Tag: Entertainment-Variety

The Motion Picture Association is stepping up its overseas anti-piracy effort by appointing former Disney digital anti-piracy executive Thomas Limouzin-Lamothe in the newly created role of VP content protection across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Limouzin-Lamothe will report to Larissa Knapp, the former high-ranking FBI official and anti-piracy investigator who in 2024 joined the MPA as EVP and chief content protection officer.

Limouzin-Lamothe will now lead the MPA’s content protection strategy across EMEA. “He will work closely with regional stakeholders, law enforcement agencies, industry partners, and member companies to address the challenges of digital piracy, including live sports piracy and illicit IPTV piracy,” according to a statement.

The MPA leads global anti-piracy organization Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment that comprises more than 50 media companies around the world whose governing board members are Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery. A recent ACE member is the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which joined in October 2025.

Recently, studios have been taking legal action against AI firms such as China’s MiniMax for using copyrighted characters including Darth Vader, Spider-Man and Batman to generate content, as well as Chinese tech giant ByteDance for its controversial AI video generation tool Seedance 2.0, marking a shift in the anti-piracy fight toward defending IP against AI-driven copyright infringement.

“I’m honored to join the Motion Picture Association at a time when collaboration and innovation are more important than ever in protecting creative works,” Limouzin-Lamothe said in the statement. “I look forward to working with MPA members and regional partners to strengthen enforcement, disrupt illegal services and support a sustainable creative ecosystem throughout EMEA in an ever-evolving piracy landscape.”

Limouzin-Lamothe started his career as an IP litigator, spending a decade working at top French law firms. His experience spans intellectual property law, cybercrime enforcement and large-scale anti-piracy operations in both private practice and in-house leadership roles. Prior to Disney, he held positions at 21st Century Fox and Microsoft, “where he built and led multinational teams, developed region-wide enforcement strategies and delivered measurable revenue and compliance outcomes across EMEA, with a focus on the Middle East, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe,” the statement said.

As Disney’s chief legal counsel for anti-piracy in EMEA, Limouzin-Lamothe was involved in global investigations where he helped manage intelligence-driven enforcement initiatives protecting films, television content, streaming platforms and sports rights across multiple markets in the region.

Beta Film has secured a wave of international sales for the British hit series “Patience,” bringing the Channel 4 show to 100 territories around the world.

“Patience” travels to AMC Networks for Latin America, ABC for Australia, and across Africa to BBC Brit. In Europe, RAI acquired the rights to the series for Italy, while ProSiebenSat.1 bought the series for Germany, VRT for Belgium, TET for Latvia and Telia for Estonia. In Asia, NOW TV in Hong Kong and NHK in Japan have acquired the rights, as well as Ajara TV for Georgia. Previous deals with Scandinavia, Spain, New Zealand and others have already been announced.

Produced by Eagle Eye Drama in association with Beta Film, “Patience” Season 2 continues to build on its success: On Channel 4, the series was the channel’s most-watched show across linear and streaming since its return. With the first episode delivering a 28-day audience of 4.2 million, and streaming viewing minutes up 38% year on year, this marks 18% rise on the launch of Season 1.

In the U.S., “Patience” was also one of the most popular series of 2025 on PBS’s digital platforms.

Set in the historic city of York, “Patience” Season 2 once more stars Ella Maisy Purvis as the young police archivist Patience Evans, who is joined by a new team lead, Detective Frankie Monroe, played by BAFTA winner Jessica Hynes (“Miss Austen,” “The Franchise”), to tackle a series of tricky and twisted crimes. Detective Frankie Monroe brings a radically different management style, sparking tensions and forcing both “Patience” and “Frankie” to adjust.

