Yahoo Sports International Insider: Nordic & CEE Deep Dive; Annecy Attack; Harry Takes The Stand
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Nordic & CEE Deep Dive
Rapid deterioration: Deadline’s in-depth analysis of the Danish TV market last week preceded one of the biggest shocks in the Scandi industry for decades. In the early hours of Monday morning, the region’s streaming powerhouse Viaplay issued a trading update signaling the immediate resignation of CEO Anders Jensen and the scorching of the group’s long-term financial guidance amidst rapid deterioration in the ad market and subscriber churn. Viaplay has been growing aggressively in recent years, greenlighting one original per week such as the high-profile Ronja the Robber’s Daughter adaptation (pictured), snapping up sports rights, and launching in key territories including the U.S., but it appears the growth has been a smidgeon too fast and stock has been tumbling. The board’s move was swift and Jensen has already been replaced by Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, the ex-CEO of former Viaplay parent MTG, while we revealed Thursday that the outfit’s studios divisions have been merged leading to several layoffs (this, Viaplay stressed, is unrelated to the boardroom changes). I was at the NEM market in Dubrovnik Monday to Wednesday and the Viaplay news was the talk of the confab, with EVP North America Vanda Rapti labeling Jensen’s strategy “extremely ambitious” during one of several keynotes. How the world-beating industry that forged Borgen, The Killing and The Bridge reacts to Viaplay teething problems will be key as the Scandis attempt to dig themselves out of an economic hole impacting territories worldwide.
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A bit more positive: There was a positive air to things in Croatia, however, and it wasn’t just the beating sunshine and tip-top cuisine. The great and good of the CEE market were in attendance for NEM’s 10th anniversary along with some high-profile keynote speakers, each of whom shined a spotlight on local talent and pointed out that the U.S. slowdown is helping them put these writers, directors, and producers on the map. Kicking off the three-dayer, The X Files EP Frank Spotnitz, who has blooded more than 100 European scribes via his Serial Eyes writing course, called for a “set of core values” along with “practical concrete strategies” to help improve TV writing in Europe. According to Spotnitz, the “erosion of the power of writers in the U.S.” can serve as a “learning opportunity” for European storytellers, and he said Europeans should use the learnings of the writers strike to “be proactive” once it’s over. Execs from Movistar, Warner Bros. Discovery, and SkyShowtime were also on hand to talk keen audiences through local opportunities, and Monty Sarhan, who runs the latter, came out with confidence. “We are sending a message that our content doesn’t have to cost a fortune to watch,” said the CEO of the fledgling streamer. All our NEM coverage can be read here.
Annecy
Horrendous attack: The Annecy International Animation Film Festival kicks off Sunday but the lead-up to the animation confab has been dominated by a horrendous knife attack that took place Thursday morning in the city, which left six people including four children hurt. At the time of writing, two children remain in critical condition and French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte were visiting the city. One person was arrested at the scene, with no official details on the identity and motive of the attacker. Our thoughts go out to the people affected by the attack. The attack came just days before the fest, which will see some 14,000 animation enthusiasts descend on the city. Competition title Sirocco And The Kingdom Of The Winds will open, while others competing include China’s Art College 1994, UK/Luxembourg’s Kensuke’s Kingdom and Hungary’s Four Souls of Coyote. Per Mel’s Tuesday scoop, Gebeka International has boarded sales on the latter. You can check out Mel’s Annecy coverage throughout next week.
Harry Takes The Stand
Headline generator: For someone so averse to them, the Duke of Sussex is rather good at generating snappy headlines. Prince Harry this week became the first British royal in well over 100 years to give evidence in the high court and, after missing the first day potentially to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, revealed he had played up to media descriptions of “being a thicko,” accused the tabloids of “inciting hatred” and blasted a UK government “at rock bottom.” Harry is in the dock after he and multiple others sued The Daily Mirror publisher Mirror Group Newspapers for phone hacking, with accusations of foul play that took place while a certain Piers Morgan was editor, a man who Harry said makes him feel “physically sick.” The trial has reignited debates surrounding UK press intrusion that led to the high-profile closure of Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World over 10 years ago. The Duke’s testimony is over for now but the trial will likely last another few weeks. We’ll be keeping a watchful eye.
Mahon & Katz U-Turn
No bonus 4 U: The noise around Channel 4 from the UK production community has reached serious levels in the past weeks. Since we broke the news of the network culling a high-profile Four Weddings reboot, more and more has been said about the financial woes currently impacting the UK’s youth-skewing broadcaster, some of which relates to global macroeconomic shocks and some very much unique to the network. On Monday, we brought news that CEO Alex Mahon (pictured left), programs boss Ian Katz (pictured right), and commercial head Jonathan Allan will forgo bonuses of more than £100,000 ($124,000) until the company has navigated its way through a chastening ad market slump – bonuses that had been attracting ire from across the UK’s production and freelance community. Producers were satisfied with the move but many questioned why these bonuses – which would have made Mahon C4’s highest-paid CEO in its 40-year history – were being taken in the first place. Word continues to spread of Channel 4 cancellations at the eleventh hour and budgetary turmoil, with more news likely incoming in the coming weeks. There is a feeling that Channel 4’s financial issues have been compounded by heavy spending on sport, including England football matches, and big programing bets like Rise and Fall, an 18-part social experiment from The Traitors producer Studio Lambert that has broadly been deemed a failure, according to our analysis. One producer told Deadline he felt commissioning will not get back to normal until September.
Rebel Rebel
“Take the ‘b’ out of billionaire”: To Breaking Baz, who brought news of a Rebel Wilson record deal and label. “Take the ‘b’ out of billionaire and replace it with an ‘r’ for Rebel,” quipped the Australian comic, as she introduced the world to Rebillionaire. The idea came after Warner Music heard songs from the Pitch Perfect star’s directorial debut The Deb and liked what it heard, and Rebillionaire’s first release will now be The Deb’s soundtrack, due out later next year with the film’s launch. Baz spoke with Rebel about the label’s beginnings, how The Deb began, and her quest to find the next wave of Australian talent.
The Essentials
🌶️ Hot One: Beatles manager movie Midas Man has its third director and has finally reached post.
🌶️ Another one: The BBC is making a TV adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo’s Mr Loverman starring Lennie James.
🌶️ A third: Hirokazu Kora-eda’s Palme d’Or contender Monster sold to China, LatAm and Canada.
⛺ Festival: Next year’s Cannes Film Festival will take place May 14 to 25.
⛺ More festivals: Leo Leigh’s directorial debut Sweet Sue and Vincent Perez’s The Edge Of The Blade are set for Filmfest München.
⛺ Stop it festivals: Helen Mirren-starrer Golda will open Jerusalem.
✊ Solidarity: Global protest set for London’s Leicester Square on Wednesday as writers strike enters second month.
🏪 Setting up shop: Josh Berger and his Battersea Entertainment, which revealed its debut project.
🤝 Done deal: Peter Chernin’s North Road unveiled its debut international acquisition – Turkish Rise of Empires producer Karga Seven.
🍆 Eggplant: ITV’s This Morning editor Martin Frizell was firmly rebuked for labeling the vegetable “toxic.” Intrigued?
🍿 Box office: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swung to a $209M Global bow.
🎥 Trail: For Shaka Ilembe, MultiChoice Group’s self-described “biggest ever primetime drama series.”
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