Join us in this week’s edition of Entertainment Supply Chain Digest as we dive into the captivating world where AI in entertainment transforms storytelling and production, witness season renewals of beloved shows, and explore partnerships that transcend borders.

We at Vitrina AI, the global sourcing hub for the entertainment supply-chain, strive to keep you informed of the latest happenings in the industry, so you don’t have to spend countless hours researching and keeping up to date.

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• Somewhere Animation, a Mediawan kids & family label, and Marla Studios to collaborate and develop an animated series based on the online game “Temtem”. The multiplayer fantasy creature collection adventure game is created by Spanish studio Crema 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 🇺🇸 
• Canadian unscripted content distributor, Media Ranch, has optioned formats for Korean singing show, “Round Table”, to Europe and the US including to Fremantle, and Tower Productions 🇺🇸 🇳🇱 🇩🇪
• Exile Content Studio, in partnership with MOXIE 88, has teamed up with Blue Demon Jr., a famous Mexican Lucha Libre icon, to develop an innovative franchise strategy to promote Blue Demon Jr.’s image and trademarks worldwide through film, television, and merchandise 🇺🇸  
• Rabbit Films commissioned to produce the Finnish adaptation of the popular BBC format “Top Gear” for Nelonen and Ruutu. This marks the 11th international version of the show 🇬🇧
• Paris-based prodco What the Prod has acquired TV adaptation rights for the video game franchise “Syberia”. They will collaborate with game publisher Microids on the adaptation, and will draw inspiration from popular YA hits “Arcane” and “The Last of Us” 🇫🇷

• Lionsgate has enlisted director Felipe Vargas to lead a fresh installment of the popular “Leprechaun” horror franchise. The film will be produced by Vertigo’s Roy Lee and Miri Yoon. 🇺🇸
• TV3, ETB, and Banijay Iberia have joined forces to co-produce “Generación Porno,” a docu series on the influence of the porn industry on the lives of new generations 🇪🇸
• Warner Bros Pictures Animation (WBPA) has announced the early development of a Flintstones origin story movie titled “Meet the Flintstones.” The film will be written by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, known for directing The Super Mario Bros. Movie 🇺🇸 
• Director Sofia Carrillo, producer Nicolas Celis, and writer Monika Revilla are collaborating on “Insectario,” a stop motion film. Produced by Pimienta Films, the film builds upon the aesthetic universe of “Cerulia” while introducing a unique and independent story 🇲🇽
• National Geographic has greenlit the documentary “The Last Frontier With Alex Honnold,” which will be produced by Plimsoll Productions. The film showcases the renowned climber Alex Honnold as he takes on one of North America’s most treacherous mountains 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

• Blue Ant Media is gearing up to deliver a lineup of unscripted shows for its Canadian specialty TV networks and  FAST channels in 2024. The company has renewed popular programs such as “Intervention Canada”, “Haunted Hospitals”, and “Mysteries from Above” 🇨🇦
• BYUtv renews “Studio C” for two more seasons, with a fall premiere for Season 17 and a Spring 2024 premiere for Season 18. All episodes stream for free on BYUtv’s app, website, and social media 🇺🇸
• The 16th season of the popular Valencian television series “L’Alqueria Blanca” has been renewed and filming has started at the Buñol studios 🇪🇸
• On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, WTFN Group has greenlit season renewals for its most popular titles, including “Paramedics”, “Emergency”, “Bondi Vet” and “Space Invaders” 🇦🇺
• The CW has renewed “Superman and Lois” for a 10-episode fourth season, making it the only DC series remaining on the network. The show, produced by Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, was part of the Arrowverse 🇺🇸

