Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Scripted

  1. Banijay Bolsters Scripted Division with Steve Matthews

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    Content powerhouse Banijay today announces the addition of Steve Matthews to its central scripted department. Appointed Content Partnerships Executive, the HBO Europe alumni will report to recently announced Global Head of Scripted, Christian Wikander. In the newly devised role, which commences on 1 February, he will act as a key facilitator in the group’s production development process, supporting in driving co-production opportunities across the Nordics, Spain and beyond, and generally building out the business’ pipeline and creative partnerships primarily across drama.

    Matthews joins the 22-territory organisation from HBO Europe, where he most recently served as VP, Executive Producer, Scripted, having joined the business back in 2014. In that post, he partnered with local teams across Central Europe, Spain and Nordics, to spearhead the development of original series and miniseries, as well as international adaptations. There he worked on productions including Pustina, Umbre, Blinded By The Lights, Uspjeh, The Sleepers, Foodie Love, Gösta; and from Banijay’s footprint specifically, 30 Coins (Pokeepsie), Beforeigners (Rubicon), and Beartown (Filmlance).

    Marco Bassetti, Chief Executive Officer, Banijay comments: “Scripted very much remains an area in which we want to grow our business, and over the past few years, we have really focused on nurturing a solid premium pipeline, further building our position reputationally in the market. Through organic growth and M&A, we will continue to strengthen our capabilities in this arena and in Steve, we have vast amounts of knowledge, and hands-on experience, which will be invaluable as we continue to expand our portfolio.”

    Steve Matthews comments: “Banijay has an impressive collection of scripted labels and some of the most anticipated and enjoyed titles in the world. Both locally and internationally, it has carved a name for itself as a go-to for quality and creativity. It will be great to be reunited with Christian in continuing to spur on the group’s catalogue potential and support its fantastic talent in taking even more shows from development to commission worldwide.”

    Prior to his eight-year stint at HBO Europe, Matthews was at Octagon Films in Dublin, where he produced four seasons of RTE’s award-winning gangster series, Love/Hate, and was Consulting Producer on all three runs of Showtime’s The Borgias starring Jeremy Irons. With a strong track record in premium scripted, he has also enjoyed periods as Head of Development at Ray Winstone’s Size 9 Productions, a script editor on the BBC’s long-running drama, Silent Witness, and as co-creator and producer of Urban Gothic for the UK’s Channel 5. Beyond the screen, he teaches regularly at the Midpoint writing programmes and has lectured at Serial Eyes and Series Mania.

  2. Producer Paria Eskandari Joins Endemol Shine Finland

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    Endemol Shine Finland, today announces Paria Eskandari will join the acclaimed company as a producer. Starting in August, she will bolster the scripted arm of the company, reporting to Head of Scripted Max Malka.

     

    Having worked on prestigious international feature films, Eskandari will work with Max Malka as a producer of Endemol Shine Finland’s scripted series and films. She joins from Aamu Film Company, where she line-produced the award-winning films, Any Day Now and Cannes Grand Prix winner Compartment No.6, as well as The Woodcutter Story, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week. In addition, Eskandari has worked on the new YA series, Zone-B, for Yle, as well as several documentaries and short films.

    Max Malka, Head of Scripted at Endemol Shine Finland comments: “Paria is well-known as a dedicated filmmaker who focuses on both the story and the people. She has a fantastic reputation within the film community, and her expertise will ensure we further grow our scripted slate and bring our know-how to the Finnish and international market. It’s going to be an absolute pleasure to work on several interesting new projects together.”

    Paria Eskandari says: “I am excited to get an opportunity to start building productions at Endemolshine Finland. It is important that I have inspiring talents around me that share the same values as I do. Having always admired Max Malka as a filmmaker, I can’t wait to start creating unique stories together.”

    Unne Sormunen, Managing Director of Endemol Shine Finland adds: “We are very pleased to welcome Paria Eskandari to our talented scripted team and Banijay’s stellar international collective of producers. With Paria’s enthusiasm and talent, we can further build our slate of sustainably produced projects aimed at local and international markets.”

