Wednesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

ITV, AMC+ buy dramas from APC 

The UK’s ITV has picked up crime series Obituary and AMC+ in the US is among buyers of BBC1 drama Wolf, following deals with About Premium Content (APC).

Dark comedy Obituary S1 and S2 have been picked up for the UK and Ireland by ITV, while other buyers include BritBox (Nordics), FreeTV (Israel) and Pickbox NOW in CEE.

Thriller Wolf, co-produced by APC Studios and Hartswood Films, will debut on AMC+ in North America, while HBO Max has French-speaking Europe and Flemish Belgium rights, and RTP took the show in Portugal.

Other deals include psychological thriller Still Waters being sold to BritBox (Nordics), RTÉ (Ireland), RÚV (Iceland), RTS (French-speaking Switzerland), Proximus (Belgium) and Pickbox NOW.

Chalkboard alum joins Cwmni Da  

Welsh indie Cwmni Da has appointed Olivia Simove as its first content director.  

Development specialist Simove will join the Gogglebocs indie this month, having most recently served as director of development at Welsh creative agency Orchard Media. Prior to that she was head of development at Amazing Productions and spent time at Chalkboard TV as head of factual.  

She will join the indie as it seeks to push further into the UK and international markets, although Wales and the Welsh language will remain “at the heart” of its operations. Read more

Shark Bite game adapted for TV

Chopped creators Keller/Noll have partnered with Goliath and media rights holder Perfect Game to launch a new ‘Shark Bite’ gameshow based on global brand.

Producers Cleve Keller and Dave Noll have developed ‘Shark Bite’ into a format that centers on five 20-foot animatronic sharks, each with their own name and unique personality.

Five pairs of contestants will battle it out to answer questions correctly for a $100,000 prize, but if they get one question wrong, they risk getting bitten.

The family board game was first released in 2017 and is now sold around the world. No streanmer/broadcaster is yet attached.

Netflix confirms Boys From Brazil with Jeremy Strong

Netflix has linked with Succession star Jeremy Strong, The Crown’s Peter Morgan, World Productions and Orchid Pictures on a five-part adaptation of conspiracy thriller, The Boys From Brazil.

It is based on Ira Levin novel, which is set between 1945 and 1975 and tracks Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter Yakov Liebermann in his lifelong crusade to bring Nazi fugitives to justice.

Executive producers are Suzanne Mackie for Orchid and World’s Simon Heath, while The Crown duo Oona O’Beirn and Andy Stebbing are producers.