CityNews | There are tariffs on steel, lumber, and automobiles - and now Donald Trump is threatening to slap levies on movies. We speak with Emmy-nominated casting director Nicole Hilliard-Forde on how this could effect Canadian film production.
Variety May 6 2025 by Leo Barraclough
“Black Adam” and “Aladdin” star Marwan Kenzari and “The Monkey” and “Orphan Black” star Tatiana Maslany have begun principal photography on romantic comedy “Any Other Night,” directed by Dutch helmer Michiel Ten Horn from a script by Patrick Whistler.
The international coproduction comes from producers Mike MacMillan of Lithium Studios (“In Cold Light,” “Mobile Homes”), Sol Bondy of One Two Films (“Holy Spider,” “Armand”), Erik Glijnis and Leontine Petit of Lemming Film (“Sweet Dreams,” “The Secret Agent”) and Karen Harnisch of Film Forge (“Infinity Pool,” “Shook”). International sales are handled by recently launched boutique French sales outfit Lucky Number.
The film takes place on the night of a crippling transit strike in Berlin, when two strangers are thrown together as their lives are falling apart. Sam (Kenzari) is a flailing cab driver, struggling to make it all work. Maggie (Maslany) is freshly dumped. But after loading all her worldly possessions into the back of Sam’s decaying van-cab, what should have been a simple fare becomes a wild, late-night odyssey.
“Any Other Night” will be the first English-language film from Ten Horn, who burst on to the scene with international festival smash “The Deflowering of Eva Van End.” He has been named one of Variety’s “Ten European Directors to Watch” and most recently directed “Fabula,” which premiered as the opening film of the 2025 Rotterdam Film Festival.
Marwan is most recognized for his portrayal of the iconic “Jafar” in Guy Ritchie’s live-action musical version of the Disney feature “Aladdin.” He also starred in the Netflix feature “The Old Guard,” opposite Charlize Theron and Matthias Schoenaerts, and was the lead villain in the Warner Bros./DC feature “Black Adam.” Marwan was recently seen in Uberto Pasolini’s “The Return,” alongside Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, as well as on “The Night Agent” Season 2 opposite Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan. The sequel to Netflix’s “Old Guard” will premiere on the streamer on July 2.
Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated for her starring role in “Orphan Black,” Maslany proved her ability to effortlessly play multiple characters for five seasons on the BBC America series. She garnered three Emmys nominations and a win for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. The role also earned her two Critics Choice Awards and a SAG Award nomination, among other accolades.
She starred opposite Matthew Rhys in HBO’s “Perry Mason” and in animated series “The Harper House” for Paramount+. She also stars as the titular role in Marvel’s “She-Hulk” series for Disney+ opposite Mark Ruffalo.
Maslany recently appeared in “The Monkey” and upcoming “Keeper,” both directed by “Longlegs” writer/director Osgood Perkins. She starts filming shortly on “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” for Apple TV+, written and executive produced by creator and showrunner David J. Rosen (“Citadel”), and directed and executive produced by David Gordon Green (“Nutcrackers”).
Further top-notch European acting talent such as Hannah Hoekstra (“Hemel,” “Cocaine Bear”), Mala Emde (“Köln 75,” “And Tomorrow the Entire World”) and Nikolai Kinski (“Masters of the Air”) round out the cast, amongst others.
“This main cast is so exciting together,” Ten Horn said. “Tatiana brings explosive talent and sharp comic timing. Marwan’s on-camera presence is intense but vulnerable; he’s just incredibly charming on screen. Together, these two are phenomenal.”
“We’re excited to bring this world to life,” MacMillan added. “Michiel has such a unique voice and vision for this film. It’s fun. With the world as heavy as it is right now, it just feels like audiences could use more love.”
The film is backed by Netherlands Film Fund, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, and post-production studio Red Lab, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, FFA, DFFF, Netherlands Production Incentive, Creative Europe, AVRO/TROS and CoBO fund as well as Kalamata Film, with Ivan Samokhvalov serving as executive producer.
Distribution in Canada is with Elevation Pictures, The Searchers in Benelux and Port-au-Prince in Germany and Austria.
Kenzari is represented by Anonymous Content and CAA. Maslany is represented by UTA and HJTH.
SCREEN DAILY by Jeremy Kay
Myriad Pictures has begun sales on The Pond, a horror thriller starring Isabelle Fuhrman and Douglas Smith that the company is producing and co-financing.
Production is scheduled to take place in Northern Ontario in the summer. The story follows grieving young parents who gather friends and family for a healing getaway in a remote lake house. When one of the group becomes a vessel for parasites, it threatens to infect everybody.
Jeff Renfroe, whose credits include The Colony and Syfy’s Chucky, will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ben Brooks. Thomas Michael is producing the Fella Films production in association with Myriad Pictures, with the support of Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Myriad head Kirk D’Amico is an executive producer.
Fuhrman’s credits include The Novice, the Orphan films, and The Hunger Games. Smith has been in HBO’s Big Little Lies, Seven Veils, and Backcountry. Both were in Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.
“Real horror isn’t just about what lurks in the dark – it’s about the people closest to us, the trust that shatters, the love that turns into something unrecognisable,” said Renfroe. “The Pond is a story about what happens when grief and betrayal take root, forcing us to adapt in ways we never imagined. It explores the unsettling truth that survival isn’t just about endurance – it’s about transformation, and sometimes, that transformation is the real nightmare.”
D’Amico added: “We are excited to bring Jeff Renfroe’s vision of this last hurrah amongst friends that goes off the rails in the way of early David Cronenberg films. With the strong cast led by Isabelle Fuhrman and Douglas Smith the audience will see a slow burn of horror thriller heat up to a boil.”
Michael called Renfroe “a master of genre [who] will deliver an unforgettable movie to thrill audiences worldwide”.
PLAYBACK by Nicholas Sokic
Toronto-based Motel Pictures has acquired the film and television rights to Sabrina Reeves’ debut novel Little Crosses.
