EXCLUSIVE: TelevisaUnivision streamer ViX+ has ordered a relationship drama about two mothers fighting the urge to be together.
28.09.2023 - 16:47 / variety.com
K.J. Yossman Rachel Griffiths has been cast as the lead in “Madam,” a new dramedy series about an escort agency. Griffiths, best known for her roles in “Six Feet Under” and “Brothers & Sisters,” stars as McKenzie ‘Mack’ Leigh, who sets up an ethical brothel in New Zealand after her philandering husband and mountain of debt leave her struggling to provide for her family.
Joining Griffiths on the show are Rima Te Wiata (“The Wheel of Time”), Danielle Cormack (“Wentworth”), Robbie Magasiva (“Bad Behaviour”), Martin Henderson (“Virgin River”) and newcomer Ariāna Osborne. The series, which started shooting on location this week, is based on Antonia Murphy’s unpublished memoir about an American woman who opened an ethical escort agency in New Zealand after the country decriminalized sex work. Murphy’s company aimed to protect women’s rights, well-being and financial independence.
Showrunners are Shoshana McCallum (“Inside”) and Harry McNaughton (“The Pact”) while Kacie Anning (“Class of ’07”) and Madeleine Sami (“Gold Diggers”) direct. “Madam” is produced by Tavake and XYZ Films for Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ and Fifth Season, who will also distribute the show internationally.
In New Zealand it is set to air on local streamer ThreeNow and corresponding network Three. Tom Hern (“Shadow in the Cloud,”) and Halaifonua Finau (“The Panthers”) are executive producing for Tavake, with Aumua Crystal Vaega (“The Panthers”) on board as co-executive producer and Belindalee Hope (“Guns Akimbo”) as producer. Nick Spicer (“Run Rabbit Run”), Aram Tertzakian (“The Raid 2”) and Marci Wiseman (“Sharp Objects”) exec produce for XYZ.
EXCLUSIVE: TelevisaUnivision streamer ViX+ has ordered a relationship drama about two mothers fighting the urge to be together.
EXCLUSIVE: Here’s your first look at Stan’s upcoming mega-church drama Prosper.
EXCLUSIVE: James Franco is starring in a Middle Eastern TV crime drama penned by Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak. Check out a teaser below.
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A dearth of new release films allowed Zhang Yimou’s “Under the Light” to retain a comfortable lead at the China box office over the weekend, in its third week of release. The contemporary crime drama film earned $13.5 million (RMB97.2 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. Since releasing on Sept. 28, it has accumulated gross revenues of $163 million (RMB1.17 billion).
Madonna's long awaited Celebration tour kicked off last night, with the Queen of Pop taking to the stage at London's O2 Arena.
Reality-show personality Rachel Lindsay.stopped by The View’s companion podcast, Behind the Table on Thursday. She made it clear that Swifties annoy her with the current hoopla over Taylor’s Travis Kelce obsession.
Caroline Brew editor The Whole Spiel — the new company co-founded by former NBC Entertainment chairman Paul Telegdy — and Red Bull’s Terra Mater Studios have teamed up to develop a slate of drama series. The projects include a reimagined “Tarzan” series, wildlife crime investigation “Rogue,” geopolitical drama “A New King” and true history drama “The Executioner.” In collaboration with Shingle Media and Friendly Fire, the “Tarzan” series will reimagine Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic hero for a new generation.
Update: The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy, Anyone But You, is now opening on Dec. 22 instead of Dec. 15. New release date gives the feature the potential to play into the Christmas four-day weekend; moviegoing always spiking after the holiday. Christmas falls on a Monday this year. First look image above was recently released. Anyone But You now opens in the wake of Warner Bros/DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom which hits theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 20. The romcom will also share multiplex space with Illumination/Universal’s animated movie Migration, and the expansion of MGM’s TIFF winning American Fiction and A24’s wide release of wrestling movie The Iron Claw.
Christopher Vourlias Beta Film has released a moving trailer for the Ukrainian war drama “In Her Car,” a gripping series about the ongoing crisis told through the eyes of those who are living it, the company announced ahead of Mipcom. “In Her Car” (10 x 30’) is produced by Starlight Media and Gaumont in co-production with France Télévisions, ZDF (Germany) and Swiss public broadcaster SRF. The show was also boarded in its early stages by Nordic public broadcasters SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), NRK TV (Norway) and RÚV (Iceland).
Marta Balaga Finnish series creators are ready to laugh – also at themselves. “While cultures vary, a fish-out-of-water experience is universal,” says writer Beata Harju, behind “Lay Low and Don’t Be Fabulous” about a woman who just can’t let go of her ex.
CBS Studios is continuing its push into international drama.
Anna Marie de la Fuente Multinational studio Dori Media Group (DMG), founded in Israel in 1996 by Yair Dori and with outposts in Israel, Switzerland, Argentina, Spain and Singapore, is presenting more than a dozen new series at Mipcom, led by two notable action-drama series, “Amia” and “Indal.” Led by Nadav Palti, CEO & President of Dori Media Group, the studio’s contingent of sales execs and reps will be presenting a slate of both scripted and unscripted series spanning multiple territories, languages and cultures at the annual confab in Cannes. “Amia” was filmed in Uruguay and is inspired by the terror attacks of 1992 on the Israeli embassy and in 1994 against the Argentinian Jewish community while “Indal” is a high-octane series that follows the kidnapping of a police officer by a group of Ethiopian Israeli youth.
Alyson Hannigan is having a lot of fun on Dancing With the Stars!
Xochitl Gomez is returning to the ballroom TONIGHT (October 3) alongside her pro dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy on Dancing With the Stars!
There are just so many new series coming nearly every week, it’s difficult to keep track. Sometimes, series that seem like they’ll be huge hits just fall in the cracks because there’s just so much else to watch.
It seems like we’re always due our annual prestige WWII film or TV series, right? This year, that’s “All the Light We Cannot See,” the big-budget WWII drama series from Netflix. READ MORE: Fall 2023 TV Preview: Over 35+ Most Anticipated Shows To Watch As seen in the trailer for the series, “All the Light We Cannot See” tells the story of a young blind woman who is the voice of a pirate radio broadcast, giving hope to those who listen, as the Nazis make their way through France.
The seventh celebrity for the 2023 series of Dancing On Ice has been confirmed as Stephen Webb. Lorraine revealed the exciting news on Tuesday, 3 October, and Stephen joins the list of big names that have already been confirmed.The Greatest Show on Ice, will return to ITV in January with 12 stars hoping to walk away with the trophy just a few weeks later.
EXCLUSIVE: Simon Callow (Four Weddings And A Funeral) is leading comedy-horror Murder Ballads: How to Make it in Rock’n’Roll, which will launch later this month at the Nightmares Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
Emily Longeretta For the residents of The Village at Sherman Oaks, a boutique senior living community 15 miles north of Los Angeles, they thought Thursday night would be a fun, group viewing of “The Golden Bachelor” in the screening room. Around 25 residents lined up to get a front row seat in the theater, which was decorated with gold streamers and balloons and filled with snacks, from sparkling cider and popcorn to Werther’s and Ferrero Rocher chocolates. In fact, “The Golden Bachelor” was screened at 200 retirement homes across the country on Thursday night, all of which were set up with similar decor and treats.
Game of Thrones is the sort of industry dominating, pop culture titan that comes around every so often and totally changes the game. And while the characters fought for the Iron Throne, the show made its stars wealthy in real life.