Stan Refreshes Lionsgate Output Deal
Australian streamer Stan has refreshed its output deal with Lionsgate. The new agreement means Stan lands the local first-run of shows including the upcoming CIA thriller series Gray, starring Patricia Clarkson, Lydia West and Rupert Everett. Also on the menu are Son of a Critch, Welcome to Flatch and Steven K. Knight’s Spartacus sequel series. Theatrical features include White Bird, Alice and Darling. Stan will remain the Aussie home of the Power franchise, The Serpent Queen, Minx, BMF, Gaslit and Hightown and also picks up Lionsgate catalog titles such as Mad Men, Weeds, The Spanish Princess, Black Sails, La La Land and Twilight.
WBD Unveils Thai Trio For HBO
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has unveiled a trio of Thai originals for the HBO and HBO Go platforms in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In a sign that the conglomerate is looking to deepen ties with the region, fantasy blockbuster Khun Pan 3, reality series Deane’s Dynasty and cooking show MarkKim + Chef will come to the platforms later this year. The latter follows soon-to-be married Thai television superstars Kimberley Anne Woltemas and Mark Prin Suparat, as they take on yet another commitment to learn to cook for each other like professional chefs. Khun Pan 3 is the final instalment of the threequel and moves into the post-World War Two era, while Deane’s Dynasty follows celebrity power couple Lydia and Matthew Deane as they attempt to navigate the dramas of fame and family. Magdalene Ew, who heads up content for WBD Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, said the slate “is reflective of the growing popularity of Thai content.”
Indigenous Canadian Stand-Up Show Readied
EXCLUSIVE: Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the Canadian Media Fund are among the backers of a comedy TV series billed as the first all-Canadian and Indigenous stand-up show. They have signed on to develop Rez Comedy Ltd.’s Rez Comedy series, which comes from Squamish comedian Keith Nahanee and filmmaker Quentin Lee, who will be co-showrunners, co-directors and cp-executive producers on the 13-part show. Cindy AuYeung is a co-executive producer. In each episode, 13 Indigenous comedians from diverse genders, ages and sexual identities will perform half-hour sets at the Squamish Nation’s Chief Jor Mathias Centre. Nahanee will star in the pilot. His Lee-created special Comedy Invasion is on AAM.tv, Amazon Freevee, Roku Channel and Tubi. APTN is developing series with international distributor Viva Pictures, which sold series such as Comedy InvAsian to Peacock and HBO Max’s first Latinx stand-up comedy series Entre Nos. Rez Comedy is planned to go into production in January 2024.
Disney+ Buys ‘Marie Antoinette’ For Germany
Disney+’s German operation has acquired Marie Antoinette, the historical drama that first launched on Canal+. The Banijay Studios France, CAPA Drama and Les Gens eight-parter will launch on the streamer on June 21 following a deal with Banijay Rights. Season one of the, which is written and created by Deborah Davis (The Favourite), has sold to more than 70 territories overall. Marie Antoinette stars Emilia Schüle as the young, modern and avant-garde queen of France who defeated enemies at the Versailles court with courage and dignity.