    Endemol Shine Finland, a Banijay company, is one of the country’s largest production companies, with a strong portfolio of non-scripted hits including Big Brother, LEGO® Masters, MasterChef, as well as new original IP Save the Date. The company is also producing premium scripted shows like the Netflix-Yle co-production Dance Brothers, set to premiere in 2023.

  3. Banijay Asia Announces the Official Indian Adaptation of the Canadian Award-Winning psychological thriller Vertige

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    Banijay today announces Banijay Asia, one of India’s foremost production houses, is collaborating with Armoza Formats, part of ITV Studios, to bring the official adaptation of the award-winning Canadian mini-series, Vertige, to screen. Via the partnership, the Deepak Dhar-led outfit will reimagine this psychological thriller for the Indian audience.

     

    The high-profile Canadian show, originally broadcast in French, deconstructs the alleged suicide of a young girl, Daphne Roussel. Vertige follows her as she miraculously wakes up from a three-month long coma with no memory of the 24 hours prior to her alleged suicide attempt. Struggling to put pieces together about the events, the question is raised – is it a suicide attempt or was it a murder? As every new piece of the puzzle is revealed, another layer of the story is discovered, in this intense, unpredictable, psychological thriller, which has you on the edge-of-your-seat.

     

    Deepak Dhar CEO & Founder, Banijay Asia said, “Our audience is developing a vast appetite for exciting and engaging content, making it increasingly important to bring innovative, catchy titles to screen. Armoza Format’s Vertige is spellbindingly suspenseful, and the way the story catches you in the thrill-storm of the main character is extraordinary. Our audiences love strong narratives and solid characters, and Vertige is a series that fits the description seamlessly – it’s great to be collaborating to create our own, localised version of the show.”

     

    Salome Peillon, Head of Sales at Armoza Formats adds, “We are thrilled to see more of our scripted titles being adapted in India thanks to our great partners in the Indian market. Together with our partners at Banijay Asia, we are looking forward to bringing this thrilling drama series, Vertige, to the Indian viewers who have shown clear appetite for our scripted series.”

     

    The six-episode thriller, originally produced by Pixcom, received multiple awards at the prestigious Prix Gémeaux in 2012 for categories such as Best Direction, Best Writing and Best Original Music to name a few. Originally directed by Patrice Sauvé,  Vertige features a stunning cast with Fanny Mallette, Normand Daneau, Marilyn, Castonguay, Noémie Godin-Vigneau, Monique Spaziani and Germain Houde in the pivotal roles.

     

    Under the leadership of Deepak Dhar, Banijay Asia has constantly elevated viewing experience with global stories including critically-acclaimed French show, Call My Agent, Hostages, Survivor, The Voice, Into the Wild with Bear Grylls and The Big Picture.

     

    Armoza Formats is one of the top creators and distributors in the international content market and is known for its popular formats including prime-time singing competition, The Four and entertainment show I Can Do That!, hit game show Still Standing, and award-winning scripted drama, Hostages, which recently aired two seasons in India.

  4. Banijay Asia appoints Rajesh Chadha as Executive Vice President and Business Head, Scripted Content

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    Banijay today announces that Banijay Asia has appointed Rajesh Chadha as Executive Vice President and Business Head for the company’s scripted business. In this position, Rajesh will be responsible for developing the scripted slate for Banijay Asia, building its legacy going forward and taking the company to its next phase of growth.

     

    A media veteran with a career spanning over 27 years in the media and entertainment industry, Rajesh has spearheaded projects at prominent companies including BBC Studios, RBNL and Endemol. He led the content execution for award-winning OTT series, Criminal Justice and Out of Love at BBC Studios, and was also involved in Ajay Devgn’s digital debut, Rudra and Guilt & Press in early 2022.

     

    Rajesh Chadha says: “The Indian streaming space is facing a content revolution and Banijay Asia is leading the shift seamlessly. Producing premium content, associating with top streaming platforms, and collaborating with national and international studios to churn out newer formats, Banijay Asia is a uniquely positioned production house in the industry. I am looking forward to contributing towards the growth and success of Banijay Asia along with Deepak Dhar.”

     

    Deepak Dhar, CEO & Founder, Banijay Asia said: “Innovation and creation is the way forward in the rapidly changing content industry and we are delighted to have Rajesh join the leadership team. His determination and wealth of experience in the space will certainly add immense value to our future endeavors.”