The novel, from the Boston-born, Montreal-based author follows a daughter who is forced to examine her complicated relationship with a charismatic, narcissistic mother, who now lives with alcohol-related dementia.
Motel’s plan is to develop a feature for theatrical release, and subsequent TV broadcast, a spokesperson for the prodco told Playback Daily.
“We are incredibly honoured to work with Sabrina Reeves in adapting Little Crosses for the screen,” said Nicole Hilliard-Forde, producer and founder of Motel Pictures (pictured), in a statement. “Her audacious novel tells such a visual and deeply moving story about memories, mothers and resilience, and we believe it will translate powerfully to the screen.”
Published in March 2024, the novel won that year’s Concordia University First Book Prize and the 2024 Paragraph Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction.
Motel Pictures was behind 2024’s indie feature, We Forgot to Break Up, which is shopped internationally by Montreal’s Filmoption International.
by Nicholas Sokic | Playback
Family Channel and Netflix have partnered on Finding Her Edge, a live-action teen drama produced by Toronto-based WildBrain.
The series is based on Jennifer Iacopelli’s novel of the same name, and inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It was commissioned by Family Channel for broadcast in Canada, with Netflix streaming to the rest of the world.
Jeff Norton (pictured) will serve as showrunner of the 8 x 44-minute series, which follows a trio of sisters who are heirs to a figure skating dynasty. Norton was an executive producer on the YTV and Netflix series Geek Girl in 2024.
Finding Her Edge will begin shooting in February and will premiere later this year on Family Channel in Canada. It will then come to Netflix in Canada via a second-run deal.
In a statement, Norton said the novel is “a story that celebrates the pursuit of excellence while exploring the highs and lows of Austen-inspired romance.”
Last December, WildBrain announced an agreement to sell two-thirds of its television broadcast business to Halifax-based independent children’s studio Island of Misfits Media Ventures, which includes Family Channel. The sale is expected to close later this year.
DEADLINE By Matt Grober July 24 2024
EXCLUSIVE: María Gabriela de Faría, the Venezuelan actress recently tapped to play villain The Engineer in Warner Bros/DC’s Superman, has signed on to play the lead in Romanticizing Monsters, a new serial killer pic from director Berkley Brady (Dark Nature).
The film centers around De Faría’s character, Amelia Velez, a reporter and true crime podcaster investigating a series of missing person cases linked to an active serial killer that her boss and the police don’t believe exists.
With Justin Kelly and Katisha Shaw aboard to produce, the project is set to participate in the Frontières International Co Productions Market at Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal later today. Nicole Hilliard-Forde and Matthew Lessall are overseeing casting.
Soon to wrap her role in James Gunn’s Superman, the first title in a revamped DC slate, which is slated for release on July 11, 2025, De Faría will next be seen starring alongside Dylan Sprouse in the comedy The Duel, which Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment are releasing in theaters at the end of July.
Prior to Superman, De Faría was best known for a lead role in Lionsgate’s The Exorcism of God, a supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Alejandro Hidalgo, which was released through Saban Films after world premiering at Fantastic Fest. In addition to the indie drama R#J, a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the actress has also been seen on Fox’s Animal Control and The Moodys and Syfy’s Deadly Class.
Previously, Brady co-wrote and directed the horror pic Dark Nature, also contributing to Screambox’s Creepypasta.
De Faría is represented by Buchwald; Brady by Great North Artists Management.
Every month at the Paradise Theatre, curator and host Peter Knegt is offering queers (and anyone who loves them) a classic queer film, special guests and performers, and some good old fashioned drinks and conversation in the Paradise’s stunning lobby bar. Each film is paired with a different local queer artist, who will design an original poster for the screening.
It’s always time for a Touch of Pink, though we are about to take that to the next level. On May 27th, we will be continuing our Local Queeroes series by celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ian Iqbal Rashid’s absolutely delightful 2004 romantic comedy. The screening will be in collaboration with SanghumFilm Collective, and we have invited quite the lineup of special guests: The film’s writer and director (and an absolute local queero) Rashid will be joined by various members of the cast and crew for a Q&A after the film.
Touch of Pink follows Alim (Jimi Mistry), a gay man living in London to escape the domineering eye of his conservative Muslim mother, Nuru (Suleka Mathew), who lives in Toronto. But a surprise visit from Nuru forces Alim and his boyfriend Giles (Kristen Holden-Reid) to play it straight, all with a little help from none other than the spirit of Cary Grant (played by Kyle MacLachlan, no less).
The film was the feature film debut of Rashid, who has since gone on to write and co-executive produce on the Peabody Award-winning series Sort Of, in addition to a slew of other work in film, television and literature both in Canada and the U.K. We are incredibly excited to welcome him to Queer Cinema Club, as are we to collaborate with Sanghum Film, which is a collective dedicated to showcasing films from the Indian subcontinent and its diasporas. You can read more about their work here.
The screening’s poster was created by Toronto cartoonist and illustrator Sami Alwani, and will be available for purchase before and after the film.
This screening is a co-presentation with Sanghum Film.
(Courtesy of Mongrel Media)
Monday May 27th, 8 PM/7:30 PM Doors
General Admission $15.00 + HST/eventbrite fees
Door tickets are available for purchase on the day of screening. Refunds can be requested up to 12 hours before the screening. All refunds must be requested and processed through eventbrite.
For more than three decades, the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards have recognized and celebrated the strides of Canada’s most accomplished, influential, and impactful women. It is the leading women’s awards program in the nation, elevating this group’s important contributions – from economic growth to social change across sectors and industries.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude at this time.
As a solo female entrepreneur, the work I have been doing for over two decades has been isolating and challenging.
I have been dedicated to advancing opportunities for women as a strong, creative head of department for film and television; as a film producer taking on challenging, agitprop script material; and as a role model to my children (apparently, I take no shit from people, according to them). I love to advocate for others.
With this nomination, I feel seen in a poignant and important way. And it’s true, it is just an honour to be nominated. I would very much like other women to know that the road to autonomy and self authorship is paved by a lot of hard work and compromise and effort and surrender. And risk.
