Tag Archive: Development Deal

  1. Zodiak Kids Secures Co-Development Deal for Detective Series

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    Zodiak Kids Studios, part of Banijay, today announces it has secured a co-development deal with Asner Productions to develop a live action TV series for 8 – 12 olds, based on the prize-winning book series, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency.

    The first book from The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency was published by Penguin Random House in 2015 and there are now four books across the series from best-selling author Jordan Stratford.

     

    In the series, history, mystery, science, and unlikely friendship collide in an alternate 19thCentury London, where teens Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet and form a detective agency — a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals.

     

     

    Steven Andrew comments:

     

    “We are delighted to be working with Anne-Marie to bring to life this wonderfully inventive and imaginative retelling of these two remarkable young women. Zodiak Kids has brought many entertaining and thought- provoking live action drama series to children worldwide, such as BAFTA Winning Joe All Alone, Secret Life of Boys & Millie Inbetween (CBBC) and The Lodge(Disney), and we are looking forward to bringing The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency into our portfolio.”

     

    Anne-Marie Asner, Founder of Asner Productions, co-development partner said:

     

    “I was drawn to the Wollstonecraft series because of its contemporary feel applied to a period piece for kids.  I believe its unstoppable science and literary odd couple girl leads alongside its use of real historic figures, like Ada Lovelace, Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, will be aspirational role models for viewers.  And who wouldn’t want to spend time with brilliant, eccentric and unintentionally funny Ada or feel calmed knowing that savvy, well-mannered and well-read Mary could smooth any social calamity?  Wollstonecraft’s Ada and Mary are who many of us would like to be or at least have as our best buddies.”

     

    The Executive Producer for the series will be Steven Andrew, Creative Director, Zodiak Kids.

    Zodiak Kids own international distribution rights to the series.

  2. Grimmfest and Greenacre Films Set to Collaborate on Fear Machine

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    Grimmfest, the UK’s leading horror movie festival has joined forces with UK production company Greenacre Films to develop and produce a new UK-centric horror anthology TV series, Fear Machine. Showcasing contemporary British tales of horror, the show will target a broad audience, as well as the modern horror fan.

    Grimmfest director Simeon Halligan says; “Horror is more popular than ever, with plenty of Film and TV content coming from North America, but in the Sixties and Seventies, it was the UK who dominated the horror scene  – we feel it’s time British horror was back in the limelight.”

    The producers aim to showcase the best of UK talent in the genre, by presenting a series of hour-long films that will encompass suspense, horror, mystery and the supernatural. Nadine Marsh-Edwards sees this as “a unique opportunity to explore new ways to comment on the human condition while being entertaining and downright scary.”

    Grimmfest has become one of the most respected horror genre film festivals, this year taking place between the 3-6 October at Odeon Great Northern in Manchester UK: www.grimmfest.com. It was recently voted one of the ’30 best genre film festivals in the World’ by Movie Maker magazine.

    Greenacre Films is an independent production company founded by award-winning producers Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks.  The business recently produced the Netflix Original feature film, Been so Long, and is currently working with some of the UK’s leading writing talent. The new partnership with Grimmfest will bring together the best of Horror talent from the worlds of film and television.

     

    The series will be distributed by Banijay Rights, with whom Greenacre Films has a first-look development deal.

     

  3. Reelz Gets Inside The Mind Of A Serial Killer as Banijay Rights and FirstLook TV Strike Co-Development Deal

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    Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, has sold series one and two of hit factual series, INSIDE THE MIND OF A SERIAL KILLER (20 x 60’). Produced by award-winning independent UK producer, FirstLook TV, the show has been picked up by Reelz in the US.

    The latest sale of INSIDE THE MIND OF A SERIAL KILLER follows those previously announced with the likes of Netflix, Discovery UK, UKTV’s Really Channel, Foxtel and The Justice Network.

    Banijay Rights and FirstLook TV also today announced a deal to co-develop and co-finance a new slate of crime-themed factual series for broadcasters worldwide. The agreement, covering a maximum of 10 new titles, will see Banijay Rights investing in research, sizzles and pilots at the outset, creating tasters for broadcasters and platforms before they commit to a full series and allowing Banijay Rights and FirstLook TV to produce true crime content without waiting for a commission. Banijay Rights will exclusively distribute the titles covered in the agreement.

    Andreas Lemos, Commercial Director – Factual, at Banijay Rights commented, “INSIDE THE MIND OF A SERIAL KILLER has been a huge success for us, thanks primarily to the way FirstLook TV has enthusiastically calibrated the series to the global market – with a balance of cases from all over the world, an array of multi-national experts, and first-hand testimonies and chilling archive. The fact that Reelz has picked up the series for the US really proves that FirstLook TV are masters in the genre and we’re looking to boost this model further with our crime co-development deal.”

    Will Hanrahan, Creative Director at FirstLook TV, added, “Creating compelling factual series brands that are enjoyed across the globe is one of FirstLook TV’s key objectives. We’re delighted to build on the success of INSIDE THE MIND OF A SERIAL KILLER and collaborate with the fantastic team at Banijay Rights on this 10 series collection of brand-new crime-themed factual programming for the international market.”