     

    Banijay Asia is a hub for premium scripted and non-scripted content in India. Some of its key titles include Call My Agent: Bollywood, Tribhanga, Matsya Kaand, Hostages, Roar of the Lion, The Kapil Sharma Show, Myntra Fashion Superstar and Into the Wild with Bear Grylls.

  5. Banijay UK backs home grown talent with launch new scripted start up Double Dutch

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    Banijay UK are backing leading drama producer Iona Vrolyk in her own label, Double Dutch.

    The new label will capitalise on Iona’s reputation for developing and producing popular, original, returning series and her excellent relationships with top writing talent.

    Iona joined Tiger Aspect in 2013 and during her time with the company has developed and produced a range of successful, returning series for UK broadcasters. Her credits include Cuffs (BBC One), The Good Karma Hospital (ITV) and Intergalactic (Sky One).

    Working closely and having enduring relationships with a range of established and up and coming writers, Iona’s most lasting collaboration is with UK showrunner Julie Gearey.

    They first worked together on hit shows Secret Diary of a Call Girl (ITV 2) and Prisoners’ Wives (BBC One) before developing and executive producing Cuffs (BBC One) and most recently Intergalactic (Sky One). Through Double Dutch they are keen to build on their reputation for delivering high-end, entertaining and character-led series.

    Lucinda Hicks said; “Start-ups are hard, we all know that, but when you have exceptional talent like Iona at the helm, the decision to just go for it is made easy. She has a rock-solid reputation for delivering popular, returning titles. She understands how to be commercial but won’t compromise on creative ambition. Writers love working with her and so do we.”

    Iona Vrolyk added; “I am enormously excited to be launching Double Dutch at such a dynamic time in our industry. Double Dutch will focus on delivering high-end character-led original series. Julie Gearey and I already have exciting developments underway and I can’t wait to build a new slate of projects with the many wonderful writers that I have worked with in the past, as well developing new relationships too.”

    The company will launch with immediate effect.

     

     

  6. Banijay On The Run with New Dutch Drama Bonnie & Clyde

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    Banijay today announces Bonnie & Clyde, the first drama series commission from rebranded Dutch label, Banijay Benelux Scripted, formerly known as  EndemolShine Scripted.

     

    Bonnie & Clyde is a four-part mini-series for local streamer, Videoland, and tells the tale of  two young, rambunctious lovers and their violent quest for freedom. The narrative is inspired by a is co-true story named Bonnie & Clyde in the press, which captivated the whole of the Netherlands in February 2014.

     

    In the series, with only a few months left in juvenile detention, Esra Kaplan decides not to return to custody after a dramatic leave visit to her Turkish family. Instead, she and her boyfriend Greg Driessen go on the run. For the first time in their lives, Esra and Greg are free from everything and everyone, but with crimes going from  bad to worse, they become known as the “Bonnie &  Clyde of the Low Countries”. Will they escape and start over together – or will they eventually be overtaken by their past?

     

    Bonnie & Clyde is co-produced by Totem Media and is distributed globally by Banijay Rights, and will be among the company’s autumn highlights.  Further details of Banijay Benelux Scripted will be announced soon.

     

    Gerd-Jan van Dalen, Producer at Banijay Benelux Scripted says: “Everyone in the Netherlands was gripped with this original, unpredictable tale. Inspired by the real life events, and with true-crime stories becoming increasingly popular, we believe viewers will feel the suspense in this drama like never before.  With Banijay Rights distributing the title, we’re excited to launch the show to a global audience.”

     

    Banijay Benelux also houses award-winning producer, NL Film, the company behind global success Penoza, which has been adapted in numerous markets, including India, where it is known as Aarya for Disney+ Hotstar and has been nominated for an International Emmy. Other recent credits include Golden Hour for AVROTROS and NPO, Van der Valk for All3 Media and Company Pictures and Costa, a new film set for theatrical release.

     

    Also operating in the region is  Banijay Belgium, with Familie for VTM among their credits.