Invariably things in my social order tend to boil down to performance. Performance and paradox. Performance as a mother, otherwise known as the performance of martyrdom. Performance as a woman, otherwise known as the performance of acquiescence. My agency seems to reside in acts of rebellion only. For which I have no script.
I have done and will definitely continue to fail upwards. I am comfortable taking big swings and missing. I am comfortable with failure.
I have spent a very large portion of my life trying to manifest equal opportunities for women and probably will continue to do so with my last dying breath.
DEADLINE by Matt Grober April 1 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures has rounded out the cast of Vicious, its horror film starring Dakota Fanning. New additions include Kathryn Hunter (Poor Things), Tony Award nominee Mary McCormack (The West Wing), Rachel Blanchard (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Devyn Nekoda (Scream VI), Klea Scott (Millennium), and Emily Mitchell (Ordinary Angels).
An Atlas Independent production, the film follows a young woman who, after being left with a strange present from a late-night visitor, must spend the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a disturbing rabbit hole contained inside the gift.
Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) is directing from his own script, with Richard Suckle (American Hustle, Wonder Woman) producing. Melinda Whitaker serves as executive producer. Pic is slated for release in theaters on August 8, 2025.
Recently, Hunter has been seen in Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, as well as Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, also appearing on shows like Andor and Landscapers. Upcoming projects include Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, Max and Sam Eggers’ horror thriller The Front Room for A24, and the Netflix series Black Doves.
McCormack’s been seen of late on shows like Heels and The Kids Are Alright, and in films like Max’s Unpregnant.
Blanchard stars on Prime Video’s YA series The Summer I Turned Pretty and starred prior to that on Audience Network’s You Me Her and FX’s Fargo. On the film side, she was most recently seen starring alongside Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in the 20th/Hulu thriller Deep Water.
In addition to Scream VI, Nekoda has been seen on shows like Ginny & Georgia and Utopia Falls.
Previously seen in films like Minority Report and Collateral, Scott has more recently been seen on shows like Pretty Liars and spin-off Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.
Mitchell portrayed a five-year-old Lisa Marie Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and has also been seen in the films Ordinary Angels and Women Talking, as well as series like What We Do in the Shadows and Ghosts. Up next, she’ll be seen as Ivanka Trump in the Sebastian Stan indie The Apprentice.
Hunter is repped by Stanton Davidson Associates in the UK; McCormack by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, and Paul Hastings; Blanchard by Buchwald, Edna Talent Management, and The Nord Group; Nekoda by Entertainment 360 & da Costa Talent Management; Scott by Ambition Talent Inc., Daniel Hoff Agency and Rugolo Entertainment; and Mitchell by Ritter Talent Agency.
Emma Higgins' debut feature and coming-of-age horror tale is produced by Director X's Fela and When We Were Kids Entertainment.
BY ETAN VLESSING MARCH 21, 2024 6:00AM
Women Talking breakout star Kate Hallett and Ragnarok star Herman Tømmeraas have nabbed lead roles in the teen thriller Sweetness from director Emma Higgins.
Hallet will play Rylee Baker, a 16-year-old who has a chance encounter with her idol, pop star Payton Adler (Tømmeraas), whom she soon discovers is a dysfunctional drug addict. Rylee decides to help Payton, only to see her misguided plan turn dark as she becomes intent on turning teenage fantasies into reality.
The cameras will roll on Sweetness next month in North Bay, Ontario. Higgins, a veteran music video and commercial director, is making her debut feature with the indie genre pic, which she also wrote.
“Horror is my favorite genre, and when I first started writing this film 10 years ago, I knew that this coming-of-age story with its sinister twists and turns could do what those movies did for me growing up and leave audiences thoroughly entertained and a little bit disturbed,” Higgins said in a statement.
Also joining the ensemble cast is Aya Furukawa, Amanda Brugel and Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead). Sweetness is produced by Fela and When We Were Kids Entertainment, with Taj Critchlow and Daniel Quinn sharing producer credits.
Toronto and Los Angeles-based Fela was founded by Director X and Critchlow. Sweetness marks the production banner’s first move into feature films after its roster of directors helmed music videos for Drake, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Jay-Z, SZA, Coldplay, Future, Eminem and others.
Elevation Pictures will release Sweetness in Canada, with Altitude Film Sales handling the international sales.
By Matt Donnelly Variety Feb 28, 2024 6:20pm PT
Paramount Pictures has boarded the new horror film “Vicious,” led by Dakota Fanning and directed by Bryan Bertino.
Fanning will star as a young woman who is left a strange present by a late-night visitor, and quickly realizes she is fighting for her life after slipping down a disturbing rabbit hole contained inside the gift.
The studio has dated the film for an Aug. 8, 2025, release. Bertino previously directed “The Dark and the Wicked” as well as the sleeper genre hit “The Strangers.” Atlas Entertainment and Richard Suckle (“American Hustle,” “Wonder Woman,” “Suicide Squad”) are producing. Melinda Whitaker will executive produce.
The project is one of several in the pipeline for Fanning, who will next be seen in Netflix’s “Ripley” alongside Andrew Scott from creator Steven Zallian She’ll also turn up in the supernatural thriller “The Watchers” from Ishana Night Shyamalan at New Line, and just wrapped production on Nicole Kidman’s “The Perfect Couple” at Netflix.
The youngest person to ever nab a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, Fanning and her sister Elle formed Lewellen Pictures in 2020 to develop feature film, television and digital projects. Lewellen is currently in production on the four-part documentary series “Mastermind” for Hulu, which chronicles the experience of the legendary Dr. Ann Burgess and her trajectory from nurse to criminal profiler for the FBI.
Lewellen is also teaming up with A24 to adapt Paris Hilton’s recently published book “Paris: The Memoir” as a TV series, and to produce “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” which will star Elle Fanning and Kidman for Apple Studios.
BY ELLIE CALNAN13 FEBRUARY 2024 SCREENDAILY.COM
The BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival has revealed the line-up for its 38th edition which takes place March 13-24.
The programme comprises 57 features across the Hearts, Bodies and Mind strands, four of which are world premieres.
