‘Bardot’ Series Sells After Netflix Launch
Bardot, the French series about the younger years of film star Brigitte Bardot, has sold into a raft of international territories soon after its recent launch on Netflix. The Danièle Thompson and Christopher Thompson series debuted on Netflix in several European territories on August 23, having taken strong ratings on France 2 back in May. Federation Studios, which produces and sells the show, has shopped to AMC Iberia in Spain, TVP in Poland, Nova in Greece, MTVA in Hungary, RTVS in Slovaquia, LTV and Tet+ in Latvia, ERR in Estonia and Finch Media, which distributes content in Eastern Europe. Netflix was among a tranche of buyers who had previous bought it, though no U.S. or UK buyer has emerged yet. Federation said negotiations were planned in further European and English-speaking territories. Bardot is set to get a U.S. festival debut at the American French Film Festival in LA in October. The series stars Julian de Nunez as young starlet Bardot.
National Cinema Day Sees Record Admissions
Comscore reports that cinemas that took part in National Cinema saw almost 1.56 million admissions, a 6 percent increase on last year’s edition. The most popular titles on the day were recent hits Barbie and Oppenheimer, alongside new titles such as The Equalizer 3 and Cobweb. Also in the mix was the recently re-released 30th Anniversary edition of Jurassic Park. National Cinema Day was developed by Cinema First and supported by the Film Distributors’ Association and the UK Cinema Association. On the day, cinemas drop their ticket prices to £3. “National Cinema Day is intended to celebrate the nation’s love of cinema-going and to say a ‘big thank’ you to audiences through providing a great offer to everybody in the UK,” Iain Jacob, Chair of Cinema First, said. “After the success of last year’s inaugural event, to see this second edition prove even more successful shows beyond doubt that the cinema experience offers the most enriching and positive form of escapism. We are delighted to have been able to welcome so many people back to the Big Screen. Thank you to everybody who came.”
SkyShowtime Relases ‘Codename: Annika’ Trailer
SkyShowtime’s upcoming Finnish-Swedish noir drama Codename: Annika will launch on September 30, the streamer has announced, and you can see the official trailer for the show below. The six-part thriller series, created by Mia Ylönen and Aleksi Bardy, is set in the world of high-class art fraud and follows Sannah Nedergård (Yellow Sulphur Sky) as a Finnish investigator, who is still completing her undercover training when she gets sent on a mission into Stockholm’s corrupt world of fine art trade. Helsinki-Filmi is making the show for SkyShowtime, the Comcast and Paramount joint venture streamer. Check out the trailer here
Rakie Ayola To Be Given BAFTA Wales Honor
The Pact star Rakie Ayola is to be honored at this year’s BAFTA Cymru Awards. Ayola, who also won a BAFTA for Jimmy McGovern’s BBC drama Anthony, will be given the Siân Phillips Award, which recognizes a Welsh individual who has made significant contributions to film and/or television. Ayola’s past credits include Noughts & Crosses and Been So Long and she has also been a long-standing advocate for greater diversity in the TV industry, while she most recently stood alongside the likes of Brian Cox and Imelda Staunton at a London rally in support of the U.S. labor strikes. “Legacy is vitally important to me, so I’m hugely honoured to join the list of those who’ve been recognised in the past and hope I can use this incredible platform to work with and encourage others whose names may be added in the future,” said Ayola. Nominations take place this Wednesday for BAFTA Cymru and the ceremony will be in October.