     

    Banijay is home to the world’s best scripted producers, with over 50 diverse, award-winning labels across the company’s footprint in the UK, US, Australia, Nordics, Germany, Benelux, Iberia, Belgium, Israel, Italy, Poland and India. Recent and forthcoming credits include Countrymen (Rubicon for NRK), Queens (Endemol Shine Israel for HOT), Vinterviken/ JJ & E (Filmlance for Netflix and SVT), Germinal (Banijay Studios France for France 2), RFDS: Royal Flying Doctors Service (Endemol Shine Banks for Seven), Ripley (Endemol Shine North America for Showtime), SAS: Rogue Heroes (Kudos for BBC ONE), The Rig (Wild Mercury for Amazon Prime), A Class Apart (Jarowskij in coproduction with Brommamamma, Film I Väst and Nent Group for Viaplay), Heirs to the Land (Diagonal Television for Netflix/Atresmedia/TV Catalunya), Then They Run (Kudos, MadeFor for Sky), Call My Agent (Applause Entertainment & Banijay Asia)

  7. Norwegian Scripted Label Rubicon Lands New Coming-of-Age Drama

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    Banijay today announces Norwegian scripted label, Rubicon, has produced a new eight-part drama for Discovery Nordic, which is set to be released soon.

     

    Nach, or “After Party” in English, follows university dropout Selma (Sarah Francesca Brænne) as she struggles with feelings for her half-sister’s boyfriend August (Fredrik Stenberg Ditlev-Simonsen). After being thrown out of her houseshare, she moves in with big sister Elin (Ingrid Giæver) and becomes caught up with emotions for her sister’s boyfriend. The situation unravels during eight very different after parties throughout the summer.

     

    The series is set to launch on Discovery Nordic this spring. Anne Bjørnstad and Fridrik H. Mar serves as Executive Producers for Rubicon AS and Fredrik Kvåle Dørum serves as Executive Producer for Discovery Networks Norway AS. Produced by Stine Blichfeldt. The series was written by Mads Stegger and Ernst De Geer and the Directors are Ernst De Geer and Fanny Ovesen.

     

    Nach will be distributed internationally, outside of Discovery Nordic markets, by Banijay Rights.

     

    Lars Blomgren, Head of Scripted at Banijay says: “Norwegian drama is well-known for its fantastic quality and Nach lives up to all expectations of the market’s creativity. This nostalgic tale of life blossoming into adulthood is beautifully produced and is a wonderful addition to Banijay’s scripted slate.”

     

    Anne Bjørnstad at Rubicon says; “Nach captures the borrowed time and carefree atmosphere of a party before daybreak when real life hasn’t yet begun. It mirrors the phase when young people make momentous decisions which alter their path forever. This realistic drama portrays this unique time of the human journey and will have viewers hooked.”

     

    One of Norway’s leading drama production companies, Rubicon, is behind numerous scripted hits, including Lilyhammer, created by Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad, and The Councilman, which was also adapted for the Dutch market.

     

    Rubicon’s most recent success is Beforeigners for HBO, airing across Europe and in the US on HBO Max. Production on the second series is underway, also written and created by Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad.

  8. Banijay Returns to Takis Candilis to Foster High-End European Scripted Slate

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    Banijay today confirms it is welcoming Takis Candilis back to the business as it increases its investment in scripted. Scaling up to 120 production entities, the globally-renowned producer distributor has, over the past few months, significantly increased its operations and talent in the scripted space, firmly positioning it on the map for premium, travelling drama. With the addition of Candilis as senior advisor, it plans to drive up co-production and new IP opportunities across southern Europe to continue building its catalogue of high-quality brands.

     

    Candilis, who left Banijay back in 2018, previously served as the group’s head of scripted before departing to France Télévisions. As deputy managing director of broadcast and programming for the network, he has spent the past two years supervising programming and editorial strategy for the group’s national channels. Having started his career as an independent producer, the entrepreneur has also held leadership roles at TF1, Lagardère Entertainment, Tara Productions and Caméras Continentales.

     

    At Banijay, Candilis was previously charged with expanding international activity in the scripted space. In his new capacity as an advisor, he will focus on identifying and bringing in co-production ventures and high-end scripted projects in southern Europe.

