South African crime drama “Reyka,” a co-production between global producer-distributor Fremantle and South African broadcaster M-Net, has been greenlit for a second season. South African-born Kim Engelbrecht and Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”) will reprise their roles in the series from writer and creator Rohan Dickson, with production set to…
RTL
Fremantle has bought a majority stake in natural history producer Wildstar Films, continuing the company’s recent buying spree of largely European production companies. The Bertelsmann-owned super-indie has struck a strategic partnership with Wildstar, and has acquired a 51% stake in the company. Wildstar is best known for high-profile natural history…
Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in David Glover and Mark Raphael’s factual powerhouse 72 Films, the producers behind “9/11: One Day in America,” “The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty” and “All or Nothing: Arsenal.” The deal is the latest in a string of acquisitions for the Bertelsmann and RTL…
Long-time Fremantle executive Rob Clark, who has been virtually synonymous with the company’s success in the global formats business, is retiring after almost 20 years. The director of Global Entertainment — an animated character well known to many in the international industry — will officially depart in February 2023. Fremantle…
Banijay Group CEO Marco Bassetti may be making a smart marketing move by delivering a Mipcom keynote on Oct. 18, but the Italian executive insists that “PR, for us, comes after.” At the first major TV market for the “Survivor” distributor since its $2.2 billion acquisition of Endemol Shine Group…
Paris-based sales and co-production banner Have A Good One (HAGO), has boarded two new series, “Sex (re) Education” (“Septième Ciel”) and “Caro Nostra,” in the run up to Mipcom, the Cannes TV market. “Sex (re) Education” is a 10-part half-hour comedy series directed by Alice Vial, who won the Cesar…
Eric Welbers, who served as managing director of the production company NDF until the end of March, has set up the internationally focused content company Bravado Media, with headquarters in Munich. Bravado has acquired all of NDF’s shares in Italy’s Viola Film (an 80% stake), headed by Alessandro Passadore, and…
ACQUISITION/REBRANDING Banijay‘s planned acquisition of Sony Productions Film und Fernseh Produktions GmbH Germany (Sony Pictures Television Germany) from Sony Pictures is now complete. Following customary closing conditions, Banijay Germany has secured 100% stake in the company. The label, founded in 1995, will now operate as Noisy Pictures GmbH, with Astrid…
German media group Bertelsmann is expected to weigh in over the weekend on the offers it received for RTL Group’s 48.3% stake in M6 Group, France’s second largest commercial TV group. Bertelsmann put M6 Group back on the market a little over a week ago, after its planned merger with…