Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Lord of the Rings,” “Elvis” and “Faraway Downs” star David Wenham is to reprise one of other his best-known roles in upcoming feature “SPIT.” The picture is a sequel to 2003 comedy crime thriller “Gettin’ Square,” in which Wenham played Johnny ‘Spit’ Spitteri, a recently-released ex-convict and Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) played an older brother trying to keep the kid out of trouble. Production of “SPIT” has got underway in Gold Coast and Brisbane, Queensland and will continue through May. The new film is directed by ‘Gettin’ Square” and “The Railway Man” director Jonathan Teplitzky, from a screenplay by Queensland-based writer and lawyer Christopher Nyst. It is produced by Trish Lake of Queensland-based Freshwater Pictures alongside Greg Duffy, Felicity McVay and Wenham. It received major production investment from Screen Australia with local distribution by Transmission Films and international rights sales managed by Moviehouse Entertainment.
‘You Can’t Manufacture Authenticity’: the Makers of Australian Series ‘House of Gods’ Talk Challenging Stereotypes, Religion and Community
17.03.2024 - 11:05 / variety.com
Callum McLennan “House of Gods,” a Matchbox Pictures six-part series, boasting an entirely Arab Australian cast, presents a perspective seldom seen on screen, a Muslim community in Fairfield, Australia. “You can’t manufacture authenticity. Audiences are so intuitive and adept, they can smell if something is off a mile away.
So for us, having actors who understood the idiosyncrasies of Arab/Muslim culture added an intangible layer of soul to the show,” explained Osamah Sami, co-creator and one of the stars of the show. “We both were raised in a religious setting where culture, traditions and spiritual beliefs govern daily lives. Immigration often reinforces our desire to cling on to our motherland customs even tighter” Shahin Shafaei co-creator shared with Variety.
“As storytellers, we have both previously highlighted the lived experiences of our community in film and theater. But with ‘House of Gods’ we found an opportunity to explore this “living organism” which is the community in a deeper way. ” Osamah Sami’s childhood was marked by displacement in Iran amidst the Iran-Iraq conflict, a narrative he later recounted in his award-winning novel, “Good Muslim Boy.” Similarly, Shahin Shafaei’s creative expression with his play in Iran led to dire consequences, forcing him to flee.
His perilous journey to Australia culminated in a lengthy detention, including a significant period in solitary confinement, after being intercepted at Ashmore Reef. The narrative of “House of Gods” begins deep in suburban Fairfield, with an electoral contest for head cleric of the local mosque. It’s a duel between the progressive Sheikh Mohammad, portrayed by the magnetic Kamel El Basha, and the conservative Seyyed Shaaker (Simon Elrahi).
‘Top End Bub’ Series Set as TV Sequel to Hit Australian Film
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Romantic comedy series “Top End Bub” will begin production next month in Australia as a sequel to hit 2019 feature film “Top End Wedding.” Stars Miranda Tapsell (“The Sapphires”) and Gwilym Lee (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) will reprise their roles. The series is created, executive produced and written by “Top End Wedding” writers Joshua Tyler and Tapsell and produced by Goalpost Pictures.
BBC Studios Launches First Kids Streamer In Korea; Viaplay Ties With John De Mol’s Talpa – Global Briefs
BBC Studios Launches First Kids Streamer In Korea
‘The Goat Life’ Starring Prithviraj Sukumaran & Jimmy-Jean Louis Launches Internationally
The Goat Life (previously titled Goat Days) will release in theaters across the UK, India, Australia and France today.
Mati Diop’s Berlinale Golden Bear Winner ‘Dahomey’ Sells Nearly Worldwide for Films du Losange (EXCLUSIVE)
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Dahomey,” the Berlinale Golden Bear-winning film helmed by French-Senegalese director Mati Diop, has been sold to a raft of international territories by Les Films du Losange. Along with being acquired by Mubi in key markets, “Dahomey” has been acquired in Australia & New Zealand (Rialto), China (Hugoeast), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Greece (One From the Heart), Scandinavia (NonStop Entertainement), Benelux (Cinéart), Bulgaria (Beta Films), Ex-Yugoslavia (Discovery), Hungary (Mozinet), Czech Republic (Film Europe), Romania (Voodoo), Baltic Countries (Taip Toliau), Poland (New Horizons), Ukraine (Kyivmusicfilm), Taiwan (Joint Entertainment), Indonesia (PT Falcon) and Sudu Connexion in Africa.
Macu Machín’s ‘The Undergrowth’ Wins Top Prize at Tenerife-based MiradasDoc
Anna Marie de la Fuente Macu Machín’s “La Hojarasca” (“The Undergrowth”) took home the top MiradaCanaria prize at the 17thMiradasDoc, which ran March 15-22 in Tenerife, Spain. Produced by El Viaje Films, Machin’s debut feature has been picking up accolades since its world premiere at Berlinale’s Forum, snagging Best Spanish Picture and director at the Malaga Film Festival’s Zonazine, a sidebar for edgier and sometimes smaller pics.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Nears $300M Global; ‘Dune 2’ Closing In On $600M; ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Traps $16M+ In Phase 1 Overseas Bow – International Box Office
Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 had a rock ‘em sock ‘em weekend at the international box office, adding $55.3M from 69 markets for a $135M overseas running cume, and $268.2M global (there are several key markets still to release, including France, Australia, the UK and Korea).
