Omid Djalili Launches Production Outfit; BBC Buys ‘Kin’ S2; Agnès Jaoui Honorary Cesar; Serena DC Sales Company – Global Briefs

Max Goldbart and Zac Ntim
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Omid Djalili Launches Production Outfit

British actor-comedian Omid Djalili has launched a TV, film and podcast production company. The star of The Infidel is forging Tiny Speck Productions with Infidel producer Shahin Sobhani and his “family of creatives” including producers Ara Devine, Isabella Djalili-Devine, and Louis Djalili. The company already has a scripted campus comedy series, a climate-related feature film, podcasts, and a feature documentary in development, it said. “My family and I have been working together for years, and we thought it would make sense to formalise it,” said Djalili. “I’ve always believed that when we are laughing our brains work better – we see things more clearly and feel better able to handle life’s difficult questions. It’s something we need in the world, now more than ever.” Djalili is a well-known British comedian who is a regular on the stand-up circuit and has also starred in the likes of Gladiator, His Dark Materials and Netflix’s Letter for the King. He won the Best Actor award at the Turin Film Festival for his lead performance in The Infidel, which was written by David Baddiel.

More from Deadline

BBC Buys ‘Kin’ Season Two

The BBC has acquired the second season of Irish crime thriller Kin from Fifth Season. The acclaimed series continues the story of the Kinsella family, who are now at the top of the crime game in Dublin, but their triumph has incurred the enmity of an enemy even more dangerous than Eamon Cunningham. The RTÉ series, which aired in the U.S. on AMC+, is the latest high-profile show snapped up by the BBC buying team, following the likes of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire. It is produced by Joker financier Bron Studios and Man in the High Castle outfit Headline Pictures.

Agnès Jaoui To Receive Honorary Cesar Award

Agnès Jaoui is to receive an Honorary Award at this year’s Cesar Awards. The primary French awards show will fete the filmmaker and actress at its 2024 ceremony on February 23 at the Olympia in Paris. The awards body described Jaoui as a “complete artist with an inimitable style.” Awarded since 1976, previous Honorary Cesar Award winners include Robert Redford, Penelope Cruz, and George Clooney. The nominees for the 48th César Awards will be announced on January 24.

Emmy Nominated Filmmaker Serena DC Launches Distribution Company

EXCLUSIVE: Investigative filmmaker Serena DC, best known for the Emmy-nominated doc My Transparent Life, has launched distribution company Ad Astra. The company has already acquired several projects through partnerships with production companies, including CE Films (The Phenomenon) owned by James Fox, David Paulidis (The Missing 411), The Cousin’s Brothers (Endgame to Disclose), Small Town Monsters (American Werewolf), Lab 9, Elysium Media, and UFO TV Studios.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.