The Box: Singapore Film Commission with Taiwan Creative Content Agency Introduce Emerge
Africa: e.tv has canceled Nikiwe after just a few months due to underperformance. The show created by Thomas Gumede has already lost over 500,000 viewers and will come to an end sometime in early 2024
In Your Dreams has not been properly promoted on Amazon Prime Video due to disinterest in the studio. The drama series produced by Motion Story was released on November 24 but had little to no promotion in South Africa.
The production of 7de Laan will withhold the final ten episodes due to the public broadcaster owing millions of rands to the production company. Originally planned to be released on December 26, SABC has refused to compensate their workers.
MultiChoice Nigeria has done a third DStv price hike this year. This comes as Nigeria’s economy worsens and MultiChoice Group continues to pay ongoing foreign exchange losses due to operations.
MultiChoice's video streaming service, Showmax, will change its look and subscription plans for the third time. Pricing has not yet been announced for the service and Showmax has been ramping up content creation for the relaunch and feature titles from international streamers.
Asia: Chairman of Sony Pictures’ Global Television Studios, Ravi Ahuja, seeks to expand operations into streaming. Having experience in operations for both Disney and Fox, he seeks to push Sony into the streaming service, and with the strikes at an end, Ahuja hopes production picks back up.
Singapore will launch a new fund to support international coproduction of TV series. $22.4 million has been set for Singapore-based companies with the hopes of attracting international studios.
Mediacorp has introduced two new Chinese dramas, Strangers in the Dark and Once Upon a New Year’s Eve. The announcement came through a series of announcements of their new virtual production sets. Strangers in the Dark follows an outcast in school who uses her imagination to help solve mysteries. Once Upon a New Year’s Eve follows a man from the future who helps him travel back in time to different stages of his life to make amends with his family members. Both productions use virtual production to help bring their stories to life.
Charlie Park, CEO of Kakao Entertainment, plans to expand Webtoons as a major player on the global content stage. This comes as content on Webtoons has now been adapted to live-action series and remains a huge exporter of comics, manga, and anime.
Blue Ant Media has sold 550 hours of programming to Asia Pacific broadcasters.
Indian National Broadcast intends to introduce a policy that will be fair and independent, according to the head of India‘s media regulatory body. Media regulation will include inclusivity and acknowledge current technological advancements that include AI and virtual reality.
Creative Stew unveils TV and film slate. The titles include Memori, written by Yasmin Yaccob (That Cover Girl), a feature film inspired by true events about a family coming to terms with their family member losing his memory. The romantic comedy Heartbreak FM, written by Bernice Low (Polis Evo 3), is a modern take on relationships in Kuala Lumpur. Included is season 2 of That Cover Girl, The Dervish, written by Hussain, an eight-part series that is a dark story of a filmmaker. Maid of Honor, written by Shamaine Othman, is a 10-part series on multi-racial marriages in Malaysia. Missing of the Mist is an eight-part, dark murder mystery.
Mono Next and Studio Genie will collaborate on content creation and distribution. This was announced at the Asia Television Forum and both companies see potential in creating groundbreaking content for international consumption.
The Singapore Film Commission, in collaboration with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), has agreed to back the program Emerge. The program trains new writers, directors, and producers in developing original Chinese-language films. Signatories included the executive chair of SFC, Justin Ang, and the chairperson of TAICCA, Homme Tsai.
China’s Linmon Media will present 16 new shows in 2024. The roster included My Boss, In Between, season 2 of The Heart, Moonlit Reunion, A Dream Within a Dream, a book adaptation of In the Moonlight, season 2 of Under the Skin, and Nothing But Thirty.
Streaming remains unable to replace TV fully. According to the Variety article, Tony Gunnarsson claims that television remains to increase retention with most viewers and that existing streaming platforms live harmoniously with television.
Australian streamer Stan has acquired rights to the Malaysian adaptation of the Scandinavian series The Bridge. The agreement was negotiated by Lyle Bettson-Barker, SVP Australia and New Zealand from Banijay Rights.
Luis Fernandez - Telemundo
Latin America: Luis Fernandez will replace Beau Ferrari as Telemundo’s new chairman. Ferrari will be placed as an advisor to Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group.
Eladio Carrión is creating a new comedy series inspired by his life. The series is developed by Carrión, Chris Albrecht, and Jorge Granier’s Rubicon Global Media. The series will follow the journey of an American teenager navigating the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language.
Middle East: A rise in demand for Arab and Muslim stories came out of the Red Sea Film Festival. New voices have come out and global demand for their brand of cultural storytelling has studios and streaming services jumping at the opportunity to expand their content libraries.
