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VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
NINE NEW GONGS AT BASE AWARDS…
ADDITIONS CELEBRATE CHANGING NATURE OF BUSINESS
WATCHING BIG BROTHER
SCREAM WAILS ON TO HOME ENT
FLEE HEADS ON TO SHELVES
WHALE OF A TIME
MANIA RETURNS
EYE ON THE PRIZE
NETWORK UNVEILS DANZIGERS RELEASES
CHADHA APPOINTED AS BFI GOVERNOR
TRUE STORY
BOND HEADS TO AMAZON
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Hello Warner Bros Discovery. For after last year’s announcement of the deal, Discovery has now merged its business with that of Warner after telecom giant AT&T disposed of the studio and its associated businesses in a multi-billion dollar deal. Warner Bros Discovery has now been officially unveiled as a global media and entertainment giant, with a raft of brands under its umbrella, taking in Discovery Channel, discovery+, Warner Bros. Entertainment, CNN, CNN+, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, TLC, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and more. Warner Bros Discovery ceo David Zaslav said: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting milestone not just for Warner Bros. Discovery but for our shareholders, our distributors, our advertisers, our creative partners and, most importantly, consumers globally. With our collective assets and diversified business model, Warner Bros. Discovery offers the most differentiated and complete portfolio of content across film, television and streaming. We are confident that we can bring more choice to consumers around the globe while fostering creativity and creating value for shareholders. I can’t wait for both teams to come together to make Warner Bros. Discovery the best place for impactful storytelling."
With entries for this year’s BASE Awards due to open at the start of May and the October date for the event fast approaching, the trade organisation has now unveiled a raft of new awards due to be given out on the evening. The new awards will, BASE said, highlight the evolution of the category over the year and reflect the changing nature of the business too. The Category Hero award is being split into categories to show the expertise of the individuals, with judging now taking place across “Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Piracy, Sales, Operations and Leadership”. There are nine new awards, with Independent Label Of The Year gongs for physical and digital as well as a Campaign of the Year for Independent Film sponsored and judged by indie film experts at BIFA. There are three awards under a Best In Class banner, for Original Creative, Physical Product and Social/PR. There’s a Campaign of the Year Specialist award looking to award more niche areas such as anime and documentaries; a Social Impact award to recognise individuals who enhance their companies or the category, and a Script to Screen award for projects that make it all the way from concept to actuality.
Comment on the news BASE Awards came from Liz Bales, chief executive, British Association for Screen Entertainment, who said: "Home Entertainment is in the middle of an exciting renaissance. Our aim for this year's BASE awards is to harness that excitement and ensure we champion the diversity, excellence and change driving our category forwards. New awards and categories will reward the full spectrum of collaboration and success, and the exceptional content, talent, creativity, and technological advancement at our heart. We hope everyone who plays their part in the industry will be inspired to take a close look at this year's categories, to enter the awards for the first or fiftieth time, and definitely join us for an amazing celebration of everything Home Entertainment in the UK.” Johnny Fewings, owner at JFMC and former joint md, Universal Pictures UK, said: “Having consulted and advised the BASE team for many years on the BASE Awards I’m delighted to see the inclusion of a new category celebrating the success stories of ‘Script to Screen’ productions. Distributors and filmmakers that successfully identify unique and exciting stories, and find innovative and profitable ways to bring those to audiences, are vital for a diverse and robust film industry that has always championed important and captivating storytelling.” Amy Gustin and Deena Wallace of BIFA said: “BIFA is passionate about seeking out and championing the very best of British independent film, helping audiences find these titles at home and in cinema. We’re really excited to be supporting the new ‘Campaign of the Year for Independent Film’ category, enabling both BASE and BIFA to recognise outstanding achievement within Home Entertainment for the first time. With our panel of expert BIFA voters judging the category, we look forward to celebrating the real game-changers of the last 12 months.” For tickets and more details, as well as sponsorship opportunities for the October event, taking place once more at the Roundhouse, contact vicki@baseorg.uk. 