Recently greenlit for a third season, “Patience” is set to begin shooting in Belgium and York this spring. Returning alongside Ella Maisy Purvis and Jessica Hynes are Nathan Welsh (“Trying,” “Domina”), Mark Benton (“Bookish,” “Inside No. 9”), Adrian Rawlins (“Inspector Barnaby,” “Slow Horses”), Tom Lewis (“Gentlemen Jack”), Ali Ariaie (“The Great,” “The Couple Next Door – Deadly Attraction”), and Liza Sadovy (“Outlander,” “A Real Pain”).

Behind the camera, Maarten Moerkerke (“Professor T”) returns as director and is joined by Jan Matthys (“Outlander”). Matt Baker, lead writer on “Patience” Season 1, returns and joins forces with Amy Shindler and Beth Chalmers, both lead writers of Season 2.

Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino serve as executive producers across all seasons.

Beta Film handles worldwide distribution. PBS Distribution holds the North American rights to “Patience.”

Anthony Chen’s Berlinale competition title “We Are All Strangers” has proven to be a hot title, with Paris-based Paradise City Sales locking in distribution partners across the world.

The film made history as the first Singaporean entry ever to compete in Berlin’s main competition section. Among the deals closed are ARP Selection (France), Curzon (U.K. and Ireland), Elastica Films (Spain), Trigon Film (Switzerland), A-One Films (Baltics), Ama Films (Greece), Golden Scene (Hong Kong), Movicloud (Taiwan), Challan (South Korea), PT Falcon (Indonesia) and Moving Turtle (Middle East and North Africa), with additional negotiations still ongoing.

The new film rounds out what Chen has called his “Growing Up” trilogy, a body of work that began with “Ilo Ilo,” which won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes, and continued with “Wet Season.” Set in contemporary Singapore, the new film again features Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler, who have appeared throughout the trilogy. Paradise City Sales has represented Chen’s work internationally across all three films, as well as “Drift,” with the films collectively travelling to Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin.

The film is written and directed by Chen and produced by Huang Wenhong and Chen for Giraffe Pictures, with Joe Tsai, Arthur Wang and KH Kuok serving as executive producers. Financing comes from the Singapore Film Commission and the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund.

“Dreams swiftly turn to survival strategies in Anthony Chen‘s gentle, perceptive domestic saga, and love isn’t always enough to live on,” wrote Guy Lodge, reviewing the film for Variety. “The film is consistently involving and finally moving, sparked especially by Chen regular Yeo Yann Yann’s wonderful performance as an immigrant outsider in this family and society alike.”

“We’ve long appreciated Anthony’s work, and it’s a pleasure to finally be able to work together on ‘We Are All Strangers,’ a film which has the rare ability to build a deep intimacy with its characters whilst also revealing the heart of a nation,” said Curzon managing director Louisa Dent. “We believe it will be a welcome discovery for audiences in the U.K. and Ireland.”

“We are incredibly proud to work with Anthony Chen and to bring his deeply moving and universal cinema to Spanish audiences,” said Elastica director Enrique Costa. “With ‘We Are All Strangers,’ he crafts a powerful and emotionally resonant portrait of the family we are born into and the family we choose, confirming his place as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema.”

Other titles on the Paradise City Sales slate include Moshe Rosenthal’s “Tell Me Everything,” in Sundance’s World Cinema Competition; Warwick Thornton’s “Wolfram,” competing at the Berlinale; and Mees Peijnenburg’s “A Family,” which picked up a Special Mention in the Berlinale Generation section.

As the London TV Screenings kick into high gear, Banijay Rights is set to bring to market upcoming BBC title “The Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley,” a new six-part docuseries separating truth behind some of the most hyped health claims on social media. 

The series was announced by the BBC last September, but Banijay Rights acquisition of global distribution rights is much for recent, in time for its LTVS showcase on Feb. 25. 

The pick-up also marks Banijay’s first partnership with London and U.S.-based Nutopia, founded in 2009 by Jane Root, a leading premium docuseries producer behind “America: The Story of Us” and “Limitless With Chris Hemsworth.”

