Hit U.S. Gameshow ‘Password’ Coming To ITV
Hit U.S. guessing game Password is coming to the UK’s ITV. Never Mind the Buzzcocks producer Talkback is behind the ITV version, which will see Alan Carr and Daisy May Cooper take on the Resident Team Captains role, with Stephen Mangan hosting. Password is a word association game in which captains pair with contestants and give one-word clues to help their teammate guess a mystery “password.” The teams must try and get on each other’s wavelengths as they take it in turns to guess the all-important password across multiple rounds. Password has aired in the U.S. for decades and was most recently revived on NBC last year, with Keke Palmer hosting and Jimmy Fallon captaining. Password was created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman Productions and is now owned by Fremantle.
Banijay Forges Live Events Division
Banijay has launched a live events division in the wake of the acquisition of Balich Wonder Studio. Led by Banijay France boss François de Brugada, Banijay Events will expand the super indies capabilities in the area. Banijay, which FL Entertainment owns, said live events have “significant growth potential and remain largely unconsolidated.” The outfit acquired Italy’s Balich last week, the live events company that says it has produced more Olympic ceremonies than any other. “Diversifying our content capabilities beyond the screen marks a real gear shift for the group,” said Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti.
Sci-fi Drama ‘Destination Marfa’ Lands International Deals
Sci-fi drama Destination Marfa from debut feature filmmaker Andy Stapp has landed a series of international deals. Fairway Film Alliance brokered the deal through its UK distributor, Rights Booster. Pluto & Plex has nabbed Canada, UK, Ireland, and Australia — with TUBI for Canada — Amazon in Canada and Australia — and with the YouTube channel Content Rocket in both the UK and Australia. The pic follows four lifelong friends who decide to veer off the road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa, where they encounter strange lights as the line between reality and fantasy become increasingly blurred.