World premiering is Karen Knox’s sophomore feature We Forgot To Break Up about a trans musician caught in a love triangle with his bandmates. The Canadian actress and filmmaker’s debut Adult Adoption premiered at Glasgow Film Festival in 2022.
Other world premieres are Kat Rohrer’s Austrian romantic comedy What A Feeling about two women who meet in a bar and Jasmine Johnson’s debut What’s Safe, What’s Gross, What’s Selfish And What’s Stupid where several groups of London’s queer community discuss the meaning of creating a family.
Programme highlights include Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding; Lola Arias’ trans musical documentary Reas; and Unicorns from Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd.
The BFI Flare Industry Day will run on March 16, with topics covering cast and crew wellbeing, safety on sets and queer representation on screen.
As previously announced, Flare will open with Amrou Al-Kadhi’s drag queen drama Layla while Luke Willis’ docu-fiction Lady Like will close the festival. Also previously announced was a special presentation of Dominic Savage’s Close To You starring Elliot Page, with the actor participating in an in conversation Screen Talk about his career.
Aligned
Dir. Apollo Bakopoulos
Chasing Chasing Amy
Dir. Sav Rodgers
Lesvia
DIr. Tzeli Hadjidimitriou
Pine Cone
Dir. Onir
Solids By The Seashore
Dir. Patiparn Boontarig
Summer Solstice
Dir. Noah Schamus
Unicorns
Dirs. Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd
What A Feeling
Dir. Kat Rohrer
What’s Safe, What’s Gross, What’s Selfish And What’s Stupid
Dir. Jasmine Johnson
Who’ll Stop The Rain
Dir. I-Hsuan Su
Woman Of…
Dir. Malgorzata Szumowska
Isla’s Way
Dir. Marion Pilowsky
Our Son
Dir. Bill Oliver
Since The Last Time We Met
Dir. Matías De Leis Correa
Split (series)
Dir. Iris Brey
Backspot
Dir. D.W. Waterson
Departing Seniors
Dir. Clare Cooney
I Don’t Know Who You Are
Dir. M.H. Murray
Join The Club
Dirs. Kip Andersen, Chris O’ Connell
The Summer With Carmen
Dir. Zacharias Mavroeidis
Riley
Dir. Benjamin Howard
We Are Perfect
Dir. Marek Kozakiewicz
Life Is Not A Competition, But I’m Winning
Dir. Julia Fuhr Mann
Silver Haze
Dir. Sacha Polak
Slow
Dir. Marija Kavtaradze
Baldiga - Unlocked Heart
Dir. Markus Stein
Code Of Fear
Dir. Appolain Siewe
Commitment To Life
Dir. Jeffrey Schwarz
Days Of Happiness
Dir. Chloé Robichaud
Desire Lines
Dir. Jules Rosskam
Don’t Ever Stop
Dir. Stuart Polit
Heavy Snow
Dir. YUN Su-ik
Hidden Master: The Legacy Of George Platt Lynes
Dir. Sam Sahid
Indias 1st Best Trans Model Agency
Dir. Ila Mehrotra
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero
Dirs. Carlos López Estrada, Zac Manuel
Love Lies Bleeding
Dir. Rose Glass
Merchant Ivory
Dir. Stephen Soucy
Reas
Dir. Lola Arias
Studio One Forever
Dir. Marc Saltarelli
Toll
Dir. Carolina Markowicz
Unspoken
Dir. Jeremy Borison
We Forgot To Break Up
Dir. Karen Knox
We Were Dangerous
Dir. Josephine Stewart Te-Whiu
You Promised Me The Sea
Dir. Nadir Moknèche
Calls From Moscow
Dir. Luis Alejandro Yero
Orlando, My Political Biography
Dir. Paul B. Preciado
BY MONA TABBARA15 FEBRUARY 2024 SCREENDAILY.COM
UK sales outfit Protagonist Pictures has unveiled a first look at C. May Borgstrom’s thriller Spirit In The Blood, previously known as Desire Of The Prey, which features a cast of Canadian newcomers Summer H. Howell (pictured) and Sarah-Maxine Racicot, alongside German actor Michael Wittenborn and Canadian Greg Bryk.
After a young girl is found dead in a secluded religious mountain community, a pack of teenage girls decide to fight against the evil spirits they believe killed her by embracing their own dark nature.
The Germany-Canada co-production is produced by Hamburg based Verena Gräfe-Höft for Junafilm, and Noah Segal for Elevation Pictures. It is the feature debut of Canada-born, Hamburg-based C. May Borgstrom.
Executive producers for Logical Pictures are Frédéric Fiore, Céline Dornier, Pascal Hostachy and Louis Ladreyt, and Christina Piovesan, Laurie May, Emily Kulasa and Adrian Love serve as executive producers for Elevation Pictures.
The film is produced in association with Logical Content Ventures, in co-production with NDR in collaboration with ARTE and produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, MOIN – Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, the German Federal Goverment Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Ontario Creates, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Creative Europe Programme - Media of the European Union and Crave.
Disney led with 93 noms overall, which includes programming on Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
BY TYLER COATES
NOVEMBER 2, 2023 12:20PM
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced on Thursday the nominees for the second annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.
Disney led the nominees with an overwhelming 93 nods, which included programming across Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Netflix followed with 61 nods, while Nickelodeon earned 30 and Apple TV+ earned 27. With 50 categories, the Children’s and Family Emmys is the largest competition that NATAS oversees.
“We are very proud of the growth experienced in year two of the Children’s and Family Emmys, especially in the development and cultivation of the new categories dedicated to puppetry,” said Rachel Schwartz, director of Daytime and Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, in a statement.
Added Brent Stanton, head of Daytime and Children’s & Family Emmy Awards: “Programming created for children’s and family viewing has a long history of leading the way in innovation and storytelling. In this year specifically, a year so impacted by artists fighting for fair recognition of their true value, it is more important than ever to honor the excellence of their talents and achievements.”
