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Tag: Erik Barmack

  • Netflix: Kashyap, Motwane to direct parallel ‘Sacred Games’, targeting 5-6 originals in a year

    Netflix: Kashyap, Motwane to direct parallel ‘Sacred Games’, targeting 5-6 originals in a year

    MUMBAI: Renowned filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap have been commissioned to work on two parallel stories in Netflix’s maiden India-set original series ‘Sacred Games’ based on Vikram Chandra’s best-selling novel.

    The series, to be produced in partnership with Phantom Films, will be available to Netflix’ over 100 million subscribers in over 190 countries. Netflix plans to gradually increase Indian originals following its recent announcements of three projects. Netflix said it was targeting “at least five to six Indian originals a year.” Netflix’s other planned Indian originals are — Again and Selection Day.

    Competitor Amazon Prime announced 18 homegrown originals when the service launched in December, which are at various stages of production. It already premiered its first original — “Inside Edge.”

    About ‘Sacred Games,’ a Netflix executive said: “This is an ambitious storytelling. We have two directors following two different decades of what’s happening in the Mumbai crime underworld.”

    At Jio MAMI, Netflix VP – international original series Erik Barmack said that the series, shot on real locations in Mumbai, will delve into the city’s intricate web of organised crime, politics, corruption, and espionage.

    At the festival, a few images from the series were unveiled featuring actors Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddique. The show sees Khan playing the role of cop Sartaj Singh, while Siddiqui portrays gangster Ganesh Gaitonde. Barmack said that the storytelling format was quite amazing and hoped the show made a mark globally.

    Vikramaditya and Anurag will follow two characters. One is on the Gaitonde storyline, the other on Sartaj. They, of course, collide (eventually).

    If one thought of the conventional storytelling and where TV was 15 years ago, the idea that you could do these things in different time periods with anti-hero and complex characters was quite amazing, he said.

    Netflix would, Barmack said, like to see more Indian talent working on its US productions, as The Lunchbox’ Ritesh Batra lead its original film “Our Souls at Night.” Netflix also plans to introduce Indian actors in its US productions, such as Sense8 featured Tina Desai in a major role.

  • Netflix to premiere multilingual original The Eddy by Academy award-winner Chazelle

    Netflix to premiere multilingual original The Eddy by Academy award-winner Chazelle

    MUMBAI: Netflix, a leading internet entertainment network, has announced The Eddy, a new Netflix original series from Academy Award-winning director Damien Chazelle. The eight-episode series comes from IMG and will premiere exclusively to Netflix members around the world.

    Executive produced by Damien Chazelle, who will direct two of the episodes, and written by five-time BAFTA Award-winning and Olivier-winning writer Jack Thorne (National Treasure, This is England, Wonder), The Eddy is an eight-episode musical drama series that will be shot in France and feature dialogue in French, English and Arabic. Emmy-winning producer Alan Poul (Six Feet Under, The Newsroom), will also executive produce, and original music will be written by six-time Grammy Award-winner Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, Michael Jackson’s Bad). Following on the heels of other productions in Europe, including The Crown and the upcoming Dark, The Eddy continues Netflix’s investment in international and French content.

    The Eddy is a musical drama set in contemporary multi-cultural Paris revolving around a club, its owner, the house band, and the chaotic city that surrounds them.

    Said Chazelle, “I’ve always dreamed of shooting in Paris, so I’m doubly excited to be teaming up with Jack, Glen and Alan on this story, and thrilled that we have found a home for it at Netflix.“

    Erik Barmack, Vice President of International Originals at Netflix says, “From the intense, complex relationship between a jazz drummer and his instructor in Whiplash to his dazzling duo of lovelorn Los Angelenos in La La Land, Damien’s work is emotional and electrifying. His projects have a rhythm all their own, and we’re incredibly excited for him, Jack, Glen, Alan and the production team to bring their vision for The Eddy to Netflix. We couldn’t be happier that he will be shooting The Eddy in France and that we will bring this bold, global and multilingual series to our members around the world.”

    Chris Rice, WME | IMG Partner says, “The creative team behind ‘The Eddy’ is truly visionary, and we can’t wait to see the world that they create. This project is the definition of premium, global programming, and as one of the first projects of its kind from IMG, we couldn’t be happier to have Netflix as the home to take it to audiences around the world.”