• A24 and Anuvu have reached an exclusive in-flight distribution deal, which includes seven upcoming features such as “Past Lives” and “Talk To Me”. The deal covers airlines as well as US military installations 🇺🇸
• Indian distributor, GoQuest Media, has acquired the global distribution rights for the Lithuanian comedy-drama series “Troll Farm” from producers, Dansu Films 🇮🇳 🇱🇹 🌐
• GKIDS, an animation producer and distributor, has secured the North American rights for the manga-based musical anime film “Blue Giant.” 🇺🇸 🇯🇵 
• Danish director Mads Hedegaard’s debut action-drama film, “Stranger,” currently in production, to be distributed domestically by Scanbox, while REInvent is set to oversee its global sales. Filming will begin this summer, with a release slated for 2024 🇩🇰
• KidsMe, a subsidiary of De Agostini Group, gets the distribution and merchandising rights for the 2D-animated series “Isadora Moon” in Italy. The series is based on the popular book series by Harriet Muncaster 🇮🇹 🇬🇧

• HIDIVE has acquired the rights to Pony Canyon’s new horror-supernatural series “Dark Gathering”. The anime adaptation of Kenichi Kondo’s popular manga is set to premiere in July in Japan 🇺🇸 🇯🇵
• “The Ones You Didn’t Burn”, an occult thriller screened at the Chattanooga Film Festival and FrightFest, has landed international distribution deals with Jinga Films selling the film to Encripta for Latin America 🇪🇸 🇺🇸 🇧🇷
• The Turkish drama series “Kurt Seyit & Sura”, produced by Ay Yapim has been licensed to Mediaset Italia through Eccho Rights 🇹🇷 🇮🇹
• Prime Entertainment Group has secured deals with broadcasters like HRT in Croatia and Estonia’s ERR for their animated specials including “Ariol”, “A Tiger With No Stripes”, and “The Pocket Man” 🇭🇷 🇪🇪 🇫🇷
• Cream Productions’ “History of the Sitcom,” a show that reunites beloved sitcom friends, families, and co-workers, has been acquired by SBS in Australia through Cineflix Rights 🇦🇺 🇬🇧

• France Télévisions’ production arm, france.tv, has acquired a majority stake in Montpellier based Dwarf Animation Studio. This partnership aims to strengthen Dwarf’s operational infra while also helping france.tv establish a creative hub in the south of France 🇫🇷 
• Banijay has acquired a majority stake in Milan-based Balich Wonder Studio, a live event creator who is credited for the organisation of the highest number of Olympic Games Ceremonies in the world.
• Amagi has partnered with KC Global Media Asia (KCGM) to deploy its cloud-based SaaS technology for the distribution of the channel Animax on multiple OTT platforms in India. This collaboration allows KCGM to expand its reach in the Southeast Asian market. (South East Asia)
• OTTera and Nextologies have formed a strategic alliance to revolutionize the FAST space. The partnership aims to streamline the delivery and distribution of broadcast channels to prominent FAST platforms 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 

• Iyuno has acquired Istanbul-based dubbing studio Ak’ Kara International, which will be renamed Iyuno Turkey and will expand Iyuno’s presence in the EMEA region 🇺🇸 🇹🇷 
• The North Road Company has acquired Turkish production company Karga Seven Pictures known for its English and Turkish dramas, including Netflix’s “Rise of Empires: Ottoman” and “Midnight at the Pera Palace 🇺🇸 🇹🇷
• Indian animation studio 88 Pictures, known for popular projects like “Trollhunters”, “Trilogy” and “Fast & Furious”, “Spy Racers”, is expanding its reach with the opening of its first international office in Toronto 🇮🇳 🇨🇦
• Real Madrid has launched RM Play, a streaming service with approximately 700 hours of programming. It will include daily updates to its content lineup and subtitles in Spanish, English, and Portuguese 🇪🇸

• Insight Tech Co. Ltd. based in Tokyo, headed by Tomohiro Ito, collaborates with Visual Voice Co. Ltd. in Shibuya, under the leadership of Tetsuya Bessho, to launch “AI Film Doctor.” This innovative solution aids Branded Movies with powerful video enhancement and empathetic communication 🇯🇵
• The UK government pledges $68 million for AI technology, with $39 million dedicated to creating a responsible and trustworthy AI research ecosystem. Funding supports industry advancements and research initiatives 🇬🇧
• CJP Broadcast Service Solutions is constructing a versatile XR demonstration facility at its headquarters, equipped with AOTO LED panels, Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking, and customizable graphics engines for immersive visual experiences and virtual production 🇬🇧