“The Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley” sees Dooley working with doctors and scientists to expose the truth, if there is any, behind what Banijay describes as the internet’s most hyped medical claims, from fitness boosters to pain beaters, youth elixirs to fat busters. 

“With social media playing an increasing role in all our lives, ‘The Clickbait Clinic’s’ final verdict could be life changing… or lifesaving,” says Banijay Rights.

Headed by Root, a former BBC Two controller (1999-2004) and president of Discovery Networks (2004-07), Nutopia’s factual series event premium docuseries may be celebrity-narrated but seek to trace the forces shaping our world, as in “Pole to Pole With Will Smith,” currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. 

In like fashion, “The Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley” will also seek to figure out how a trend went viral, meet the key influencers driving the buzz and how online trends are shaping our health choices – at a time when 1 in 3 Brits now turn to social media for health advice, Fremantle Rights noted Tuesday.

“‘The Clickbait Clinic’ is a bold, timely and hugely engaging series that takes a deep dive into some of the internet’s most extreme and obscure health claims,” said Nicola Davey, VP acquisitions, Banijay Rights. 

She added: “Speaking directly to the digital culture shaping our lives, this programme unpacks the mechanics of online information in a way that feels accessible, globally relevant and entertaining.”

“‘The Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley’ taps into a global shift in how we make decisions about our health – in a world where social media and viral ‘miracle’ claims travel fast,” noted Simon Willgoss, Nutopia Chief Creative Officer. “It’s a subject that resonates everywhere, and Stacey tackles it with a mix of proper rigour, curiosity and humour that gives it mainstream appeal. It’s a great first partnership with Banijay Rights on global distribution, and we can’t wait to share the series with audiences around the world.”

With a relatively short turn-around time documentaries can tap into cutting-edge Zeitgeist much more easily than scripted fare.  Presented Sunday, an Ampere Analysis report revealed that commissioning of documentaries is 15% down from peak TV, which isn’t anything as much as scripted TV, which has plunged 25%. Of doc types, the only to register an increase last year over 2024 is medical & health and biography. 

The new docuseries “epitomises the depth and range that sits in Banijay Entertainment’s multi-genre catalogue as we head into The London TV screenings,” said Davey.

“The Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley” joins a Banijay Entertainment’s non-scripted (finished tape) line-up for The London TV Screenings 2026 takes in, as revealed by Variety, “America’s Toughest Jails” for Discovery from Lucky 8; Channel 4’s “Mission To Space with Francis Bourgeois” from Shine TV; “Bear Grylls – Wild Reckoning” for BBC One, BBC Cymru Wales and iPlayer from Tŷ’r Ddraig (part of Workerbee); Emmy-winning documentary collection “Super Bowl Champions” from NFL Films and BD4; and CNN Original series Eva Longoria: “Searching for France” from Hyphenate Media Group. 

Global colossus Fremantle has added to its vast entertainment portfolio, securing worldwide production, development and distribution rights outside Japan to “Special Delivery,” a whacky fun comedy game show co-developed by Amsterdam’s Blue Circle, a Fremantle company, and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), the top Japanese producer and broadcaster.

Fremantle will bring “Special Delivery” to market at this week’s London TV Screenings, the biggest European TV sales platform of the first six months of the year, where the RTL-owned Super Indie hold a Feb. 27 upfront.

Billed by Fremantle as an “irresistibly fun comedy competition,” “Special Delivery” plays to Japan’s strength as an format export power, Variety noted Monday: “high-concept entertainment formats built around simple game mechanics.” 

Here, comedians are sent on hilarious missions to try to deliver anything, anywhere, anyhow. The parcels they collect at Delivery HQ are “absurd,” the destinations “impossible” and the conditions “ridiculous.” The net result is “unpredictable deliveries that create maximum mischief, laugh-out-moments and instantly visual, viral-ready comedy,” Fremantle noted Tuesday, announcing its deal on “Special Delivery.”