    The series will be produced by Patrick Spence and Katie Swinden’s Fifty Fathoms. BAFTA-winning producers Spence (Guerilla, Fortitude) and Swinden (Luther, Peaky Blinders) will executive produce along with Chazelle, Thorne, Poul and Ballard.

  • Can’t wait to harness Millarworld’s creativity, says Netflix’ Sarandos

    MUMBAI: Streaming giant Netflix is making great strides both, in India and abroad. It has made its first-ever acquisition, buying comic book publishing powerhouse Millarworld. Netflix recently announced two new original series from India — Selection Day and Again. Netflix vice president of international original series Erik Barmack said the India projects had specifically local subjects, but would be great for its global audience.

    Millarworld’s seems like a natural progression in Netflix’s effort to work directly with skilled creators and also acquire intellectual property which has stories having compelling characters and timeless, interwoven fictional worlds.

    Millarworld was founded by Mark Millar, the legendary creator of iconic characters and stories such as Kingsman, Kick-Ass, and Old Man Logan, Advanced Television reported. Netflix and Millar together will bring Millarworld’s portfolio of critically-acclaimed character franchises to life through television series, films and kids’ shows to global Netflix members. Millarworld will be continuing to create and publish stories and character franchises — now under the Netflix label.

    Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said, as creator of the most memorable characters and stories in recent history, ranging from Millarworld’s Kick-Ass, Kingsman to Marvel’s The Avengers and Wanted and Reborn franchises, Mark was as close as one can get to a modern-day Stan Lee,.

    Millar said that it was the third time in history a major comic book company was bought at this level. He believes: Netflix is the future, and Millarworld couldn’t have a better home.

    In his eight years at Marvel, Millar developed books that inspired the first Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War, and Logan (Wolverine), which together grossed over $3 billion in worldwide box office.

  • Race hots up: Netflix announces two India originals – ‘Selection Day’ & ‘Again’

    MUMBAI: The race hots up. Close on the heels of Amazon Prime and vying with 30-odd other OTT / VoD players in India, Netflix too has announced two new original series from India — Selection Day and Again.

    The former is based on the book by the acclaimed author Aravind Adiga (White Tiger) and the latter, a supernatural, female-led detective series set in New Delhi and written by Marisha Mukerjee (of Quantico fame).

    Amazon Prime recently launched its first original — Inside Edge — with all of its 10 episodes across 240 countries. Inside Edge has been produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment and the storyline brings together the world of cricket and entertainment.

    Amazon’s 17 more originals  are in various  stages of development.  “We are trying to get three to four originals beyond Inside Edge in a few months (this year) since there are different projects in various stages of development (casting or post-production, etc),” Amazon Prime country head Nitesh Kripalani had told Indiantelevision.com.

    Netflix too is gung-ho. “We are excited to be expanding our slate of originals in India. These projects have specifically local subjects, but will be great for our global audience, and are supported by world class talent.” said Erik Barmack, vice president of international original series at Netflix.

    Selection Day, a compelling story of cricket and corruption, is based on Booker Prize-winning author Aravind Adiga’s novel of the same name. This coming of age tale depicts the glory and rivalry in the city of Mumbai.

    Fourteen-year-old Manjunath Kumar knows he is good at cricket — if not as good as his elder brother Radha. He knows that he fears and resents his domineering and cricket-obsessed father, admires his brilliantly talented sibling and is fascinated by the world of CSI and by curious and interesting scientific facts. But there are many things about himself and about the world that he doesn’t know. When Manju begins to get to know Radha’s great rival, a boy as privileged and confident as Manju is not, everything in Manju’s world begins to change and he is faced with decisions that will change both his sense of self and of the world around him.

    Selection Day will be produced in partnership with Seven Stories.

    “When I first read Selection Day I was completely overwhelmed by the scale and ambition of Aravind’s vision – and moved to my core by its emotional power.….” said Anand Tucker, CEO of Seven Stories. “We are delighted to be working with Netflix on what feels like a new chapter in the age of global storytelling, and we are bowled over by Erik and his team’s passion for this story.”

    Seven Stories is the UK based production company of Directors Sharon Maguire and Anand Tucker, and is part of the ALL3Media group.