     

    Marco Bassetti, Chief Executive Officer comments: “While unscripted continues to be at the core of Banijay, we have undoubtedly amplified our scripted efforts through the latest acquisition. Teaming our increased ambition in the drama space with the ample opportunity in the market, we are sure, with Takis, we can further grow our international pipeline and strategically drive up southern European owned-IP for our catalogue.”

     

    Takis Candilis comments: “What a difference two years makes… Banijay was always an inspiring, ambitious and ultimately creative business but over the past few months it has rapidly expanded and become a leading player in the scripted space. It’s a great time to be returning as the group continues to innovate and I look forward to working with the team to identify original premium IP projects and collaboration opportunities across southern Europe.”

     

    As senior advisor, Candilis will partner closely with Chief Executive Officer, Marco Bassetti, and the group’s core leadership team. The consultancy compliments the recent appointment of Lars Blomgren, who now manages non-English language content for the group as Head of Scripted for EMEA.

  9. Filmlance nominated for Swedish Export Award for Cultural and Creative Industries

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    Filmlance, a Banijay company today announces it has been nominated for the Swedish government’s Export Award for Cultural and Creative Industries.

     

    Filmlance is among the five nominees for the award which acknowledges individuals or companies that in 2019 contributed towards Swedish exports and strengthened the image of Sweden internationally. Winners will be announced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Foreign Trade Anna Hallberg on 23 October.

     

    Helena Åkerman, Deputy CEO of Filmlance comments; “Sweden has become a hallmark of quality for international drama productions and we believe this has strengthened the image of Sweden as a creative nation with an innovative television industry. This nomination means a lot to the industry as a whole, with our strong storytelling and proven global demand for our high-quality productions. We have both the right skills and experience to drive the local production industry forward, ensuring Sweden is associated with world-class drama.”

     

    The critically-acclaimed production company is one of Sweden’s largest producers and is behind numerous global hits. Most recent credits include Caliphate, which broke records for SVT Play and launched globally on Netflix earlier this year. Filmlance is also behind Bron/ Broen, which has sold to 188 countries and has been adapted seven times, with the most recent focusing on the Singapore and Malaysian borders.

     

    Also from Filmlance is Top Dog, which launched this week on CMore and TV4, and the highly-anticipated new drama, BearTown, which premieres on HBO Europe on October 18th. The company is currently in production for Vinterviken 2021 for Netflix.

  10. Banijay France Appoints Dominique Farrugia Managing Director, EndemolShine Fiction

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    Banijay France today announces Dominique Farrugia is set to lead EndemolShine Fiction as Managing Director. Taking up the post on 2 November 2020, he will now oversee all of the business’ scripted operations and pipeline of premium content.

     

    Farrugia joins Banijay France’s production label from STUDIOCANAL, where he was Deputy Managing Director, having joined as Deputy General Manager of Productions in 2017. Beginning his career in radio at Europe 1 and RTL, he was recruited by CANAL at the time of its channel launch in 1984. Going on to co-found the comedy quartet, Les Nuls, he then took up a position behind-the-camera, making seven films. In 2002, he became Managing Director of CANAL and its programming, before becoming President. From there, in 2003, he founded production company FEW (Farrudg Entertainment Worldwide) before signing a partnership with EuropaCorpin 2012 on feature films. EuropaCorpthen appointed him Director in charge of its French-language output. In his new role at EndemolShine Fiction, he will maintain his first-look agreement with STUDIOCANAL on any film projects from his production company, One Again.

     

    At EndemolShine Fiction, Farrugia will report to Banijay France’s Chief Executive Officer, François de Brugada.

     

    Francois de Bragada comments:“We are incredibly proud to welcome Dominique Farrugia as MD of EndemolShine Fiction. His experience as a writer, director and producer will be invaluable in building a healthy slate of high-quality, original and ambitious scripted programming. His arrival bolsters Banijay France’s fiction offering and solidifies our position as a go-to for all genres.”

     

    To date, EndemolShine Fiction has been recognised for its involvement in Papa ou Maman for M6; Mention Particulière for TF1; Guyanefor Canal+; Quadras for M6; Mental for France.TV Slash; Le Pont du Diable for France 3 and Faux Semblants for France 2.