Nominees in one category judged in person — Interactive Media — will be announced later this month, as will honorees in two Juried categories: Individual Achievement in Animation and the newly-created Public Service Initiative. Details about the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards ceremonies will be announced at a later date.
The full list of nominees are below.
PRESCHOOL SERIES
Blue’s Clues & You! (Nickelodeon)
Helpsters (Apple TV+)
Sesame Street (Max)
Slumberkins (Apple TV+)
Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant (Netflix)
CHILDREN’S OR FAMILY VIEWING SERIES
Are You Afraid of the Dark (Nickelodeon)
Best Foot Forward (Apple TV+)
Jane (Apple TV+)
Malory Towers (BYUtv)
The Muppets Mayhem (Disney+)
YOUNG TEEN SERIES
The Crossover (Disney+)
Ghostwriter (Apple TV+)
High School Musical: The Musical – The Series (Disney+)
The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+)
XO, Kitty (Netflix)
FICTION SPECIAL
Chang Can Dunk (Disney+)
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – Night of the Lights (Apple TV+)
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Disney+)
Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance (Netflix)
Prom Pact (Disney Channel)
NON-FICTION PROGRAM
1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed (Max)
All-Round Champion (BYUtv)
Mamas (Roku)
NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition (NBC)
Nick News (Nickelodeon)
PRESCHOOL ANIMATED SERIES
The Adventures of Paddington (NICK Jr.)
Spirit Rangers (Netflix)
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Disney+)
StoryBots: Answer Time (Netflix)
The Tiny Chef Show (Nickelodeon)
CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN ANIMATED SERIES
Baymax! (Disney+)
Big City Greens (Disney Channel)
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)
ONI: Thunder God’s Tale (Netflix)
Zootopia+ (Disney+)
ANIMATED SPECIAL
Looney Tunes Cartoons – Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Skreem Spooktacular (Max)
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur – Moon Girl Landing (Disney Channel)
Reindeer in Here (CBS)
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Netflix)
Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School (Apple TV+)
The Wonderful Summer of Mickey Mouse (Disney+)
SHORT FORM PROGRAM
The Big Gathering (PBS Kids)
I Am Groot (Disney+)
Sesame Street: Wes’ First Barbershop Haircut (YouTube)
Sesame Street’s #ComingTogether Word of the Day Series (YouTube)
Storyline Online (YouTube)
PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous – “Season 5 Campaign” (Netflix)
Nickelodeon Brand Campaign – “Quarter,” “Car,” “We Make Fun” (Nickelodeon)
PBS Kids – “Brand IDs” (PBS Kids)
LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa, The Santa Clauses (Disney+)
Ella Bright as Darrell Rivers, Malory Towers (BYUtv)
Veda Cienfuegos as Emily, Circuit Breakers (Apple TV+)
Tony Hale as Mr. Benedict, The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+)
Gina Rodriguez as Momma, Lost Ollie (Netflix)
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Adeel Akhtar as Dr. Aditya Singh, Sweet Tooth (Netflix)
Nonso Anozie as Tommy Jepperd, Sweet Tooth (Netflix)
Kal Penn as Simon Choksi/Santa, The Santa Clauses (Disney+)
Neil Sandilands as General Abbot, Sweet Tooth (Netflix)
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Billie Pearce, National Treasure: Edge of History (Disney+)
YOUNGER PERFORMER IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Mykal-Michelle Harris as Alice Baxter, Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)
Marta Kessler as Constance Contraire, The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+)
Matilda Lawler as Betty, The Santa Clauses (Disney+)
Rupali Redd as Grace, The Santa Clauses (Disney+)
PUPPETRY PERFORMANCE
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Abby & Tango, Sesame Street (Max)
Frankie Cordero as Purple Panda, Penguin Referee & Gregory, Donkey Hodie (PBS Kids)
Ryan Dillon as Elmo, Sesame Street (Max)
Haley Jenkins as Donkey Hodie, Donkey Hodie (PBS Kids)
Eric Jacobson as Bert, Oscar & Grover, Sesame Street (Max)
Eric Jacobson as Animal/Baby Animal, The Muppets Mayhem (Disney+)
VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird & Marvin the Martian, Bugs Bunny Builders (Cartoon Network)
Erin Fitzgerald as Bo, Eleanor Smartypants, Story StoryBerg, Ranger Dot, Oog the CaveBot & Fun Fact Hairdresser, StoryBots: Answer Time (Netflix)
James Monroe Iglehart as Mr. Puppypaws/Announcer, Superkitties (Disney Junior)
Cree Summer as Lizard & DeeDee, Spirit Rangers (Netflix)
Fred Tatasciore as Bang, BlimBlam the Barbarian & Chef Pierre, StoryBots: Answer Time (Netflix)
VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Bob Bergen as Porky Pig, Looney Tunes Cartoons (Max)
Jack Black as Po, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (Netflix)
Laurence Fishburne as The Beyonder, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)
Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
Rob Paulsen as Pinky, Dr. Scratchansniff & Yakko, Animaniacs (Hulu)
YOUNGER VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Talon Proc Alford as Eddy Skycedar, Spirit Rangers (Netflix)
Juliet Donenfeld as Piper, Interrupting Chicken (Apple TV+)
Maria Nash as Pinecone, Pinecone & Pony (Apple TV+)
Melissa Povenmire as Gretel, Hamster & Gretel (Disney Channel)
Isis Celilo Rogers as Summer Skycedar, Spirit Rangers (Netflix)
Momona Tamada as Onari, ONI: Thunder God’s Tale (Netflix)
HOST
Valerie Bertinelli & Duff Goldman, Kids Baking Championship (Food Network)
Tabitha Brown, Tab Time (YouTube Originals)
Emmanuel Carter, Noggin Knows (Noggin)
Taylor Cassidy, Benjamin de Almedia, Kahlil Greene, Tejas Hullur, Jane McManus & Jillian Smith, Nick News (Nickelodeon)
Juanpa Zurita, Elmo’s Mindfulness Spectacular! (YouTube)
WRITING FOR A PRESCHOOL OR CHILDREN’S LIVE ACTION PROGRAM
Helpsters (Apple TV+)
Jane (Apple TV+)
Lost Ollie (Netflix)
Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)
Sesame Street (Max)
WRITING FOR A YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Chang Can Dunk (Disney+)
The Crossover (Disney+)
Growing Up (Disney+)
Life by Ella (Apple TV+)
The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+)
Netflix led the nominations with six, including for original films 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' and 'Matilda the Musical.'