    Set in the busy and colourful city of New Delhi, detective series Again tells the story of a female homicide detective who must put her career and life on the line when a recent murder connects to closed cases from her past, proving she has a serial killer on her hands. As she seeks justice, the answers she uncovers along the way not only affect her life, but also challenge the faith, beliefs, and relationships of everyone surrounding her.

    “When it comes to telling groundbreaking evocative stories, I cannot think of a better partner than Netflix to bring this show to India and to audiences across the globe” said Marisha Mukerjee. “Again not only speaks to my own duality and cultural heritage, but also to the universal grey that exists between life and death, where religion intersects justice.”

    All leading OTT / VoD players seem to be eyeing a significant share of the 70-million unique connected video viewers (F&S) in India.

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  • Netflix in partnership with Phantom Films announces original Indian series

    Netflix in partnership with Phantom Films announces original Indian series

    MUMBAI: Netflix in partnership with Phantom Films has announced the launch of a new original series based on the critically-acclaimed best-selling novel Sacred Games by Indian author Vikram Chandra.

    The series will be available to Netflix members globally upon completion.

    Set in Mumbai, the film delves into the city’s intricate web of organized crime, corruption, politics and espionage that lie beneath India’s economic renaissance. It is an epic masterwork of exceptional richness and power that interweaves the lives of the privileged, the famous, the wretched and the blood thirsty. .

    “Over the last few years, I’ve watched with great excitement and pleasure as Netflix has transformed narrative television with its ground-breaking, genre-bending shows,” comments Chandra. “I’m confident that all the colour and vitality and music of the fictional world I’ve lived with for so long will come fully alive on the large-scale canvas provided by Netflix. I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and Phantom Films.”

    “We are very happy to start this journey with Netflix by producing Vikram’s outstanding story, set in Mumbai ” says Phantom Films Madhu Mantena. “And we are extremely confident that, together we will create some exciting and groundbreaking Television content from hereon.”

    “We are delighted to partner with creative powerhouse, Phantom Films, to bring Vikram Chandra’s epic novel to life with the best Indian and global film talent available today,” adds Netflix VP of international original series Erik Barmack. “Sacred Games reinforces our commitment to bring the authenticity of local stories to Netflix members across 190 countries worldwide.”

  • Netflix in partnership with Phantom Films announces original Indian series

    Netflix in partnership with Phantom Films announces original Indian series

    MUMBAI: Netflix in partnership with Phantom Films has announced the launch of a new original series based on the critically-acclaimed best-selling novel Sacred Games by Indian author Vikram Chandra.

    The series will be available to Netflix members globally upon completion.

    Set in Mumbai, the film delves into the city’s intricate web of organized crime, corruption, politics and espionage that lie beneath India’s economic renaissance. It is an epic masterwork of exceptional richness and power that interweaves the lives of the privileged, the famous, the wretched and the blood thirsty. .

    “Over the last few years, I’ve watched with great excitement and pleasure as Netflix has transformed narrative television with its ground-breaking, genre-bending shows,” comments Chandra. “I’m confident that all the colour and vitality and music of the fictional world I’ve lived with for so long will come fully alive on the large-scale canvas provided by Netflix. I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and Phantom Films.”

    “We are very happy to start this journey with Netflix by producing Vikram’s outstanding story, set in Mumbai ” says Phantom Films Madhu Mantena. “And we are extremely confident that, together we will create some exciting and groundbreaking Television content from hereon.”

    “We are delighted to partner with creative powerhouse, Phantom Films, to bring Vikram Chandra’s epic novel to life with the best Indian and global film talent available today,” adds Netflix VP of international original series Erik Barmack. “Sacred Games reinforces our commitment to bring the authenticity of local stories to Netflix members across 190 countries worldwide.”

  • Netflix to launch four new original animated series for kids

    Netflix to launch four new original animated series for kids

    MUMBAI: Netflix will premiere four new animated shows, adding to its line-up of original television series for kids.

     

    The shows range from action adventure stories Kulipari: An Army of Frogs and Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan and Jane to preschool shows Cirque du Soleil – Luna Petunia and Puffin Rock. Each show will launch all of its episodes at the same time around the world.