To BFI Southbank for a first big screen airing of the debut Blu-ray release for the BBC’s classic 1954 presentation of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. The TV play, much of which was shot live as was the norm in the medium's early days, was both hugely controversial and a massive ratings winner on transmission, but has rarely aired since then. It has been given a new high definition lease of life from the BFI and arrives in stores on Monday April 11 to tie in with the centenary celebrations of TV master Nigel Kneale, which is being marked with a BFI season. The writer, whose CV reads like a list of classic British television, including his work on Quatermass and such classics as The Stone Tape and the original (and many say best) adaptation of The Woman In Black. The screening of the gorgeous looking new restoration – complete with the BBC interval halfway through – was followed by a Q&A involving writer and critic Kim Newman (whose grandmother, incidentally, typed the original manuscript for 1984 as she worked for Orwell) and the BFI’s Doug Weir. The latter told the audience: “This is one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever worked on. It was challenging because in a way it was a mixture of restoring video and 35mm film at the same time as well as understanding the broadcast technology from 1954 which dictates the decisions on what should and should not be removed or retained. It's incredible that this all still exists and is held by the BBC.” Newman added: “I’ve probably not watched it all the way through for more than 20 years and I’ve never seen it on the big screen. I’m astonished at how well it stands up.” The Q&A also highlighted some of the Blu-rays extra features too.
Horror franchise Scream has bene a home entertainment as well as theatrical phenomenon; the first smart horror cum satire, dreamed up by maestros Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson offered both scares and laughs and helped drive the uptake of DVD when it launched. Now it’s back and the revival, featuring some of the original cast, has brought in a new generation of fans as well as original devotees. The latest film, the fifth, albeit with just the title Scream, arrives in stores on Monday after a successful theatrical outing. As Paramount itself said: “We are really excited to release Scream (2022) on to physical formats this week. We think the Scream legacy fans will be delighted with the seven products we have releasing across 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. Our consumer facing campaign including TV, radio, digital media and more, is sure to deliver a great result with fans. The retailer support for merchandising this theatrical release has been fantastic; including impactful grocery set up and standout support from specialists.”
Another key release lands on Monday in the form of Curzon Artificial Eye animated title Flee, which has won acclaim over the past 12 months and finally lands on physical media in stores after its strong awards performance. The Danish film, which chimes with current global refugee issues, was nominated for three Oscars, an Academy first as each was in a separate film category, as well as nods from the BAFTAs and Golden Globes among others. Commenting on the release, Curzon’s head of distribution strategy and group publicity Jake Garriock said: “We’ve had a wonderful ride with Flee over the last year since it premiered at Sundance 2021. It’s one of those films you never tire of talking about, and you want to convince more people to watch it. The Blu-ray and DVD editions include the original language and the English dubbed version. The dubbed version features voice work by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, made under the supervision of director Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Both have been made with love and allow you to experience this brilliant film from a different perspective.:
Out and in stores on Monday from Screenbound is documentary The Loneliest Whale, which charts the tale of a whale that is, as the title suggests, lives a life of solitude due to its strange call at a different frequency from other sea-going mammals. Brimming with, er, mammal interest, as well as thoughts on the human condition and the damage done by man to the oceans, the documentary follows people searching for the fabled whale who even inspired a BTS song. Comment on the release came from the company’s Martin Glew who said: “The importance of Ocean and Marine health to the overall welfare of the planet has been heavily researched in the last decade, unearthing not just evidence to such statements, but the unheard, stranger than fiction stories that have blown the world away. One such story is The Loneliest Whale. This cinematic quest to find the ’52 Hertz Whale’, which scientists believe has spent its entire life in solitude calling out at a frequency that is different from any other whale. As the film embarks on this engrossing journey, audiences will explore what this whale’s lonely plight can teach us — not just about our changing relationship to the oceans, but to each other.”
Grappling fans will know that last weekend saw the biggest date on the wrestling calendar as the WWE hosted its annual Wrestlemania event; this time the mammoth slugfest, now held over two nights rather than one, headed to Dallas, Texas. It’s the culmination of the assorted storylines in the sports entertainment world, with all roads leading to Wrestlemania. And for Fremantle, which has the home entertainment rights to the WWE, it’s traditionally the biggest release of the year. With the title due out on May 30, the company is now preparing the DVD and Blu-ray releases for Wrestlemania 38, but the Fremantle’s Ken Law found time to give us his thoughts on this year’s event. He said: “WWE had pre-billed WrestleMania 38 as ‘the Most Stupendous Two-Night WrestleMania In History’ and after the dust settled in the early hours of Monday morning, there weren’t many wrestling fans or reviewers who would have disagreed with that immodest statement. WWE delivered a truly amazing weekend event with just the right mix of wrestling and entertainment and the perfect balance of new talent and WWE legends on show. WrestleMania 38 has now become WWE’s highest-grossing and most-attended event in the company’s history with 156,352 fans present. We’re getting the three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray out in record time so fans can own this piece of history as soon possible.”
