Toby Jones & David Morrissey Board ITV Yorkshire Ripper Drama
Toby Jones and David Morrissey have joined the cast of ITV’s Yorkshire Ripper drama from Lupin writer George Kay. The Long Shadow will air next month and is described as the “definitive depiction of the desperate five-year hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe,” better known as the Yorkshire Ripper. Jones will play DCS Dennis Hoban, who initially led the enquiry, while Morrissey, who already plays a policeman in the BBC’s Sherwood, is DCS George Oldfield, who famoulsy took on the investigation. Lee Ingleby is DCS Jim Hobson, whilst Katherine Kelly plays Emily Jackson with Daniel Mays as her husband, Sydney Jackson and Shaun Thomas as their son, Neil Jackson. Produced by Des outfit New Pictures and directed by Lewis Arnold, the series, which was announced three years ago, will launch next month and air on Sundance Now in the U.S. and Canada. Sutcliffe is one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers. He was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980 and died in prison in 2020. “George’s scripts and Lewis’ direction together with this wonderful cast have produced a sensitive and brilliant drama that we are proud to have on ITV,” said Head of Drama Polly Hill.
Lynne Ramsay To Be Feted At Sarajevo
Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay is set to be honored with the Sarajevo Film Festival’s career achievement Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award during the festival’s upcoming 29th edition. Ramsay will receive the award on August 16 at Sarajevo’s open-air cinema, followed by a gala screening of her 2017 thriller You Were Never Really Here, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Based on the book by Jonathan Ames, You Were Never Really Here premiered at Cannes Film Festival, where it won the awards for Best Screenplay (Ramsay) and Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix). The 29th Sarajevo Film Festival runs from August 11 to 18.
Warner Bros. Discovery Expands Partnership With Japan’s J:COM
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is expanding its JV with Japanese cable operator J:COM from the current two networks to a seven-channel linear TV portfolio. The multi-year deal, effective immediately, brings together Discovery, Animal Planet, Mondo, Tabi, Cartoon Network, Movie+ and LalaTV under one operation. J:COM will oversee distribution of the seven-channel portfolio to third-party cable and DTH operators in Japan. WBD also said that Discovery and Animal Planet will feature thematically relevant movies within their schedules for the first time. James Gibbons, President & MD, Western Pacific, WBD, said: “Beyond the joint venture expansion, the deal also provides additional opportunities for further collaboration between the two businesses, including content for SVoD platforms and local co-production.”
BBC Studios Partners With Pinterest On Factual Entertainment Push
BBC Studios has partnered with Pinterest on two shortform series plus bespoke training and development for a pair of creatives, as it seeks the next generation of factual entertainment talent. Emma Downer and Seun Ogunsola were commissoned for the shows, with the former using her series to make an outdoor kitchen from a mix of reclaimed and new materials and the latter teaching viewers how to create an affordable capsule wardrobe using upcycled pieces of clothing. They were also given training by BBC Studios TalentWorks initiative. Both have a presence on Pinterest and the move is an example of BBC Studios leaning into online communities. TalentWorks Senior Development Producer Katrina Bell described Pinterest as a “great platform for discovering new factual entertainment creators.”