BY TYLER COATES
JANUARY 10, 2023 8:30AM
Casting Society (CSA) today announces the film nominees for the 38th Artios Awards, which honor the contribution of casting directors in film, television and theater. The CSA previously announced the nominees for its television, theater, short film and short-form series categories on Oct. 17.
Among the nominations this year are Oscar hopefuls Armageddon Time, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Tár and The Whale.
Netflix leads the total nominations with six. A24, Disney and Universal earned four nods each.
Three casting directors are honored with three nods: Ellen Chenoweth, Mary Vernieu and Bret Howe. Receiving two nominations each are Lucy Bevan, Kim Coleman, Sarah Halley Finn, Cristi Soper Hilt, Avy Kaufman, Bernard Kelsey and Natalie Yon.
First held in 1985, the Artios Awards honors casting professionals in more than 20 different categories encompassing film, television, theatre and commercials. In addition, special honorees are selected for their contributions to the craft. Nominees and winners are voted on by members of the Casting Society.
The winners will be revealed on March 9, 2023, when the Artios Awards returns for an in-person gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. The annual celebration will also mark CSA’s 40th year.
The full list of nominees follows.
ANIMATION
The Bad Guys (Universal)
Christi Soper Hilt
Lightyear (Disney/Pixar)
Natalie Lyon, Kevin Reher, Kate Hansen-Birnbaum (Associate Casting Director)
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (A24)
Jessica Kelly, Kate Geller (Associate Casting Director)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Universal)
Christi Soper Hilt
Turning Red (Disney/Pixar)
Natalie Lyon, Kevin Reher, Kate Hansen-Birnbaum (Associate Casting Director)
BIG BUDGET – COMEDY
Bros (Universal)
Gayle Keller, Allison Kirschner (Associate Casting Director)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
Mary Vernieu, Bret Howe
The Menu (Searchlight)
Mary Vernieu, Bret Howe, Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting), Kimberly Wistedt (Location Casting), Becca Burgess (Associate Casting Director)
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (Netflix)
Lucy Bevan, Emily Brockmann
White Noise (Netflix)
Douglas Aibel, D. Lynn Meyers, (Location Casting), Matthew Glasner (Associate Casting Director)
BIG BUDGET – DRAMA
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney/Marvel)
Sarah Halley Finn, Carla Hool (Location Casting), Tara Feldstein Bennett (Location Casting), Chase Paris (Location Casting), Molly Doyle (Associate Casting Director)
Elvis (Warner Bros.)
Denise Chamian, Nikki Barrett, Beth Day (Associate Casting Director) Liz Ludwitzke (Associate Casting Director)
The Fabelmans (Universal)
Cindy Tolan, Nicholas Petrovich (Associate Casting Director)
Tár (Focus Features)
Avy Kaufman, Simone Bär (Location Casting), Jeremy Zimmerman (Location Casting)
Till (United Artists)
Kim Coleman, Tara Feldstein Bennett (Location Casting), Chase Paris (Location Casting), Stefni Colle (Associate Casting Director)
FILM, NON-THEATRICAL RELEASE
The Adam Project (Netflix)
Carmen Cuba, Tiffany Mak (Location Casting), Judith Sunga (Associate Casting Director)
Better Nate Than Never (Disney+)
Bernard Telsey, Bethany Knox, Pat Goodwin
Deep Water (Hulu)
Ellen Chenoweth, Tracy Kilpatrick (Location Casting), Susanne Scheel (Associate Casting Director)
The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
Victoria Thomas, Jo Edna Boldin (Location Casting)
The Survivor (HBO)
Ellen Chenoweth, Susanne Scheel (Associate Casting Director)
LOW-BUDGET, COMEDY OR DRAMA
Emily the Criminal (Roadside Attractions)
Chelsea Bloch, Marisol Roncali
Family Squares (Screen Media Films)
Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas
Montana Story (Bleecker Street)
Avy Kaufman, Harrison Nesbit (Associate Casting Director)
Please Baby Please (Music Box Films)
Eyde Belasco
The Swearing Jar (Gravitas Ventures)
Nicole Hilliard-Forde, Matthew Lessall
MICRO BUDGET, COMEDY OR DRAMA
The Cathedral (MUBI)
Ally Beans, Daryl Eisenberg
Down With the King (Stage 6 Films)
Scotty Anderson, Harrison Nesbit
Four Samosas (IFC Films)
Emily Schweber
They/Them/Us (Gravitas Ventures)
Joey Montenarello, Duncan Stewart, Benton Whitley, D. Lynn Meyers (Location Casting)
The Same Storm (Juno Films)
Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Adam Caldwell, Karyn Casl (Associate Casting Director)
STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – COMEDY
The Bubble (Netflix)
Victor Jenkins, Gayle Keller, Allison Kirschner (Associate Casting Director)
Catherine Called Birdy (Prime Video)
Nina Gold, Catriona Dickie
Emergency (Prime Video)
Kim Coleman, Tara Feldstein Bennett (Location Casting), Chase Paris (Location Casting)
I Love My Dad (Magnolia Pictures)
Eyde Belasco
Spoiler Alert (Focus Features)
Avy Kaufman
STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – DRAMA
Armageddon Time (Focus Features)
Douglas Aibel, Matthew Glasner (Associate Casting Director)
The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight)
Louise Kiely
Causeway (A24/Apple TV+)
Ellen Chenoweth, Tracy Kilpatrick (Location Casting), Susanne Scheel (Associate Casting Director), Blair Foster (Associate Casting Director)
Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV+)
Angela Demo, Nancy Mosser Bailey (Location Casting)
The Whale (A24)
Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham Ahanonu, Bret Howe (Associate Casting Director)
THE ZEITGEIST AWARD
Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century Studios)
Margery Simkin, Katrina Wandel George (Associate Casting Director), Jasmine Gutierrez (Associate Casting Director), Sydney Shircliff (Associate Casting Director)
The Batman (Warner Bros.)