• SyncWords, the leading provider of AI live captioning and dubbing, introduces a Unified Platform for In-player Delivery of real-time captions, subtitles, and voice translations in multiple languages 🇺🇸
• ElevenLabs, a text-to-speech company, offers high-compression models with “context understanding” for human-like speech synthesis. In partnership with Storytel, it aims to produce AI-narrated audiobooks, providing unique personalized listening experiences 🌐
• Meta introduces Voicebox, an AI model revolutionizing speech generation. It excels in various tasks and empowers content creators with personalized audio content, localized voiceovers, and interactive experiences 🇺🇸
• Skylum launches Aurora HDR AI that revolutionizes HDR photography with advanced AI tech, automating the merging and enhancing process for stunning, true-to-life images 🇺🇸 
• Acolad, a global leader in content and language solutions, partners with Phrase, a market leader in cloud-based localization technology, to enhance their localization services with comprehensive language solutions and advanced technology 🇫🇷

• Virtual Production expert Final Pixel is introducing Worldbuilders, an extended Virtual Art Department that specializes in optimising and creating photorealistic realtime environments. 🇺🇸 🇬🇧
• Bizet Media, parent company of Milk VFX, expands its European presence with the acquisition of High Wire Post Production, enhancing their integrated visual effects and post-production services for premium film and TV 🇬🇧
• Pixar Animation Studios, has chosen VAST Data as a significant data platform collaborator for the company’s data-intensive feature animation production, including its latest, “Elemental” 🇺🇸 
• Epic Games releases MetaHuman Animator, allowing users to capture actor performances and apply them to digital characters with high-fidelity facial animation, improving workflows and creative control 🇺🇸

• Amazon to increase its lineup of FAST channels by adding 12 MGM channels and an additional 11 channels from Warner Bros. Discovery. These new channels will be included alongside the existing 280 ad-supported FAST channels offered through Freevee 🌐 
• LiveOne and MuxIP have teamed up to launch PodcastOne TV, a FAST channel focused on video podcasts. It will feature video content from popular podcasts like “The Adam Carolla Podcast” and “Nappy Boy Radio with T-Pain” 🇺🇸 
• Vialma launches Vialma TV, a classical music FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus in France and Switzerland, targeting a younger audience with a diverse range of content 🇫🇷 🇨🇭
• Blue Ant Media has launched Drag Race Universe, its FAST channel, on The Roku Channel in the US. It offers global versions of the popular Drag Race series produced by World of Wonder, including international franchises and spin-offs celebrating drag culture 🌐
• The Seven Network and Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd have partnered to launch Shemaroo Bollywood on 7Plus, Australia’s first Hindi entertainment FAST channel. The channel offers a variety of Bollywood movies, including romance, action, comedy, and child-friendly films 🇮🇳 🇦🇺

• The recent installment of the Transformer franchise ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ which released worldwide has received a whopping $38.9 million at the Chinese box office for opening weekend 🇨🇳
• StarzPlay’s fifth Original production, “The Chamber”, a psychological thriller featuring a pan-Arab cast to launch on its platform 🇦🇪
• “Stan Lee” documentary on Disney+ celebrates the 100th birthday of the iconic writer and editor, showcasing his transformative leadership at Marvel Comics, shaping the comic and film industries 🌐 
• The blockbuster film “Battle on Buka Street,” directed by Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde, to launch on Prime Video after its record-breaking success 🇳🇬 🌐 
• For the second consecutive weekend, the Korean crime action film “The Roundup: No Way Out” continued to dominate the South Korean box office, accumulating an impressive total of $60 million in earnings 🇰🇷