Fox-Roku’s $22B deal, Warner Bros’ ‘Shatter Me’ acquisition, and Neon’s pickup of the OpenAI biopic — this week’s top IP moves.

This week’s biggest moves reveal how entertainment companies are expanding through IP acquisitions, format adaptations, global distribution, and strategic investments.

From Warner Bros. and Netflix to Yash Raj Films, Disney+, and Fox, this week’s deals highlight where the industry is placing its bets—on adaptable franchises, international collaborations, AI-powered content, and cross-border growth.

Want to discover who’s acquiring similar IP, forming strategic partnerships, investing in new markets, or expanding production worldwide? Ask VIQI.

Warner Bros. has acquired the film adaptation rights to Tahereh Mafi’s bestselling young adult dystopian book series ‘Shatter Me’. The project will be produced by Temple Hill’s Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen, alongside Sunswept Entertainment’s Karen Rosenfelt and Langley Park Pictures’ Kevin McCormick, with Mafi serving as executive producer. (🇺🇸)

💬  Track the recent history of major dystopian book-to-film rights acquisitions secured by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Broadcaster Central TV has partnered with distributor NBCUniversal Formats to produce ‘On Brand Mongolia’, the first international adaptation of the marketing reality competition format ‘On Brand’. Hosted by Central TV CEO Ankhbayar Ganbold along with co-hosts Enkhchimeg Atarbaatar and Odbayar Bayarmagnai, the 10-part series challenges contestants to build marketing campaigns. (🇲🇳)

💬 Build a territory-by-territory breakdown of all NBCUniversal Formats deals, showing which markets have the highest deal concentration.

Filmmaker Sebastián De Caro optioned the Argentine spin-off rights to Joe Begos’s alien horror feature ‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ from Eli Roth’s genre label The Horror Section (USA). Co-written with Matías Orta, the expansion features new characters fighting the same extraterrestrial threat. (🇺🇸)

💬 Track the recent growth, box office performance, and international co-production slate of Argentina’s independent horror cinema market.

Production company Working Title Films has tapped filmmaker Joe Wright to direct a feature film adaptation of Tim Winton’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller novel ‘Juice’. Emmy winner Abi Morgan is adapting the screenplay. The plot follows a young father running for survival after a secret resistance mission goes wrong in a climate-ravaged world. (🇬🇧)

💬 What are the highest-grossing international co-productions and Oscar-winning films in Working Title Films’ historical catalog?

Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín is launching production on his upcoming Netflix feature film ‘Once’ via Fábula. Based on the 1973 Chilean coup d’état, the historic project features a prominent local cast including Alfredo Castro and Marcelo Alonso. (🇨🇱)

💬 What other major original Spanish-language feature films and series has Netflix recently financed or produced in Chile?

Starz has won a bidding war to develop a supernatural television series adaptation of BOOM! Studios’ graphic novel ‘Bone Parish’. The project is being produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through his G-Unit Film & Television banner. The crime series follows a family building an underworld empire around a drug crafted from human ashes. (🇺🇸)

💬 Explore the current slate of original supernatural drama series and executive producing deals announced by Starz network.

Distributor Watermelon Pictures has acquired the North American rights to director Marwan Hamed’s musical biopic ‘El Sett’ from independent production houses Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Synergy Films. The Egyptian feature film explores the life of singer Umm Kulthum and stars Mona Zaki, Mohamed Farag, and Sayed Ragab. (🇺🇸)

💬 Explore the current slate of Arab and Middle Eastern independent films distributed in North America by Watermelon Pictures.

Independent distributor Neon has officially acquired the worldwide distribution rights to director Luca Guadagnino’s biographical film ‘Artificial’. The project was acquired after original distributor Amazon MGM Studios dropped it. The comedic drama chronicles Sam Altman’s ouster from OpenAI and features Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, Mark Rylance, and Ike Barinholtz. (🇺🇸)

💬 What other biographical or business-centric feature film screenplays has writer Simon Rich developed?