Cindy Tolan, Lucy Bevan, Nicholas Petrovich (Associate Casting Director), Olivia Grant (Associate Casting Director)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24)
Sarah Halley Finn, Djinous Rowling (Associate Casting Director)
Scream (Paramount)
Rich Delia, Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting), Craig Fincannon (Location Casting), Adam Richards (Associate Casting Director), Meredith Petty Hughes (Associate Casting Director)
Deadline.com By Melanie Goodfellow November 9, 2022 6:03am
EXCLUSIVE: Rising Canadian talents Lane Webber Daniel Gravelle, June Laporte, Jordan Dawson and Hallea Jones have joined the cast of queer, indie music feature We Forgot To Break Up.
The film expands on the award-winning TIFF 2017 short film of the same name in which a young man meets up with his now-famous, former bandmates after a long absence.
The new feature will follow the story of a band of misfits who leave their small town to chase their dreams as indie rock gods in the big city.
It is billed as a love letter to the early 2000s Toronto indie music scene explored through the beating heart of a queer love triangle.
There will be original music by Torquil Campbell from the Montreal band Stars, as well as a soundtrack of early 2000s indie music from bands such as The Pixies and Cub.
Director and actress Karen Knox will direct We Forgot To Break Up, taking her second feature film credit after Adult Adoption, which screened at the Calgary, Glasgow and Soho film festivals.
Nicole Hillard-Forde at Toronto-based Motel Pictures Inc is lead producing with financing from Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, NOHFC, and Urban Post.
Executive Producers on the project include Justin Kelly, Mark Gingras and John Laing, with Ben Farella attached as an Associate Producer.
Jordan Jordan Kennington (Suze, The Swearing Jar) is attached as cinematographer.
“We’re very excited to have director Karen Knox on board, as her perspective and keen observations of human beings, mixed with her aesthetic prowess, make her a perfect fit,” said Hillard-Forde.
We Forgot To Break Up will begin to start filming in North Bay, Ontario in early November 2022.
Webber’s credits include the IFC-acquired web series Slo Pitch, about a softball team for LGBTQ women and non-binary players; Gravelle will soon be seen in Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard’s horror-comedy Hell Of A Summer; Laporte has had a busy 2022 with The Dropout, You Can Live Forever and Mid-Life Crisis; Dawson has had roles in TV series The Expanse and Suits, while Jones is best known for her role as Eden Hawkins in Netflix series Locke & Key.
Knox is repped by Mary Jane MacCallum at ARC Agency; Laporte is repped by Kim Edwards at The Characters & Jared Schwartz at Industry Entertainment; Webber, by Mia Bezener at Riverlight Talent Management Inc; Gravelle and Dawson, by Nick Saites at Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates, and Jones, by Larissa Giroux at Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates, and Buchwald.
DEADLINE.COM By Jesse Whittock September 21, 2022 6:55am
EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Freevee coming-of-age drama series Beyond Black Beauty has begun principal photography, with shooting of the Amazon Studios, Sinking Ship Entertainment and Leif Films show underway in Canada.
Inspired by the novel of the same name, Beyond Black Beauty follows Jolie Dumont, an Olympic-driven equestrian whose journey is halted when her mother moves them from their posh Belgium life to Baltimore. There Jolie struggles to find roots but as she bonds with an equally spirited horse named Black Beauty, and learns to embrace her family’s ranch, where Black cowboys have been entrenched in their DNA for over a century.
Kaya Coleman (The Sinners) stars as Jolie and Sagine Sémajuste (13: The Musical) as her mother Janelle. Gina James (Hogtown: Code\Switch) and Lisa Berry (Workin’ Moms) also star in the Canadian/Belgian co-production, which began filming recently in Canada, with production scheduled to wrap in Belgium in October.
“Having the opportunity to film in both Canada and Belgium provides a vast canvas that enriches the series’ authenticity, ” said Pilar Golden, who’s among the show’s executive producers. “As we near the end of our Canadian production shoot, the cast have developed a beautiful bond and as filming continues in Belgium in October their relations are sure to strengthen in ways that will only help buoy the theme of the value of family.”
Exec producers are Leif and Agnes Bristow, Blair Powers, Carla de Jong, Golden, and J.J. Johnson.
The international series is set to be released on Amazon’s Freevee as part of its 2023 slate, having been ordered back in May alongside shows such as America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation and Play-Doh Squished.
Kaya Coleman is represented by The Characters and Capstone Talent. Sagine Sémajuste is represented by Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates. Gina James is represented by FilmComm Talent. Lisa Berry is represented by Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates and Pilar Golden by APA and Meridian Artists.
The Hollywood Reporter BY RICK PORTER AUGUST 29, 2022 7:00AM
The streamer will also have a new season of 'Ghostwriter' and additional Peanuts specials in the fall.
Apple TV+ is ramping up its slate of kids and family programming for the fall.
The tech giant’s streaming service will debut four new series in the fall and offer up new seasons of five returning shows, including Ghostwriter — with an entirely new cast for its third installment — and Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show. Apple TV+ will also add eight Peanuts specials to its library as part of its partnership with rights holder WildBrain.
The four new series are preschool animated show Sago Mini Friends, based on characters from the Sago Mini World app; Slumberkins, a mix of animation and puppetry from the Jim Henson Company; Interrupting Chicken, based on the award-winning children’s book by David Ezra Stein; and Circuit Breakers, a kid-friendly sci fi show.
The additions to Apple TV+’s slate for kids and families stand in contrast to some other streamers: HBO Max has pulled a number of kids’ shows off its service and cut back development in that area, and Netflix has also scrapped several animated series (for both kids and adults) and laid off some 70 people in its animation group.
