British director Peter Webber is attached to direct an adaptation of Italian psychological thriller “Le Parole Lo Sanno” (“You Will Find the Words”), which is being produced by Rome-based shingle Fenix Entertainment.
Webber, who more recently directed ITV miniseries “Tutankhamun” and high-end Arabic historical skein “Kingdoms of Fire,” said an Oscar-nominated English-language screenwriter is on board to adapt the book by Marco Franzoso. The novel centers around a man with a terminal illness whose chance encounters on a park bench with a woman, who is being abused by her husband, leads to an extreme act.
“It’s going to be a very loose adaptation,” said Webber, adding that he’s “not even sure the gender [of the two main characters] will remain the same” as those in Franzoso’s book. The director noted that “there are also some other elements [not in the book] that we are developing at the moment.” He is hoping to have a first draft...
Webber, who more recently directed ITV miniseries “Tutankhamun” and high-end Arabic historical skein “Kingdoms of Fire,” said an Oscar-nominated English-language screenwriter is on board to adapt the book by Marco Franzoso. The novel centers around a man with a terminal illness whose chance encounters on a park bench with a woman, who is being abused by her husband, leads to an extreme act.
“It’s going to be a very loose adaptation,” said Webber, adding that he’s “not even sure the gender [of the two main characters] will remain the same” as those in Franzoso’s book. The director noted that “there are also some other elements [not in the book] that we are developing at the moment.” He is hoping to have a first draft...
- 11/30/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
16 regional and international features are competing for the festival’s $50,000 Golden Star award.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival kicked off its fourth edition against the Covid-19 odds over the weekend, feting French actor Gérard Depardieu and UK director Peter Webber with its special Golden Star Career Achievement Award at the opening ceremony.
Taking to the stage, Depardieu praised the festival for pulling off such a large-scale event and professed his admiration for late Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine.
A host of film and TV stars from Egypt as well as a smattering of international guests walked the red carpet at the glitzy opening event,...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival kicked off its fourth edition against the Covid-19 odds over the weekend, feting French actor Gérard Depardieu and UK director Peter Webber with its special Golden Star Career Achievement Award at the opening ceremony.
Taking to the stage, Depardieu praised the festival for pulling off such a large-scale event and professed his admiration for late Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine.
A host of film and TV stars from Egypt as well as a smattering of international guests walked the red carpet at the glitzy opening event,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Director Peter Webber is preparing a six-part series sequel to his Colombia-set teen drama “Pickpockets” (“Maestros del robo”), which Netflix launched globally in 2018. The film tells the story of aspiring teenage thieves learning how to be successful pickpockets.
“Apparently, it did really well amongst teenagers,” Webber told Variety. “They asked us to do a sequel, so at the moment we are working on six one-hour episodes following up the main characters.”
Netflix is not believed to be officially attached to the sequel, which is still in development stages.
It’s understood that the project will have a broader scope than the film. “As the series develops, the locations change,” Webber said. “It’s a bit more international than the last one.”
British native Webber is currently at the El Gouna Film Festival, where he is serving as jury president of the Feature Narrative Competition section. The jury also comprises iconic Egyptian actor Asser Yassin,...
“Apparently, it did really well amongst teenagers,” Webber told Variety. “They asked us to do a sequel, so at the moment we are working on six one-hour episodes following up the main characters.”
Netflix is not believed to be officially attached to the sequel, which is still in development stages.
It’s understood that the project will have a broader scope than the film. “As the series develops, the locations change,” Webber said. “It’s a bit more international than the last one.”
British native Webber is currently at the El Gouna Film Festival, where he is serving as jury president of the Feature Narrative Competition section. The jury also comprises iconic Egyptian actor Asser Yassin,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
Marc Antoine d’Halluin in December was appointed CEO of leading Middle Eastern free-to-air satellite network Mbc Group, which also operates the region’s top SVOD service. Its recently rebranded and reconceived Shahid VIP platform since January has seen its subscriber growth skyrocket. A combination of the coronavirus pandemic, Ramadan, and Mbc’s stepped-up efforts to produce high-end Arabic originals prompted a quantum leap that in May saw Mbc enter the pantheon of top 10 media companies worldwide in terms of video view metrics, according to U.S company Tubular Labs that tracks cross-platform Internet video viewing and engagement.
In his first interview since taking the Mbc reins, D’Halluin – who began his career at Sony Pictures Entertainment but has plenty of experience in the Middle East – spoke to Variety exclusively about his main challenges and goals and why Hollywood shows do not play a big part of the plan. Edited excerpts from the conversation.
In his first interview since taking the Mbc reins, D’Halluin – who began his career at Sony Pictures Entertainment but has plenty of experience in the Middle East – spoke to Variety exclusively about his main challenges and goals and why Hollywood shows do not play a big part of the plan. Edited excerpts from the conversation.
- 6/16/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Marc Antoine d’Halluin has been appointed CEO of leading Middle Eastern free-to-air satellite network Mbc Group following the resignation in October of Sam Barnett as chief of the Dubai-based broadcaster.
D’Halluin, who will take up the post in January, has plenty of experience in the pay- and satellite-tv sphere both in Europe and the Middle East. He most recently served as chairman of Luxembourg-based pay-tv operator M7 Group and, prior to that, as CEO of Zodiak Media from 2013-2016. Between 2006 and 2008 he served as CEO of Showtime Arabia in Dubai.
D’Halluin’s appointment comes as the Saudi-controlled network, which has 2,800 employees and claims to reach an average of 140 million viewers a day across the Middle East through its satellite TV channels and online, is ramping up its premium streaming platforms, Shahid and Shahid Plus.
Mbc Group Chairman and founder Waleed Al-Ibrahim said in a statement that d...
D’Halluin, who will take up the post in January, has plenty of experience in the pay- and satellite-tv sphere both in Europe and the Middle East. He most recently served as chairman of Luxembourg-based pay-tv operator M7 Group and, prior to that, as CEO of Zodiak Media from 2013-2016. Between 2006 and 2008 he served as CEO of Showtime Arabia in Dubai.
D’Halluin’s appointment comes as the Saudi-controlled network, which has 2,800 employees and claims to reach an average of 140 million viewers a day across the Middle East through its satellite TV channels and online, is ramping up its premium streaming platforms, Shahid and Shahid Plus.
Mbc Group Chairman and founder Waleed Al-Ibrahim said in a statement that d...
- 12/9/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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