Starz Picks Up ‘Death & Nightingales’; Sky Italia Chiefs Exit; ‘Romulus’ Renewed — Global Briefs
Starz Picks Up ‘Death & Nightingales’
Starz has acquired BBC period drama Death And Nightingales, which features The Americans actor Matthew Rhys and Fifty Shades of Grey’s Jamie Dornan. The three-part drama, which is based on Eugene McCable’s modern Irish classic, is written by The Fall creator Allan Cubitt and is produced by Imaginarium Productions and Soho Moon. Premiering on May 16 in the U.S., the series is a story of love, betrayal, deception, and revenge, set in the haunting countryside of Fermanagh in 1885. Red Arrow Studios International is overseeing global sales. Other buyers include HBO Europe (CEE, Nordics, Spain, and Portugal), Sky Network Television (New Zealand), Yes (Israel), and DirecTV (Latin American markets excluding Brazil). Death And Nightingales first premiered on BBC Two in 2018.
Sky Italia Chiefs Exit
Sky Italia’s managing director Maximo Ibarra and programming chief Nicola Maccanico are leaving the Comcast-owned broadcaster. Ibarra’s departure was revealed to staff on Tuesday and he will become the CEO of tech firm Engineering Ingegneria Informatica. Ibarra will stay with the business until the end of July, when Stephen van Rooyen, Sky’s UK and Europe CEO, assumes his duties until a replacement is found. Maccanico is stepping down to become the CEO of Italian studio facility Cinecittà Studios. Their departures follow Sky Italia losing out on Serie A rights to streamer DAZN, ending the broadcaster’s 20-year stranglehold on the iconic soccer league.
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‘Romulus’ Renewed By Sky Italia
Sky’s Euro series Romulus, about the events that led to the foundation of Rome, has been renewed for a second season. Produced by Sky, Cattleya, and Groenlandia, the show comes from director Matteo Rovere, marking his TV debut, and stars Andrea Arcangeli, Marianna Fontana, and Francesco Di Napoli. It charts an archaic and brutal world where the tribes of the Lega Latina have lived for years under the leadership of the king of Alba, but drought and famine are threatening peace and the life of the cities. Filming on Season 2 will commence next month in Rome and Lazio, and the show aims to become Sky Italia’s most sustainable production to date. Rovere said: “Our protagonists, and the new fascinating characters, will face difficult challenges, they are going to experience new adventures and battles, and will lead us to the discovery of a great mystery. How were Rome and Western civilization born? And who will be our Romulus?”
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