Quiver Distribution has secured worldwide distribution rights, excluding the UK, German-speaking territories, South Korea, and Taiwan, for the controversial thriller ‘Citizen Vigilante’. Directed by Uwe Boll, the film stars Armie Hammer alongside Costas Mandylor. The global distribution expansion follows an intervention by Elon Musk, who promoted the movie on X. (🇺🇸)

💬 Explore the history of independent genre titles and action thrillers distributed globally by Quiver Distribution.

Several Latin American broadcasters have acquired multi-package programming rights from distributor Banijay Kids & Family Distribution. Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America bought rights for ‘Totally Spies!’ Season 8, while V-me Media, Canal Once, and HITN acquired preschool packages including titles like ‘MiniHeroes of the Forest’. (🇫🇷)

💬 What other international educational television series and animated co-productions has Mexico’s Canal Once recently broadcast?

Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 has acquired the broadcasting rights to the Turkish drama series ‘Sins and Roses’ (‘Güller ve Günahlar’) from international distributor Kanal D International. Produced by NGM Yapım, the prime-time series stars Murat Yıldırım and Cemre Baysel, and will air in Spain under the local title ‘El secreto’. (🇪🇸)

💬 Explore the complete television filmography and major acting awards achieved by Turkish actor Murat Yıldırım.

French public broadcaster France TV has acquired the pre-sale rights to the premium four-part natural history documentary series ‘An Hour on Earth’ (working title). Produced by Offspring Films, the series explores critical daily moments when wildlife bursts into life. The broadcasting rights were secured from global distributor Fremantle. (🇫🇷)

💬 Which documentary titles in France Télévisions’ current slate are structured as co-productions rather than straight acquisitions?

Fox Corporation is acqiring media company Roku, Inc. in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $22 billion. The deal combines Fox Corporation’s live news, sports, and entertainment portfolio with Roku, Inc.’s streaming platform and first-party data. The combined business will form the third-largest player in U.S. television by viewing share. (🇺🇸)

💬 Provide an overview of Fox Corporation’s recent broadcast television partnerships and major live sports carriage agreements.

Nordic entertainment provider Viaplay Group is to sell its Dutch streaming and broadcasting operations to DPG Media-owned streaming service Videoland for €142 million ($162 million). The divestment aligns with Viaplay Group’s turnaround strategy to refocus on core Nordic markets, while enabling DPG Media to secure premium sports and entertainment broadcasting rights. (🇸🇪)

💬 What are the most successful original European drama series currently hosted on the Dutch streaming platform Videoland?

BRAHMA AI and Hakuhodo Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize enterprise-scale AI-powered digital humans. The collaboration combines BRAHMA AI’s technical platform with Hakuhodo DY Group’s client network and creative expertise to deploy culturally adaptive virtual beings, branded as ATMANs, across Japan and the APAC region. (🇯🇵)

💬 Track how Hollywood VFX technologies are currently being modified and applied to enterprise-scale AI content platforms.

Winnipeg-based production companies Fiasco Global Media and Bonus Production Services have forged a strategic partnership focused on scripted television. Under the alliance, Fiasco Global will lead project sourcing, development, packaging, and market strategy, while Bonus Production Services will handle production expertise, financing support, and executive management for their collaborative slate. (🇨🇦)

💬 What are the most successful domestic and international television credits produced by Fiasco Global Media?

Entertainment provider Astro has expanded its content collaboration with streaming service Disney+. The partnership will see Disney+ movies and series distributed across Astro’s platforms, including Astro TV, Astro GO, and NJOI. Concurrently, Disney+ will distribute a curated selection of locally produced Malaysian content from Astro to a broader global audience. (🇲🇾)

💬 What are the most commercially successful Malaysian box office franchises and animated properties produced by Astro Shaw?

Production house Yash Raj Films has made a strategic investment in digital entertainment company Rusk Media. Under the partnership, Yash Raj Films will drive the creative direction for original animation and vertical micro-drama intellectual property. Rusk Media will handle production and distribution via global digital channels and its proprietary platform Alright! TV. (🇮🇳)

💬 Explore major global streaming distribution deals of the Yash Raj Films Spy Universe.