A much talked-about title at the London TV Screenings and Canneseries, sparking inevitable comparisons with “The Crown,” Beta Film Dutch royal family love story “Maxima,” has clinched another major territory sale, with Atresmedia TV acquiring exclusive broadcast rights in Spain.
Based on the life of Maxima of Holland before she became queen, and especially her whirlwind romance with a young tongue-tied Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, “Maxima” has already sold to networks in Latin America, Israel and across Europe.
These include Rtl for Germany, Italian public broadcaster Rai, Hot in Israel, Warner Bros. Discovery networks across Latin America, plus Croatia’s Hrt, Austria’s Orf and Latvia’s Ltv and Hong Kong’s Now TV.
The essence of royal family drama is how personal passion impacts an institutional figure, and how royal families in some ways aren’t that different from the non blue-blood. Tabled down the generations in “The Crown...
Based on the life of Maxima of Holland before she became queen, and especially her whirlwind romance with a young tongue-tied Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, “Maxima” has already sold to networks in Latin America, Israel and across Europe.
These include Rtl for Germany, Italian public broadcaster Rai, Hot in Israel, Warner Bros. Discovery networks across Latin America, plus Croatia’s Hrt, Austria’s Orf and Latvia’s Ltv and Hong Kong’s Now TV.
The essence of royal family drama is how personal passion impacts an institutional figure, and how royal families in some ways aren’t that different from the non blue-blood. Tabled down the generations in “The Crown...
- 4/24/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Germany’s Beta Film is bringing the love story between a Dutch prince and a beautiful Argentinian financier to the Croisette. The world premiere of “Máxima” screens out-of-competition at Canneseries on April 9 after being teased at the London TV Screenings in late February.
The six-hour-long episodes chronicle the whirlwind romance between the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, played by Martijn Lakemeier (“Goodbye Stranger”) and bubbly financier Máxima, played by Argentinian breakout Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”). Directed by Saskia Diesing alongside Joosje Duk and Iván López Núñez, the series is adapted from Dutch journalist Marica Luyten’s biography on Queen Máxima, “Máxima Zorreguieta: Motherland.”
Speaking to Variety ahead of the “Máxima” premiere at Cannes, Chaves says she feels “extremely lucky” for the opportunity to play the titular Queen onscreen, not only because of the role itself but also because of the scale of the production, which saw the...
The six-hour-long episodes chronicle the whirlwind romance between the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, played by Martijn Lakemeier (“Goodbye Stranger”) and bubbly financier Máxima, played by Argentinian breakout Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”). Directed by Saskia Diesing alongside Joosje Duk and Iván López Núñez, the series is adapted from Dutch journalist Marica Luyten’s biography on Queen Máxima, “Máxima Zorreguieta: Motherland.”
Speaking to Variety ahead of the “Máxima” premiere at Cannes, Chaves says she feels “extremely lucky” for the opportunity to play the titular Queen onscreen, not only because of the role itself but also because of the scale of the production, which saw the...
- 4/9/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes — For years, reports of MipTV’s terminal decline were somewhat exaggerated. Now, however, they’re real. On March 26, Rx France, organizers of MipTV, announced the launch of Mip London, over Feb. 23-28, 2025. MipTV’s 2024 edition will be its last.
Attendance, once 10,000 in 2018, 9,500 in 2019, had plunged to 5,510 on-site delegates last year. That still made it the second biggest TV event in the world. Still dwindling participation this year, is down to around 3,000.
What a MipTV swan song, bulwarked by Canneseries, can deliver, is another question. 10 takes on this year’s edition:
MipTV Sticking to Its Guns
Traditionally, MipTV delivered a straight sales market where sales companies or divisions hold back-to-back meetings with distributors who get links to their shows. History has hardly been on MipTV’s side. As simply raising the finance for a show in an environment of rising costs and declining commissions has become more and more of a challenge,...
Attendance, once 10,000 in 2018, 9,500 in 2019, had plunged to 5,510 on-site delegates last year. That still made it the second biggest TV event in the world. Still dwindling participation this year, is down to around 3,000.
What a MipTV swan song, bulwarked by Canneseries, can deliver, is another question. 10 takes on this year’s edition:
MipTV Sticking to Its Guns
Traditionally, MipTV delivered a straight sales market where sales companies or divisions hold back-to-back meetings with distributors who get links to their shows. History has hardly been on MipTV’s side. As simply raising the finance for a show in an environment of rising costs and declining commissions has become more and more of a challenge,...
- 4/5/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Offering a glimpse of its highly anticipated new series “Krank Berlin,” Beta Film has bowed the first trailer for the gritty and fast-paced medical drama, revealing a bold and modern take on the genre.