This week’s big catalogue restoration announcement came from Studiocanal, which has once again dipped into its vast library to find another gem to dig out, dust down and give a new lease of life to. The title in question this time is the classic Stephen King adaptation Cat’s Eye, which is being handed a 4K restoration for release on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and digital on May 23. It follows much of the company’s acclaimed work with genre and horror fare and has already garnered interest on social media from fans of the writer and horror films. Comment came from Studiocanal’s Carys Gaskin, who said: “As one of the earlier film adaptations created from the macabre imagination of Stephen King, Cat’s Eye is a thrilling portmanteau classic film linked by a stray cat that roams from one story to the next. Starring a young Drew Barrymore off the back of her performance in Firestarter and directed by Lewis Teague (Cujo), the film has been painstakingly restored over the course of 150 hours for our new release this May where it will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and Digital in the UK for the first time.”
Also announced this week as a major revival from another key imprint, with Network digging deep into the television archives to uncover a series of gems. For after inking a deal to acquire the library, it is now bringing the work of US TV producers the Danzigers, two brothers who produced some sterling TV output during the early days of ITV in the 1950s and 60s. Much of their work, although feted by TV historians, has remained unseen for many years, but will finally arrive in June courtesy of the independent. Network’s Juan Veloza said: “Network is thrilled to premiere five new remasters of long-unseen but notable series from the early days of ITV and courtesy of two enterprising Americans based in the UK, the Danziger brothers. The Vise: Volume 1, featuring screenplays from a very young Brian Clemens among others, showcases 21 episodes from the first series of the show - unseen for over fifty years. The Vise: Mark Saber Volume 1, rebooted with a rotating cast of assistants and inspectors after a successful American network transmission, features 30 episodes from the second series of the show (known as Mark Saber in the UK). Following the success of The Vise and Mark Saber, the Danzigers, tactically rebranded the series to Saber of London. Starring Donald Gray - alongside Colin Tapley as his reliable 'Inspector' and, once more, featuring scripts from Brian Clemens, amongst others - Saber of London ran for an unprecedented 91 episodes. The penultimate Danziger series, ‘The Cheaters’ (1961), with a decent enough premise of insurance investigation, became slightly more ambitious. Led by American actor John Ireland, the 39 episodes made great use of the streets of London and featured a jazzy soundtrack by Bill LeSage. The final release of our initial range, is the long-awaited Richard the Lionheart, starring notable Irish actor Dermot Walsh as the heroic mediaeval swashbuckler King Richard I. Also featuring an exciting soundtrack by Bill LeSage and a memorable theme tune from Buddy Kaye and Philip Springer, the series includes appearances from many notable character actors of the period – including Francis de Wolff, Glyn Owen, Anton Rodgers, Conrad Phillips, Nigel Green, and Lisa Daniely among many others. Network acquired the entire Danziger library in 2020 and has been carefully researching and remastering its films and television series. Other Danziger series, Calling Scotland Yard and ‘The Man From Interpol’, together with a host of feature films, will be announced soon.”
Congratulations to Monica Chadha, a long-time industry stalwart and isupporter, who is among a quintet of new governors appointed to the board of governors at the BFI. Chadha is a key industry appointment among the five, who include producer Elizabeth Karlsen; Electronic Arts evp Laure Miele; Netflix’s Scott Stuber and director Edgar Wright. Chadha joined the industry at Technicolor and has worked at the likes of Prism and has consulted and advised at numerous companies and organisations, including BASE and is also a non-executive director at creative agency Obviously Creative. She said: "I’m delighted to be joining the BFI in its vital mission. As someone who has spent their life in and around the creative industries, one thing is evident to me, this is the moment to amplify this world-leading sector, significantly contributing to UK economic growth regionally and nationally.” BFI chair Tim Richards said: “I am honoured to be welcoming five new incredibly talented industry professionals to the BFI Board of Governors. These highly respected leaders will be joining a world-class Board that is a testament to the BFI and its vision under CEO Ben Roberts’ direction. Their knowledge and experience across film, television, games, technology and business combined with that of our existing governors, will be invaluable to the BFI and the industry as a whole. I very much look forward to welcoming them to the BFI and working together.” BFI chief executive Ben Roberts added: “It's an exciting year for the BFI, as we develop and launch our ten-year strategy under a new leadership team. So I'm delighted that we have such incredible people joining Tim and the Board to support the BFI in a year of critical development – both for the organisation and our fast-moving sector.”
