Prime Video Adapts The Office; Tubi Lands 600 Titles; Netflix Opens Vancouver Hub; Taika Waititi & Jason Momoa Buy Studio West & More!

Banijay Entertainment has acquired global rights to ‘Battleground’, a fitness competition format from Mumbai-based Rusk Media. The format blends sport, reality drama and audience interactivity across a three-stage contest including a signature Fight Club segment. Season 1 in India drew over 20 million views and 2.5 billion social media impressions. The format joins Banijay’s third-party slate alongside ‘Ninja Warrior’, ‘Werewolves’ and ‘You Laugh, You Lose’. (🇮🇳)

→ How does ‘Battleground’ compare with other formats in Banijay’s portfolio such as ‘Ninja Warrior’, ‘Werewolves’, and ‘You Laugh, You Lose’?

FX is in early development on comedy pilot ‘Hopeless’, from director Jeff Chan (‘Plus One’) and Rob Mac (‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, ‘Welcome to Wrexham’), produced by 20th Television. The series follows two people who fall into a chaotic romance after one uses the other’s number as a fake. Mac’s More Better Productions and 3 Arts’ Nick Frenkel executive produce alongside Jackie Cohn. (🇺🇸)

→ What other projects is Jeff Chan developing beyond “Hopeless”?

Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios are developing ‘La Oficina’, a Mexican adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ BBC mockumentary ‘The Office’. Gaz Alazraki’s Máquina Vega will direct and executive produce, with Marcos Bucay (‘VGLY’) as showrunner. The BBC Studios format, set in Aguascalientes, will stream exclusively on Prime Video across Latin America, Brazil, and Spain. (🇲🇽)

→ What other projects has Máquina Vega produced or developed for international streaming platforms?

BYUtv has renewed the viral sketch comedy series ‘Studio C’ for seasons 23 and 24, with Kaleidoscope Pictures handling production. The season 22 premiere, featuring guest star Rainn Wilson, is now streaming on the BYUtv app. Produced by Jake Van Wagoner and Micah Merrill, the new seasons will feature returning cast member Jason Gray alongside Claire Riffle and Chad Westbrook. (🇺🇸)

→ Who are the full cast members confirmed for Studio C seasons 23 and 24?

Six active financiers on what makes them say yes. The conversation most producers never get to have. 25 pages. Free.

Heretic has secured distribution deals for Kai Stänicke’s ‘Trial of Hein’ with several international partners. Under these agreements, Strand Releasing serves as the North American distributor, while Paradis Films, DCM, and Lev Cinemas have locked in rights for France, German-speaking territories, and Israel, respectively. The film stars Paul Boche and Philip Froissant. (🇬🇷)

→ What other films competed alongside “Trial of Hein” at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival?

Taskovski Films has secured the worldwide sales rights to the documentary ‘Heat’ from the production company Lomotion AG. Directed by Jacqueline Zünd and produced by Louis Mataré, the film examines extreme heat and its impact on character traits, economic dynamics, and social disparities in the Persian Gulf. Taskovski Films will act as the international distributor following the project’s world premiere at the Visions du Réel festival. (🇬🇧)

→ What documentary titles has Taskovski Films acquired or distributed in 2025-2026?

Shudder has acquired three horror titles debuting at the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans — ‘Parasomnia’ (dir. James Ross II, starring Jasmine Mathews & Danny Brown), ‘Goody Goody’ (dir. Raymond Creamer, starring Colleen Foy, Samantha Robinson & Zoe Renee), and ‘New Group’ (dir. Yûta Shimotsu, starring Yuzu Aoki & Pierre Taki). All three titles are set for release on Shudder by year-end. (🇺🇸)

→ Which distributors and streaming platforms have acquired films at the Overlook Film Festival

Tubi has acquired over 600 movies and TV shows for its Canadian on-demand library from Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Key titles include ‘John Wick’, ‘Django Unchained’, ‘Man of Steel’, ‘The Departed’, ‘Independence Day’, ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed’. (🇺🇸)

→ What is Tubi’s current content library size and growth strategy across its international markets beyond Canada?

HAYATE Inc., the anime production joint venture established by Aniplex and Crunchyroll in 2025, has acquired all shares of anime studio Lay-duce (‘Tomo-chan Is a Girl!’, ‘Clevatess’), making it a wholly owned subsidiary. This marks HAYATE’s first capital participation in an anime production studio. Founded in 2013 by former BONES producer Noritomo Yonai, Lay-duce has two upcoming titles — ‘Clevatess II’ and ‘Please Excuse My Younger Brothers’ — scheduled for July 2026. (🇯🇵)

→ What are the details behind HAYATE Inc. acquiring anime studio?

Through their investment firm Āriki Group, Taika Waititi, Jason Momoa, and Cliff Curtis have acquired Auckland’s Studio West from Enki Enterprises. The deal establishes New Zealand’s first Polynesian-led production hub to foster indigenous storytelling. The facility has previously hosted projects such as ‘Chief of War’ and ‘M3GAN 2.0’, and the new owners aim to attract more international productions to the region. (🇳🇿)

→ How does Studio West’s facility and capacity compare to other major production studios across the Asia-Pacific region?

BBC Studios has launched ‘BBC Player’, a fully rights-cleared streaming platform developed for airlines in partnership with Panasonic Avionics. Serving as the content provider and distributor, BBC Studios will offer branded sections like BBC Earth and BritBox to passengers. The initiative aims to maximize commercial returns for the company through new global in-flight entertainment licensing agreements. (🇬🇧)

→ What other partnerships has BBC Studios pursued beyond its deal with Panasonic Avionics?

Netflix has launched a 110,000+ sq. ft. animation production hub in Vancouver, accommodating over 450 artists. The facility enhances original film production, integrates VFX capabilities, and strengthens Vancouver’s position as a leading global animation and filmmaking hub. (🇨🇦)

→ What are the details of Netflix’s new animation production hub launched in Vancouver?