaking show – which was dubbed a “toyboy thriller” by the British press – depicts the passionate and turbulent relationship between an older woman and a man who is half her age. In this case the affair disrupts and subverts Italian social and family norms. A “Gold Digger” adaptation for Indian audiences is also reportedly in the works. “Inganno,” which means “deceit” in Italian, is being directed by Neapolitan auteur Pappi Corsicato whose “The Seed of Discord” competed at the Venice Film Festival in 2008. Corsicato’s visual style is often compared to Pedro Almodovar, of whom he has been an assistant.

Naman Ramachandran Indian streamer SonyLIV has revealed a robust 35-strong series slate, including some returning hits, with a further expansion into South Indian languages in addition to its Hindi-language slate. Headquartered in Mumbai, the streamer now has three content offices in South India, in Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai. SonyLIV also now has 24 million paid subscribers, SonyLIV head of content Saugata Mukherjee told Variety. In the Tamil language, after the success of “Tamil Rockerz” in 2022 and “The Story of Things” earlier this year, SonyLIV has saga “Journey,” headlined by R. Sarathkumar with Cheran Pandian (“Autograph”) serving as showrunner; and “The Madras Murder,” set against the backdrop of the Tamil film industry in the 1950s and 1960s, with A.L. Vijay (“Kireedam”) as showrunner.

Five new actors have just joined Taylor Sheridan‘s 1883: The Bass Reeves Story!

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Series Mania has always been about discovery: Of drama series as an art form, in its early days from launch in 2009; then of key players on a burgeoning international premium TV scene. Series Mania’s International Panorama now catches a new wave of creatives transitioning from film to scripted TV – Israel’s Yaron Shani with “Innermost,” Spain’s Isaki Lacuesta and Isa Campo with episodes of “Apagón”; and highlights notable emerging auteurs: Denmark’s Kasper Møller Rask, Canada’s Alexis Durand-Brault, Spain’s Fran Araujo, Pakistan’s Assim Abassi and Germany’s Jakob and Jonas Weydemann.  But for having already bowed at national festivals, some of the 12 titles below could well have been in the running for a Competition berth. 

Ghost shirts, which are sacred to certain Indigenous communities, were thought to guard the wearer against bullets through spiritual power. This precious heirloom is at the center of Tony Tost’s directorial debut film at SXSW, Americana. This western dramedy has some tricks up its sleeve, thanks to the brilliant writing and the script’s comedic timing. It boasts a big cast of actors including Sydney Sweeney, Halsey, Paul Walter Hauser, Zahn McClarnon, Simon Rex, Eric Dane and Gavin Maddox Bergman.

EXCLUSIVE: Joaquina Kalukango (Lovecraft Country), Lonnie Chavis (This is Us), Rob Morgan (Mudbound), Ryan O’Nan (Queen of the South), and Justin Hurtt-Dunkley (Mare Of Easttown) have been tapped for key recurring roles opposite David Oyelowo and Dennis Quaid in Bass Reeves, from Yellowstone co-creator/showrunner Taylor Sheridan.

Naman Ramachandran A poster has been unveiled for “Barzakh,” starring top Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed. The only South Asian selection at Series Mania this year, the series will debut in the showcase’s International Panorama, a 12-title competitive section where it will be eligible for the best series, director, actress, actor, student jury and audience awards. “Barzakh” (6 x 58′) is produced by Waqas Hassan and Shailja Kejriwal for Zindagi, the Indian subcontinent focused programming block on streamer ZEE5 Global. It is helmed by critically acclaimed director Asim Abbasi who also directed Zindagi’s first Pakistani original “Churails” and the feature film “Cake.”

BreAnna Bell Garrett Hedlund has been cast in a recurring guest role in Taylor Sheridan’s forthcoming “Bass Reeves” series set at Paramount+, Variety has learned exclusively. He’ll portray Garrett Montgomery, a so-called posse man of the era who Bass hires for his riding know-how and expertise of the area. She joins previously announced stars including lead and executive producer David Oyelowo, and series regulars Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck and Barry Pepper. Dennis Quaid and Grantham Coleman will also appear in recurring roles. Hedlund can currently be seen in Paramount+’s “Tulsa King” and will next star in the film “The Tutor,” which is scheduled March 24th theater release. He recently completed production on the films “Desperation Road” opposite Mel Gibson and “The Marsh King’s Daughter,” co-starring Ben Mendelson and Daisy Ridley. His other credits include Lee Daniels’ “Mudbound,” “On the Road,” “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” “Mojave,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Pan,” “Unbroken,” “Tron: Legacy,” and “Country Strong.”