Max to Launch in First 9 European Countries in May Ahead of Olympics; Unveils Basic Ad Plan and Sports Add-On
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent In one of the most anticipated keynotes at Series Mania Festival, JB Perrette, president/CEO of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery, dropped the launch date for Max across the first nine European countries on May 21.
Alpha Violet Propels ‘Identifying Features’ Directors’ Unconventional Sundance-Winning Cartel Narrative ‘Sujo’ to Cross Borders (EXCLUSIVE)
Holly Jones Premiering in January to a Sundance Dramatic World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, “Sujo” from “Identifying Features” filmmakers Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez has expanded its global reach, closing multiple distribution deals forged by Paris-based Alpha Violet, who heads international distribution. Paris-based Damned Films has picked up the title for France while Twelve Oaks Pictures, Trigon Films, Cinobo and MCF Megacom have swooped on the film for Spain, Switzerland, Greece and Cyprus and Ex-Yugoslavia territories respectively, with Auckland’s Vendetta Films securing rights to the title for the Australia and New Zealand markets.
Sony’s Wayne Garvie On Scripted TV Landscape As ‘The Crown’ & ‘Sex Education’ End: “We’re Going Back To The Future” — Series Mania
Sony Pictures Television‘s President of International Production, Wayne Garvie, has said the scripted TV landscape in the post-peak TV era is like “going back to the future” — especially with his Netflix hits The Crown and Sex Education coming to an end.
‘NCIS Sydney’ Renewed for Season 2 at CBS and Paramount+ Australia
Selome Hailu CBS and Paramount+ Australia have renewed “NCIS Sydney” for a second season. The series, which is the first international iteration of “NCIS,” debuted in November of 2023. It is the fifth series in the franchise, which includes the still-running “NCIS” and “NCIS: Hawai’i” along with “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans,” which have both concluded.
‘Dune: Part Two’ Crosses $500M Global Box Office; ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Franchise Tops $2B Worldwide
Coming out of the weekend, and with Sunday’s actuals and Monday’s numbers included, there are new global milestones to celebrate for the two major Hollywood titles currently in release.
Paramount+ Rolls Out International Ad-Tier Plans For Canada & Australia
Paramount+‘s international ad-tier plans are coming together.
Paramount+ Unveils International Ad-Supported Plan, Premium Rollout in Europe – Series Mania Bulletin
Ed Meza @edmezavar Variety’s Series Mania Bulletin highlights breaking news at this year’s French TV festival: Paramount+ has announced the schedule and pricing for its international ad-supported Basic subscription offering and Premium plan, both set to begin this month in selected countries. The ad-supported Basic plan will be available in April in Canada and in June in Australia, priced at $6.99 in Canadian and Australian dollars.
‘We Can Choose to Love Rather Than Hate’: Led by Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey, ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ Finds Love in a Hopeless Place
Marta Balaga Upcoming six-part series “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is set in one of the most infamous concentration camps in history. And yet, “it’s a love story.” “When Lali says that, you are supposed to question his words. But they did meet there, they did fall in love, they did survive and went on to live in Australia.
Robert Schildhouse Upped at BritBox International
Naman Ramachandran Robert Schildhouse will serve in an expanded role at streamer BritBox International following the departure of global CEO Reemah Sakaan. Schildhouse, who previously had stints with Hulu and CBS, joined the streamer in 2022, with his most recent position being general manager, North America, and group editorial for BritBox International, where he was instrumental in driving the service’s business growth in the U.S. and Canada.
BBC Studios Buys ‘The Newsreader’ Production Company Werner Film Productions
BBC Studios has acquired Werner Film Productions, the company behind Australian drama hit The Newsreader.
‘Dune: Part Two’ Nears $500M Global, Dusting 2021 Movie; ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Punches In At $177M As Rollout Expands – International Box Office
With a solid offshore hold, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is closing in on $500M globally. The overseas weekend brought in $51.2M across 73 markets, a 40% drop versus last session (-37% excluding China). The international box office cume through Sunday is $289.4M, and worldwide the running total is $494.7M. The latter figure means the film has already surpassed Villeneuve’s 2021 Dune worldwide.
‘My Stolen Planet’ Wins Top Prize At Thessaloniki Int’l Documentary Festival; Controversial ‘Stray Bodies’ Earns Festival Recognition
Iranian filmmaker Farahnaz Sharifi’s My Stolen Planet won the Golden Alexander at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival today, automatically qualifying the film for Oscar consideration.
Australia’s ‘House Of Gods’ Started Out As “‘The Sopranos’ In A Mosque,” Channeled ‘Succession’ & Ended Up In A Category All Of Its Own
Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making noise in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.