Top Stories

MUNICH: A new screen adaptation of the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, is under way for ZDF, ORF and RAI, with a budget of about 11 million euros. The story of the Empress is being filmed …

WINNIPEG: Canwest Global Communications Corp. has secured another week to make a $30.4 million payment related to outstanding 8 percent senior subordinated notes. Canwest now has till April 21 to make the payment, after missing both its March 15 and April 14 …

LONDON: Virgin Media Television’s male-skewing entertainment channel Bravo has secured the rights to the FX series Sons of Anarchy from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, as part of the British network’s efforts to bolster its prime-time drama slate. Already renewed for a …

TORONTO: Breakthrough Entertainment has sold the broadcast and DVD rights to Shadow Island Mysteries to Free Dolphin for France, Italy and Spain. The 90-minute film, currently in development, follows a young woman who works as a property manager of the Shadow Island Resort. …

VANCOUVER: Nerd Corps Entertainment has filed suit against the Denmark-based venture Kidz Entertainment over non-payment of license fees for the animated hit Storm Hawks. The legal action, filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia by Nerd Corps International Distribution, a …

LONDON: Turkish broadcaster ATV has launched its own version of The Golden Girls, following the producer Play Productions’ acquisition of the format rights from Disney-ABC-ESPN Television. The first of 13 episodes aired on Sunday, starring award-winning feature film actress Hülya Koçyiğit as …

WOODLAND HILLS: The independent distributor Osiris Entertainment, formed last year by filmmaker Evan Crooke, has acquired more than 400 films and other key assets from Westlake Entertainment. Osiris will handle the distribution rights to the newly acquired film library across all platforms. …

WASHINGTON, D.C.: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) has signed on to co-produce the new HD series First Ascent with Sender Films, slated for launch on Nat Geo Adventure in the third quarter of this year. The six-part series follows top-level …

BURBANK: Production is under way on a new reality sports series, Next X, developed by Disney XD in association with ESPN, to debut across the new boy-skewing brand’s cross-platform services. The show features five of the world’s top professional action-sports …

TORONTO: Tricon Films & Television has closed a deal that sees Spanish outfit Redacción 7 producing a local version of Lone Eagle Entertainment’s game show Inside the Box, to air on Canal Sur 2. The game-show format plays off the …