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV fest, and German film-TV powerhouse Beta Group has revealed the 10 projects in the first edition of Seriesmakers, unveiling what must be one of the most talent-packed project lineups at any festival, film or TV, in 2023, A mentoring program for filmmakers making their TV creator debut, Series Mania features in development drama series from “Compartment No 6’s” Juho Kuosmanen, ‘Bang Gang’s’ Eva Husson and “Birds of a Passage’s” Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego. Also in the mix is “Amigas,” the first TV project of Beatriz Seigner (“Los Silencios”), one of Brazil’s foremost young movie directors, “The Invisible Ink,” teaming Cannes best first feature winner César Díaz (“Our Mothers”)and New Uruguay Cinema founding father Fernando Epstein; and Indian arthouse filmmaker Pushpendra Singh, who scored with Berlin Encounters’ title “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs.”

Jimmie Allen’s Artists:Ale Aguirre | Chihuahua, Mexico Ale infuses herself into her music and bilingual lyrics with the mariachi, norteño, banda and other sounds she heard growing up in Mexico. At the age of 16 she taught herself how to play the guitar, and is now on the way to establishing herself as an independent singer-songwriter with a loyal following she’s gained from her popular YouTube channel. Dhruv Visvanath | New Delhi, India Dhruv, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer-songwriter and producer, started his musical journey at the age of seven.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Philippines media powerhouse ABS-CBN is launching “The Bagman” action drama series as a remake of its own “Bagman” digital production and will launch it at Hong Kong’s FilMart next week. The original “Bagman,” which ran to two seasons and sold to Netflix in The Philippines, follows a neighborhood barber who lands a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and political turmoil. That is a familiar story for ABS-CBN itself. The company was until 2020 The Philippines leading broadcaster. But it dared to criticize the policies of then president Rodrigo Duterte and found its TV licenses were not renewed. Since the loss of its TV broadcast operations, ABS-CBN has repositioned itself as a mass content company working as a producer with other producers and broadcasters and outputting news to its website, streaming service iWantTFC and YouTube channels. It also operates related businesses in talent management and events.

Jeremy Renner continues to recover from his horrific snowplow accident, the actor is sharing the first official look at his upcoming Disney+ original series,, which sees him and a team of builders turning decommissioned vehicles into one-of-a-kind creations that will serve communities around the world.«I’ve been on this journey for many years, and I started in my community by building vehicles for people in need. But a few years ago, I thought, how can I plus this up and create a bigger impact on a whole community — and that’s what this show does,» Renner said of the series, which was filmed prior to his accident. He added, «This is one of my biggest passions and it’s a driving force in my recovery, and I can’t wait for the world to see it.»Set to debut on the streaming platform on April 12, the four-part renovation show will follow Renner as well as his best friend and business partner, Rory Millikin, as they travel the globe to turn a tour bus into a mobile music studio, a delivery truck into a mobile water treatment facility, a shuttle bus into a mobile recreation center and a city bus into a mobile dance studio. The two will be joined by an all-star building crew as well as celebrity friends, including Anthony Mackie, Vanessa Hudgens, Anil Kapoor and Sebastián Yatra as they come together to change the lives of those residing in the United States, Mexico and India. Prior to the trailer's debut, Renner has been teasing since it was first announced in February by posting behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram.«As soon as I’m back on my feet, we are coming to YOU, all across the globe… I hope you’re ready !!!» he captioned one photo, while acknowledging his fans' continued support in another.

A new snooker hall, designed to appeal to recent arrivals from Hong Kong, could open opposite the Apollo music venue in Ardwick.

Citadel and get ready because it looks intense. Watch Below: Citadel - Official Trailer | Prime Video The groundbreaking new global series stars an all-star cast including Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville. Consisting of six episodes, the new series starts eight years after the independent global spy agency, Citadel fell. Elite agents Mason Kate (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) had their memories wiped and have remained hidden ever since, until their former citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) tracks them down. As the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world, the series is full of secrets, lies, action and love. The high-stakes drama is executively produced by the Russo Brothers, who are best known for their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.“This is a really unique television event,” explained Joe Russo during the Citadel press conference, “that's what excites Anthony and I the most about it.”"The notion of telling a story that could be interwoven throughout the world… [it’s] an amazing way to create a really diverse global community of storytellers to tell a giant mosaic of a narrative together."Whilst the series consists of only six episodes, it marks the start of a global franchise, with subsequent series set around the globe with interconnected stories already in the works. Each Citadel series will be locally created, produced, and filmed in-region, and series are already underway in Italy and India, respectively, starring Matilda De Angelis, Varun Dhawan, and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.The first two episodes of Citadel will be released on April 28 on Prime Video, and then one episode rolling out weekly through to May