Viaplay Sets Dutch Original ‘Roombeek’; Irish Studio; ‘Googly’ Remake; BBC Music TV Hire — Global Briefs

Jesse Whittock
·4 min read

Viaplay Sets True-Life Disaster Story ‘Roombeek’ As Latest Dutch Original Drama Series

Viaplay has ordered its latest Dutch original: a four-part drama from Banjiay Benelux label EndemolShine Scripted about the 2000 Enschede fireworks warehouse explosion titled Roombeek. The horrific tragedy killed 23 people and injured 950 and the series will explore its devastating human impact and aftermath. Casting for the series is underway, and production will begin in early 2023, with EndemolShine Scripted’s Gerd-Jan van Dalen and Viaplay Group’s Kennard Bos producing. Having launched in the Netherlands in March, Viaplay’s scripted original slate from the territory includes true crime drama The Hunt for Jasper S., produced by Willem Bosch and Pieter Kuijpers; dark comedy Something Stupid, created by novelist Saskia Noort; and Liesbeth Strik’s drama The Guilty. Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer, said: “We have very high ambitions for our Dutch Originals, and are committed to working with both established and upcoming local talents to tell unique stories that can attract a broad audience. Roombeek will be a sensitive and high-quality production that looks beyond the headlines to show us some of the human lives affected by a tragic event.”

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Ireland’s Largest Production Studio Hammerlake Gets Planning Approval

Ireland’s plans for the country’s largest film studio have taken a step forward as the planning application for Hammerlake Studios was given approval by a local council. The final decision to grant permission will come in September. The TV, film and content production campus is planned on a 25-acre site in Co Westmeath, about 55 minutes from Dublin Airport and is aimed at attracting productions from Hollywood and across the globe. Construction is planned to take place in two phases, with the first commencing in Q1 2024 and planned for a year’s build, and the second will add seven studios to the campus, bringing its total square footage to 460,000. Planning approval for that will be submitted in summer 2023 ahead of works beginning in 2025. Execs working on the project have experience from Universal Pictures, Disney and Troy Studios.

Producer Mahesh Danannavar To Remake Yash’s Kannada Film ‘Googly’

Indian producer Mahesh Danannavar’s MD Media Corp has acquired the remake rights to Kannada-language rom-com Googly in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and other north Indian languages. Danannavar is fresh from a festival run of his recent Gujarati film Gandhi & Co and will next remake Googly, which was written and directed by Pavan Wadeyar and featured Kannada film icon Yash and Kriti Kharbanda as leads alongside Anant Nag and Sadhu Kokila. Cast and crew details have not been finalised. “We will soon make a more detailed announcement but this is truly an exciting time for all makers,” said Danannavar. “Actors, producers, storytellers are now truly consolidating various industries into one powerful entity called the Indian film industry where we can collaborate across regions and create content that transcends all barriers. This film will be a perfect example of this synergy.”

BBC Hires Channel 4 Comm Ed Jonathan Rothery As Head Of Pop Music, TV

Long-serving Channel 4 Commissioning Editor Jonathan Rothery is returning to the BBC, having first left the Corporation in 2004. He has been named Head of Pop Music, TV, working under BBC Director of Music Lorna Clarke. Rothery will focus solely on pop music commissions across TV, BBC iPLayer and digital platforms, working with radio and BBC Sounds on projects. He starts on Monday, September 12. Rothery, who called his new post a “dream role,” joins after 10 years at Channel 4, where he was Commissioning Editor overseeing live music events such V Festival and the Mercury Music Prize and ordered shows such as Four to the Floor, John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky and George Michael: Freedom. Since 2018, he has also commissioned popular entertainment shows such as Sunday Brunch, Tattoo Fixers, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back and forthcoming Roku co-funded reality series Tempting Fortune. Before Channel 4, he worked at Sky and as a freelance producer, having previously left the BBC Music Entertainment 18 years ago.

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