The trailer drops as Beta Film unveils its MipTV line-up.
The eight-part series follows a team of young doctors who are underpaid, poorly equipped, chronically overtired and beset with an increasingly callous healthcare system.
Created by British writer Samuel Jefferson, himself a former emergency-room doctor, “Krank Berlin” is set in the toughest and most overcrowded hospital in the German capital.
Haley Louise Jones (“Dear Child”) stars as Zanna Parker, the new head of the chaotic emergency room, who has her work cut out for her as she struggles with her own personal dilemmas. When she tries to implement new reform measures, she is met with resistance from the staff, particularly rebellious emergency doctor Ben, played by...
The trailer drops as Beta Film unveils its MipTV line-up.
The eight-part series follows a team of young doctors who are underpaid, poorly equipped, chronically overtired and beset with an increasingly callous healthcare system.
Created by British writer Samuel Jefferson, himself a former emergency-room doctor, “Krank Berlin” is set in the toughest and most overcrowded hospital in the German capital.
Haley Louise Jones (“Dear Child”) stars as Zanna Parker, the new head of the chaotic emergency room, who has her work cut out for her as she struggles with her own personal dilemmas. When she tries to implement new reform measures, she is met with resistance from the staff, particularly rebellious emergency doctor Ben, played by...
- 4/5/2024
- by John Hopewell and Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Germany’s Beta Film (“Babylon Berlin”) sets its sights on the Croisette for the world premiere of Dutch Royal drama “Máxima,” selected to screen out-of-competition at Canneseries on April 9. In tow, Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”), who portrays the titular character in the series that Variety recently likened to Emmy-Award-Winning Netflix Drama “The Crown.”
Teased at last month’s London TV Screenings, the six-part drama series unravels the love story between then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander (Martijn Lakemeier) and his enigmatic Argentine love interest, Máxima, who goes on to become Queen, at his side.
Her future fraught with whispers of her father’s political connection to Argentina’s brutal dictatorship, she’s tasked with circumventing harsh truths to remain faithful to her destiny in the narrative that follows her through her formative years.
“You don’t have to know Máxima and the Dutch royal family to enjoy the show.
Teased at last month’s London TV Screenings, the six-part drama series unravels the love story between then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander (Martijn Lakemeier) and his enigmatic Argentine love interest, Máxima, who goes on to become Queen, at his side.
Her future fraught with whispers of her father’s political connection to Argentina’s brutal dictatorship, she’s tasked with circumventing harsh truths to remain faithful to her destiny in the narrative that follows her through her formative years.
“You don’t have to know Máxima and the Dutch royal family to enjoy the show.
- 3/19/2024
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Beta Film has picked up distribution rights to French thriller Homejacking, which is co-created by Lupin writer Tigran Rosine, and will launch sales at Series Mania.
The German major has revealed its slate for the Lille confab that kicks off in two weeks, with Homejacking set to air in the French Competition Section.
Commissioned for French pay-tv network Ocs, Homejacking is set in an affluent suburban residence where one morning, a middle-class couple is the victim of an intrusion by a hooded assailant. No one know yet what he is looking for, but deep in their basement lies a secret that was hidden for decades.
The series is co-created by Rosine, who penned eight episodes of Netflix smash Lupin. Florent Meyer (Blackspot) is the other co-creator and show was made in collaboration with Emmanuelle Faguer.
Beta also has Latvia’s Soviet Jeans, Germany’s 30 Days of Lust and Herrhausen...
The German major has revealed its slate for the Lille confab that kicks off in two weeks, with Homejacking set to air in the French Competition Section.
Commissioned for French pay-tv network Ocs, Homejacking is set in an affluent suburban residence where one morning, a middle-class couple is the victim of an intrusion by a hooded assailant. No one know yet what he is looking for, but deep in their basement lies a secret that was hidden for decades.
The series is co-created by Rosine, who penned eight episodes of Netflix smash Lupin. Florent Meyer (Blackspot) is the other co-creator and show was made in collaboration with Emmanuelle Faguer.
Beta also has Latvia’s Soviet Jeans, Germany’s 30 Days of Lust and Herrhausen...
- 3/5/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Beta Film’s Crown-esque high-end drama series Maxima has sold to networks in Lat Am, Israel and across Europe.
The series, which is one of the German major’s biggest being shopped at the London TV Screenings, will air on Hot in Israel and on Warner Bros. Discovery networks across Latin America following the deals. Other buyers include Croatia’s Hrt, Austria’s Orf and broadcasters in Latvia and Slovakia.