Commissioned for TBS in Japan, “Special Delivery” bowed this January in Japan, where its debut episode ranked No. 1 in its time slot, scoring a 28% audience share. 

Played by celebrities in Japan, the format can be adapted to different casting approaches worldwide, Fremantle noted.

“As a broadcaster known for bold, inventive comedy, TBS has been an exceptional creative partner, and together we’ve shaped a format that harnesses the originality of Japanese entertainment into something with clear global potential,” said Vasha Wallace, Fremantle EVP global acquisitions and development, global entertainment. “There is a strong appetite worldwide for big, visual, laugh-out-loud comedy, and ‘Special Delivery’ has all the ingredients to travel and connect with audiences beyond Japan,” she added. 

“We’re delighted to partner with Fremantle on ‘Special Delivery,’ and proud of what the teams have created together in Japan. The format’s bold physical comedy and playful competition feel universally entertaining, and we’re excited to see the format reach audiences internationally,” observed Kentaro Fukuda, head of global IP studio at TBS.

Blue Circle is a 100% Fremantle subsidiary which is one of the biggest and most prolific Netherlands specialists in entertainment, daily show, sports and lifestyle programming, behind Dutch reversions of “Dancing With the Stars,” “Idols” and “X-Factor.”

TBS ranks as one of Japan’s biggest media conglomerates, with a bevy of international format breakouts, such as game show “Takeshi’s Castle,” sports entertainment reality format “Ninja Warrior,” sold to 160 territories, and variety show “Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan,” which spawned “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

Newly formed Australian independent production banner Filmbarr is making its formal debut at SXSW 2026 with two films in the festival’s lineup, anchored by the world premiere of psychological thriller “And Her Body Was Never Found,” while simultaneously unveiling a four-title slate that spans elevated horror, true crime and prestige drama.

Founded by Tristan Barr (“Subject,” “Head Count”), longtime collaborator Josh Doke – one of the forces behind breakout indie hit “Skinamarink” – and producing partner Erin Crittenden (“The Grand Tour,” “Seven Snipers”), Filmbarr is positioning itself as a home for formally inventive, filmmaker-driven genre cinema built to travel internationally. The company’s mandate centers on pairing bold directors with recognizable international casts, bridging festival and commercial audiences at disciplined budget levels.

“And Her Body Was Never Found,” which lands in SXSW’s Visions section for risk-taking artists, is perhaps the most literal embodiment of that philosophy. Inspired by the self-contained filmmaking ethos of Robert Rodriguez, Banks and Cohen wrote, directed, and starred in the film – essentially functioning as their own crew – shooting across Washington State’s national parks while hauling their own gear and operating out of a rental van. The script was assembled from real arguments between the couple, reframed as a cinematic metaphor for being trapped in a communicative spiral, as their characters’ attempts to reconnect devolve into murder. The pair generated the film’s entire budget through clinical trial participation and credit cards.

Also premiering at SXSW is “Dead Eyes,” a visceral horror feature from director Richard Williams shot entirely in a specialist-designed first-person POV format. The film stars Mischa Heyward (“Bring Her Back”), Ana Thu Nguyen (“Mortal Kombat”), Stephen Phillips (“Bring Her Back”), Alea O’Shea (“Sissy”) and Charles Cottier (“Demon Disorder”).

Beyond SXSW, Filmbarr has two additional titles in the pipeline. Australian fantasy-horror “Deathkeeper” will world premiere at FrightFest in March. Based on a novel, the elevated genre film follows an angel cursed to age decades each time he saves a life, and features an ensemble cast including Shuang Hu (“Five Blind Dates”), Peter Thurnwald (“XO, Kitty”), Isabella Procida (“Rock Island Mysteries”), Charles Cottier (“Seven Snipers”), George Pullar (“Evil Dead Burn”) and Matt Caffoe (“Dunny Derby”). Collectively the cast commands more than 18 million social media followers, reflecting Filmbarr’s strategy of aligning traditional genre storytelling with strong digital reach.

