First Look At Starzplay’s Spanish Original ‘Express’ Season Two
Starzplay has put a second season of its Mediapro Studio-produced drama Express into production and you can see a first image here. The show, Starzplay’s first original series from Spain sees Alejo Sauras (Estoy Vivo) as the new police chief, and Laura Laprida (Millennials), a new member of the case-solving ‘express’ team. Maggie Civantos (Vis a Vis) returns as the series lead, a criminal psychologist who once was a victim of an express kidnapping, now working as a negotiator to solve cases similar to hers. The eight-episode series will shoot for 11 weeks on location in and around Madrid. The Mediapro Studio Distribution will handle international sales.
‘I’m A Celebrity…’ Gets Mexican and French-Canadian Remakes
New local iterations of ITV Studios’ hit reality game show I Am A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! have been commissioned in Mexico and French-speaking Canada. This lifts the number of territories to have ordered the format to 16. In Mexico, the Arun-produced adaptation is already airing on Azteca. Canada’s Quebecor Content is making a French-language version which will air on TVA. The long-running show sees a cast of famous folk swap their lavish lifestyle to compete for food via scary and unappetizing challenges, all in the heart of a remote jungle.
41 Entertainment’s Animated ‘Supernatural Academy’ Series Lands International Buyers
Animation producer/distributor 41 Entertainment has secured new international partners for its Supernatural Academy series, which will launch globally later this month. Joining Peacock in the U.S. are ABC (Australia), The Walt Disney Company (Japan), TVNZ, MBC (Middle East), HOT Israel and Bell Media’s Crave in Canada. Supernatural Academy is the adaptation of the best-selling book series by Jaymin Eve. It chronicles an otherworldly adventure of twin sisters — one raised in the supernatural world and one in the human world. Reunited at the Supernatural Academy, the adversarial duo have to learn to get over their differences and trust each other to save themselves – and the world. Allen Bohbot and Jaymin Eve are creators with Gillian Horwath as Head Writer. Larissa Diaz and Gigi Saul Guerrero play the twins.
HBO MAX EMEA Among Buyers of Weasley Twins Travel Series ‘Fantastic Friends’
The Weasley twins are going international. James and Oliver Phelps, who played the mischievous pair in the Harry Potter movies, host the six-part Fantastic Friends, which has sold to HBO Max EMEA, TVNZ and Canada’s Bell Media. Factual distributor Off the Fence sells the Dash Pictures-produced show, which is billed as “part adventure-travel series, part magic-infused challenge show and part a celebration of friendship.” Each episode sees the twins meet a famous friend such as Evanna Lynch (Harry Potter’s Luna Lovegood) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), who take on the role of tour guide in a new destination.
Disney Unveils Annecy Animation Slate
Disney has unveiled an animation slate at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to air from next year, coming a few days after Netflix’s eight-strong European slate. Shows included one inspired by the Zombies franchise, adventure series Dragon Striker and spooky comedy The Doomies. There were also season-two recommissions for Chip n Dale: Park Life and Monsters at Work along with several season-three renewals. “The announcements out of Annecy today further cement Disney as the leader in animation,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television.
ITV, Cartoonito & SVT Among Buyers Of Banijay Kids And Family Series ‘Mumfie’
Banijay Kids and Family’s pre-school animated comedy series Mumfie (78×7’) has sold to ITV for ITVBe in the UK, Warner Bros. Discovery (for its preschool brand Cartoonito in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and South Korea), AMC Network International’s JimJam (CEE, MENA & Portugal), SVT (Sweden) and kids channel ejunior in the UAE). The 78-epsiode series, a co-production between Zodiak Kids and Family France and Italian animation studio Animoka is already headed to KiKA in Germany and recently launched on commissioning channels , alongside France Télévisions and Rai (Italy). It follows