In addition to Ghostwriter (Oct. 21) and Hello, Jack! (Oct. 7), Apple TV+ will also debut new seasons of Wolfboy and the Everything Factory and Get Rolling With Otis on Sept. 30. The Peanuts specials joining the platform (all on Sept. 9) are He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown; He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown; It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown; It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown; There’s No Time for Love, Charlie Brown; Why, Charlie Brown, Why?; You’re in Love, Charlie Brown; and You’re the Greatest, Charlie Brown.
More details on the four new series:
Sago Mini Friends (Sept. 16) features Harvey the floppy-eared dog, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit and Robin the bird playing and exploring in the town of Sagoville. The preschool series comes from Spin Master Entertainment and Brown Bag Films — Toronto; Jennifer Dodge, Ronnen Harary, Tone Thyne, Dustin Ferrer, Laura Clunie and Toni Stevens executive produce, with Chad Hicks serving as series director.
Slumberkins (Nov. 4) is based on the emotional learning brand of the same name. The Jim Henson Company-produced series follows Bigfoot, Unicorn, Sloth, Yak, and Fox as they explore stories of friendship, confidence and connection to model healthy relationships. Alex Rockwell and Henson’s Halle Stanford executive produce. Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard, creators of the Slumberkins brand, are co-EPs.
Circuit Breakers (Nov. 11) is a half-hour, futuristic anthology that takes on kid-relatable issues through a science fiction lens and where curiosity can lead to chaos. Melody Fox created the series. The executive producers are Matt Hastings, who also directed the pilot episode; Andrew Orenstein; Cottonwood Media’s Sarah Haasz, David Michel and Cécile Lauritano; Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen of Aircraft Pictures; and Todd Berger.
Interrupting Chicken (Nov. 18) is based on Stein’s Caldecott Honor-winning picture book series and features a young chicken named Piper with a habit of interrupting story time. This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown leads the voice cast of the series, produced by Mercury Filmworks. Sesame Street and Odd Squad alum Ron Holsey developed the show and executive produces with Stein, Loris Kramer Lunsford, Clint Eland and Chantal Ling.
DEADLINE By Matt Grobar July 13, 2022 9:45 am
EXCLUSIVE: Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. rights to Lindsay MacKay’s romantic drama The Swearing Jar, starring Adelaide Clemens (Under the Banner of Heaven), Douglas Smith (Don’t Worry Darling), Patrick J. Adams (Prime Video’s A League of Their Own) and Oscar nominee Kathleen Turner (The White House Plumbers). The Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company has slated the film for release on 20 screens in major markets across the country on September 23.
The Swearing Jar is based on Kate Hewlett’s award-winning play of the same name, which she adapted for the screen. Billed as an intimate story told through music, comedy, subtly shifting timeframes and a few tears, it tells two love stories at once: exploring the joys and challenges of dating, marriage, heartbreak… and moving on. The film was produced by Jane Loughman for Monkeys & Parrots in association with Kyle Bornais of Farpoint Films and Tony Wosk of Middle Child Films. Its original score is by composer Timothy Williams, who also arranged the original songs by Hewlett.
“I had the pleasure of bringing Kate Hewlett’s beautiful script to life,” said MacKay. “With the help of an incredible crew and a wonderful cast, I believe we managed to create something heartfelt, nuanced, and special. I’m excited for audiences to see this and am very pleased that they will have the opportunity to do so in theaters!”
“THE SWEARING JAR is a beautiful story about the trials of romance and grief, wrapped into an absolute crowd pleaser with amazing music,” added Gravitas Ventures’ Manager of Acquisitions, Brett Rogalsky. “Gravitas is excited to be able to share the film with audiences this fall.”
Gravitas Ventures is a distributor of indie features and documentaries founded in 2006, which sold to multi-platform media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment last November, and recently announced the launch of the new theatrical release label, Gravitas Premiere. Recent releases from the company include Michael Lembeck’s Queen Bees; Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan; and Andy Tennant’s The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes.
Rogalsky negotiated the deal for The Swearing Jar on behalf of Gravitas Ventures, with Will Machin from Metro International Entertainment.
Having developed some of Nickelodeon's most prolific shows, Tom Lynch teams with WildBrain for a new Netflix kids series.
by Kasey Moore @kasey__moore
Published on June 29th, 2022, 6:48 am EST
WildBrain and Tom Lynch are partnering up to release a new supernatural kids live-action series for Netflix which is going under the working title of Fanger, What’s on Netflix has learned.
Tom Lynch and his production company are on board to produce the series. Best known for his years at Nickelodeon, he’s produced the likes of Make It Pop, The Secret World of Alex Mack, and most recently for the network, The Other Kingdom. He was referred to as the David E. Kelley of Tween TV by the New York Times.
WildBrain is also producing the project with Angela Boudreault and Adam Benish listed as producers.
The Canadian entertainment company based out of Halifax is best known for its animation and live-action kids slate including the likes of Johnny Test and Carmen Sandiego for Netflix, the various live-action Degrassi series, and The Snoopy Show.
The animation team of WildBrain are currently hard at work prepping Sonic: Prime for release on Netflix in 2022 and just announced a new series for Peacock based on Caillou.
Nicole Hilliard-Forde is serving as casting director on the new series.
Warren P. Sonoda is set to direct on the new live-action series. The Canadian director also serves as head of the Canadian Directors Guild and is known for working on Netflix’s Trailer Park Boys, Utopia Falls, and Make It Pop.
We don’t have a huge amount of detail on story or cast just yet but we do have a short logline about the show which gives us some idea as to what to expect:
“After a preteen girl realizes she has supernatural powers, she embarks on a search for who her birth parents were, and who – or what – that makes her.”
The project got underway with filming on June 23rd, 2022. It will be filmed in Toronto, Canada and is scheduled to wrap filming in early October 2022 (current schedules suggest it’ll have wrapped by October 12th) which ultimately suggests that the show may be on our screens at some point in 2023.
Netflix did not respond to a request for comment on the project.
We’ll keep you updated as and when we learn more about Fanger in the coming weeks and months.