Rounding out the slate is “Cut Sick,” a psychological crime drama directed by Amanda Kaye exploring the story of one of Australia’s most notorious female murderers. The project previously participated in the Biennale College Cinema at the Venice Film Festival and is moving into production later this year, signaling Filmbarr’s expansion into prestige-leaning true crime with strong international festival potential. Action feature “Seven Snipers,” starring Tim Roth, Radha Mitchell, Ioan Gruffudd and Ryan Kwanten, is also among the company’s upcoming releases.

“The independent market has tightened significantly, particularly around pre-sales,” said Barr. “To compete in a landscape dominated by IP and in-house streamer production, the model must evolve. Audiences will always look for singular authentic voices and distinct cinematic experiences. We’re building Filmbarr around projects that can cut through on originality.”

Crittenden added: “Budgets are contracting, but the tools available to filmmakers have never been more powerful. Technology is enabling ambitious storytelling at a fraction of traditional costs. The opportunity now lies in backing filmmakers with bold perspectives and giving them the creative latitude to deliver something the market hasn’t seen before.”

Banks said of “And Her Body Was Never Found”: “We really put everything we had into this movie, not only our finances, but our experiences, our secrets, our fears. Both of us have dreamed of making movies our entire lives, though, so what could be more worth the risk?”

Cohen added: “We studied the dysfunction in our communication inside and out, and learned to accept and rely on each other in ways we never thought possible.”

What’s old is new again.

One of the headliners on Banijay Entertainment’s formats slate at London TV Screenings this week is a rebooted returning show, “Fear Factor: House of Fear,” Lucas Green, Banijay Entertainment’s chief content officer, operations, tells Variety.

Green says that it “really hit the sweet spot of what audiences and clients want,” adding “What they’ve done with ‘Fear Factor’ is a very simple twist, which is they’ve turned it into an arced reality.”

“By turning it into an arced show with a reality cast who are in it together, and rather than just doing one off, very terrifying challenges, it’s got a bigger reality storyline as well, which links them all together. And I think it’s no coincidence that it’s done amazingly well on streaming.”

The show, hosted by Johnny Knoxville, is Hulu’s number one streamed show, he says, and between Fox and Hulu the new season, after the fifth episode, has seen 1.5 billion minutes streamed already.

“It totally justifies this idea of turning it into an arced reality show that you want to come back and see what happens to the ‘Fear Factor’ contestants. They’re living in a scary cabin in the wood, and as well as trying to overcome their fears, they’re trying to overcome each other and have an ultimate winner.”

Banijay is already in talks for the show to return and for European territories to make local versions.

“It’s not just been a case of bringing back an old title, but it’s a really neat response to the types of shows and the structure of how people are consuming their shows.

“It’s taken what was previously a close ended show and turned it into an arc reality.”

Other hot returning shows include “The Summit” and “Shaolin Heroes,” which both launched in the last two to three years, and are now gaining traction. “The Summit” has local versions in seven territories and “Shaolin Heroes” in six. He ascribes the success of these to a certain extent to producers “being able to learn from the lessons of other territories.”

“I think combining all of that editorial expertise to not just be the format police who tell you how you have to make the show, we really do provide opportunities to allow you to take these big, new IPs and work with them creatively and adapt them to local needs and budgets and cultures.”

One thing these shows have in common, he says, is that they are stripped reality so they are very bingeable. “They are all the types of shows that you would watch two or three episodes back-to-back. They work very well on streaming.”

One aspect that is relatively new is the introduction of content creators to the mix. For example, they have been included in the cast of Banijay’s “The Fifty.”

“[These shows] are very well suited to content creators who can bring pre-existing followers and audiences. They’re a kind of a new breed of VIP. And I think that in the past, the word ‘influencer’ got a bad name, but actually a lot of these content creators know their audience really, really well, and they have got very passionate, dedicated followings.”