     

    “We couldn’t’ be more excited to be partnering with such a diverse group of creative talent on these new Netflix series for kids. The flexibility of our platform allows us to continually bring the best TV shows from around the world to our members, and these titles compliment and extend what we currently offer – particularly for preschoolers and grade school adventure fans,” said Netflix VP of global independent content Erik Barmack.

     

    In addition to the new original titles, Netflix is also adding three new first-run exclusive series for kids to enjoy. The award-winning Russian phenomenon, Masha and the Bear, will premiere this August in the United States. This month, Canadian animation company Nelvana Studios introduces The Day My Butt Went Psycho to grade-school kids in the US, UK, and Mexico. And Elias, the little rescue boat from the popular Norwegian preschool series of the same name, is now streaming exclusively on Netflix in US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand.

     

    Cirque du Soleil – Luna Petunia will launch in Fall 2016, Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan and Jane along with Kulipari: An Army of Frogs ill launch later this year, whereas Puffin Rock will air on Netflix from 1 September, 2015.

     

    Netflix has a dedicated section for kids under 12 years old featuring dozens of original series for kids as well as TV shows and movies from great partners such as PBS, Disney Channel, DreamWorks Animation, Mattel, Hasbro, LEGO and Scholastic – all in a commercial free environment.

  • Netflix expands original TV series portfolio for kids with five new shows

    Netflix expands original TV series portfolio for kids with five new shows

    MUMBAI: Working with award-winning global partners, Netflix is adding five new animated and live-action comedy series to its selection of high-quality kids and family entertainment.

     

    “We’ve seen great characters and rich storytelling work for a global audience time and time again. That’s why we’re proud to be working with some of the industry’s best producers and animators on these shows and we can’t wait for kids and families all over the world to get to know these stories,” said Netflix vice president of global independent content Erik Barmack.

     

    The new shows are Danger Mouse, Inspector Gadget, Some Assembly Required, Bottersnikes & Gumbles and Super 4.

     

    Danger Mouse will release in Spring 2016 and the new animated series features all the classic characters, catchphrases and comedy that made it an 80’s cult favorite. Originally a loose parody of British spy fiction, this new Danger Mouse series will feature British actor and comedian, Stephen Fry, as Colonel K. Netflix will premiere the show in North America, Latin America, Nordics, Benelux and Japan with all other Netflix territories launching at a later date.

     

    Inspector Gadget is back in an all-new CGI animated series this March. The 26-episode series, produced by DHX Media, premieres exclusively in the US on Netflix and will join the service at a later date in Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Benelux, France and the Nordics – after the initial broadcast in each country.

     

    As the new owner of Knickknack Toys, fourteen-year old Jarvis Raines hires a group of friends from school to help him create awesome new toys. Following the teens’ comedic day-to-day adventures, Some Assembly Required – the live-action series created by Dan Signer and Howard Nemetz and produced by Thunderbird Films, stars Kolton Stewart, and Charlie Storwick. Netflix will premiere the series this summer in all Netflix territories this year, except in Canada, where it is currently the #1 show on YTV.

     

    Bottersnikes & Gumbles is a fast-paced community comedy series that follows the adventures of three young Gumbles -Tink, Bounce and Willi. This new CGI-animated series is created by Cheeky Little, Mighty Nice and CAKE and co-commissioned by Netflix, BBC and Channel 7 Australia. The first 13 episode season will debut exclusively on Netflix around the world in 2016, with the UK and Australia launching at a later date.

     

    In addition, Super 4, a brand new CGI animated series inspired by PlayMobil, makes its US premiere in April on Netflix. Super 4 follows four main characters – Alex the Knight, Ruby the Pirate, Agent Gene, and Twinkle the Fairy – as they explore the distinct islands of their planet, fight bad guys, and have fun along the way.

     

    In 2011, Netflix launched a dedicated section for kids under 12 years old featuring TV shows and movies from great partners like PBS, Disney Channel, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, Mattel, Hasbro, Lego and Scholastic, all in a commercial free environment. In 2012, Netflix and the Walt Disney Company signed an industry-first agreement making Netflix the Pay TV home of all live action and animated feature films released by Disney theatrically beginning in 2016.  Additionally, all DreamWorks feature films are now available on Netflix in the Pay TV window. DreamWorks is also creating 300 hours of original kids shows exclusively for Netflix, including Turbo F.A.S.T., All Hail King Julien, Puss In Boots, Dragons and DinoTrux.