Acquisition news an Arrow has picked up the UK and Irish, as well as North American, rights to Incredible But True, the latest from maverick French director Quentin Dupieux, the man behind the likes of Rubber and the more recent (and excellent) Deerskin. The film sees a husband and wife’s suburban dream going awry when they discover a secret hidden in the basement, It will debut in the autumn and will appear as an all-singing, all-dancing addition to the company’s excellent Arrow Video imprint. Director of content Francesco Simeoni at Arrow commented: “We’ve long been fans of Quentin Dupieux’s work and we are thrilled to bring his inventive and hilarious latest new feature to audiences across our territories. We are sure the film will connect well with audiences across a variety of platforms. “Arrow is the perfect distributor to bring this insanely original time travelling film to American and British audiences. Their marketing talent and love for cult filmmakers are a great fit with Quentin Dupieux’s universe.” added Gregory Chambet, one of the founders of WTFilms.
April 15. That’s the D-day for James Bond as he charts a course for a new mission, heading into the world of streaming. For following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, the retail giant’s Amazon Prime Video service will be airing all the 007 films from that date for what the company said is a “limited time” offering. It doesn’t include the non-canon Bond films, the original Casino Royale with David Niven and Sean Connery’s return as the secret agent in Never Say Never Again, but the rest will all be up there in the UK. “MGM has a nearly century-long legacy of producing exceptional entertainment, and we share their commitment to delivering a broad slate of original films and television shows to a global audience,” said Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “We welcome MGM employees, creators, and talent to Prime Video and Amazon Studios, and we look forward to working together to create even more opportunities to deliver quality storytelling to our customers.”
AT THE MOVIES
News from our old pals at independent production outfit and distributor Revelation, The company is working with the Met’s first ever black policeman, Norwell Roberts, on a documentary charting his life and times in the force. He joined in 1967 and was used by the police as a shining example of progressive thinking, although the reality was far darker, as he faced prejudice and more. Ultimately, he broke through barriers during a 30-year career. He’s written a book, I Am Norwell Roberts, which is also the title of Revelation’s documentary. Roberts said: “To appreciate the present and how far we have come we sometimes need to revisit the uncomfortable past, no matter how painful. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to tell my story and I hope that it will be an inspiration to others.”
News from Apple TV+ and the arrival of the final episode of the first series of workplace thriller Severance, which is produced by Ben Stiller and boasts an all-star cast alongside critical acclaim, was met with an announcement from the streaming service. For a second series of the show has been optioned by Apple. "It’s really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show — and the level of fan engagement,” said Stiller. "It has been a long road bringing ‘Severance' to television. I first read Dan’s pilot over five years ago. It has always been a multi season story, and I’m really happy we get to continue it. I’m grateful to our partners at Apple TV+ who have been behind it the whole way. Praise Keir!” “Thanks to creator Dan Erickson, the brilliant Ben Stiller, and an incomparable cast and crew, Severance has imagined an existence that‘s equal parts riveting and enthralling as viewers around the globe can’t get enough of these rich characters,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+. “We’re excited to go deeper into this wholly unique world and unpack more layers of Lumon in season two.”
This week’s Skarsgard news concerns Bill, the one from It, as one of the clan looks set to appear in the long-mooted-but-now-seemingly-actually-happening remake or comic book adaptation The Crow. The original film, which presaged the current crop of superhero comic book films, was the one that catapulted Brandon Lee to posthumous superstardom after a tragic accident on the set cost him his life. It’s long been discussed, but is now on the go, with Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sanders gearing up for the $50m film with shooting set to start in June…
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Nicolas Cage did an AMA on Reddit and you can see the highlights here and the full thing here Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun…
TRAILERS. OF THE WEEK
More Multiverse…
Big screen burgers…
Sky’s having a Baby…
Directed by Iceland’s World Cup goalkeeper, no less…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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