ZDF Studios has taken international distribution rights to Season 4 of premium factual series “Ancient Superstructures,” a new run that will prominently feature Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia as it heads toward a milestone moment this June.

Produced by Pernel Media in association with RMC Découverte, Histoire, SBS and ZDF Studios, the new season is currently in production and slated for completion this spring. 

ZDF Studios has secured rights across worldwide markets excluding French-speaking territories and Australia.

“Ancient Superstructures” has carved out a distinctive niche in the landmarks-and-history space by pairing high-end CGI with scientific investigation, using a multi-scale approach — from satellite imagery to microscopic analysis — to decode the engineering behind some of the world’s most iconic monuments.

Season 4’s itinerary spans multiple territories and eras, with episodes dedicated to Greece’s Acropolis of Athens, Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, and France’s Pierrefonds Castle and the medieval city of Carcassonne.

The marquee installment, however, centers on the Sagrada Familia, where the production has been granted exclusive access to film the placing of the final stone on the basilica’s main structure — positioned by the producers as a historic TV moment.

The June milestone coincides with the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí’s death and the official inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ. 

Topping out at 172.5 meters (565.9 feet), the basilica is set to become the tallest church in the world. While the main structure and its 18 towers are scheduled for completion in 2026, additional decorative work on the Glory Façade is expected to continue through 2034, giving the season a time-stamped, front-row view of one of Europe’s most ambitious long-term builds.

“This franchise has consistently set the gold standard for factual programming by blending high-end CGI with rigorous scientific investigation,” said Nikolas Huelbusch, director of unscripted at ZDF Studios. “Being able to capture the historic completion of the Sagrada Família — a project 144 years in the making — is a testament to the series’ relevance,” he added.

“Our mission has always been to reveal the ‘invisible’ secrets of these marvels through cutting-edge technology. With Season 4, we are taking this to a new level,” said Pernel Media executive producer Fabrice Frank.

Pernel Media founder and CEO Samuel Kissous added: “This franchise reflects exactly the kind of premium, internationally resonant programming Pernel is committed to producing.”

The deal underscores ZDF Studios’ role as a global distributor and co-production partner within the commercial arm of German public broadcaster ZDF, while France- and U.K.-based Pernel Media continues to scale an international slate spanning premium factual alongside a growing English-language scripted pipeline.

Robert Carradine, an American actor best known for his roles in the 1984 comedy film “Revenge of the Nerds” and the 2001 Disney Channel original series “Lizzie McGuire,” has died. He was 71.

Hilary Duff, who played Carradine’s titular on-screen daughter in “Lizzie McGuire,” shared news of the actor’s death in an Instagram tribute on Monday night.

“This one hurts,” she wrote. “It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him , his family and everyone who loved him.”

Jake Thomas, who played Carradine’s son Matt McGuire on the Disney sitcom, also shared a tribute on Instagram.

“My heart hurts today,” Thomas wrote. “I was fortunate to know Bobby for most of my life. And he was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric. He was a talented actor, musician and director. But more than anything, he was family. I have many fond memories of being with him and his family throughout my life. Good moments, challenging moments and lots of laughs in between.”

He continued, “I looked up to him growing up. And later, I came to realize he thought I was pretty neat, too. So I guess I was doing something right.”

Carradine starred alongside Anthony Edwards in Jeff Kanew’s 1984 cult classic “Revenge of the Nerds.” In “Lizzie McGuire,” he played the McGuire family patriarch, Sam. His other notable film credits include “Escape from L.A.,” “The Big Red One,” “Body Bags,” “The Long Riders” and “Django Unchained.”

Carradine was born in 1954 to a family of entertainers. His father was actor John Carradine. Two of his brothers, David and Keith Carradine, were actors and filmmakers, while his third sibling, Christopher Carradine, was a Disney Imagineer. His breakout film was the 1972 western “The Cowboys,” in which he appeared alongside John Wayne.