Millstreet Films’ Maxima tells the story of Dutch queen Máxima Zorreguieta and is one of the few shows about a living royal out there. Dropping on The Netherlands’ Videoland from April 20, it takes up the story the moment the Argentina-born queen appears at the Dutch crown prince’s side. Heated discussions subsequently erupt about her father’s political career in the Argentinian Videla regime – something she never faced in her own circles.
Máxima is portrayed by Argentinian rising star...
The series, which is one of the German major’s biggest being shopped at the London TV Screenings, will air on Hot in Israel and on Warner Bros. Discovery networks across Latin America following the deals. Other buyers include Croatia’s Hrt, Austria’s Orf and broadcasters in Latvia and Slovakia.
Millstreet Films’ Maxima tells the story of Dutch queen Máxima Zorreguieta and is one of the few shows about a living royal out there. Dropping on The Netherlands’ Videoland from April 20, it takes up the story the moment the Argentina-born queen appears at the Dutch crown prince’s side. Heated discussions subsequently erupt about her father’s political career in the Argentinian Videla regime – something she never faced in her own circles.
Máxima is portrayed by Argentinian rising star...
- 2/29/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Germany’s Beta Film is introducing at the London TV Screenings the first episode of “Maxima,” a six-part drama about the love story between future Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and the then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander. The series is produced by Millstreet Films “The Neighbors”), with Videoland (Rtl Netherlands) holding Dutch broadcasting rights.
“Maxima” is adapted from the biography written by Dutch journalist Marcia Luyten in celebration of the Queen’s 50th birthday and focuses mainly on how the political background of Maxima’s father interfered with her very public engagement to the Crown Prince. Speaking to Variety ahead of the London TV Screenings, Justus Riesenkampff, EVP Nordics & Benelux at Beta Film, said “Maxima” was “especially appealing because royal stories resonate well.”
“It’s the second TV series made about a living royal — we couldn’t think of any other than ‘The Crown.’ And we have a lot of...
“Maxima” is adapted from the biography written by Dutch journalist Marcia Luyten in celebration of the Queen’s 50th birthday and focuses mainly on how the political background of Maxima’s father interfered with her very public engagement to the Crown Prince. Speaking to Variety ahead of the London TV Screenings, Justus Riesenkampff, EVP Nordics & Benelux at Beta Film, said “Maxima” was “especially appealing because royal stories resonate well.”
“It’s the second TV series made about a living royal — we couldn’t think of any other than ‘The Crown.’ And we have a lot of...
- 2/27/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Enough with the winter gloom: Feel-good shows are about to take over TV market London Screenings, as distributors echo Russell Crowe’s Maximus iconic words: “Are you not entertained?”
“Most platforms are looking for entertaining shows. Escapism is a big thing,” says Fremantle International CEO Jens Richter.
“You want to take the audience somewhere else and make sure they forget about their reality for a minute. ‘We want to entertain you.’ That’s the headline, basically.”
Beta Group’s chief distribution officer Oliver Bachert agrees – in a world challenged by many conflicts, watching something “accessible and easy” feels more appealing than ever.
“We see things that are maybe not that ambitious, but they work as entertainment. A bit of blue sky helps us deal with everyday news. Even up north, Nordic Noir just got lighter.”
Crime and thrillers are still “major export genres,” notices Rachel Glaister of All3Media International, but...
“Most platforms are looking for entertaining shows. Escapism is a big thing,” says Fremantle International CEO Jens Richter.
“You want to take the audience somewhere else and make sure they forget about their reality for a minute. ‘We want to entertain you.’ That’s the headline, basically.”
Beta Group’s chief distribution officer Oliver Bachert agrees – in a world challenged by many conflicts, watching something “accessible and easy” feels more appealing than ever.
“We see things that are maybe not that ambitious, but they work as entertainment. A bit of blue sky helps us deal with everyday news. Even up north, Nordic Noir just got lighter.”
Crime and thrillers are still “major export genres,” notices Rachel Glaister of All3Media International, but...
- 2/27/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Argentine director Luján Loioco is prepping her third feature film, “Queen of the Woods” (“Reina del bosque”), starring Chile’s venerable Alfredo Castro, seen most recently in Pablo Larrain’s Oscar-nominated “El Conde,” and rising Argentine actress Delfina Chaves.
The story takes place in a cabin set against the snow-covered Patagonian mountains and is described as a “neo-horror feminine film that explores the failed relationship between a pregnant woman and her dying father.” Through the gripping mechanisms of thriller and neo-horror, the film delves deep into the theme of grief while posing unsettling reflections on the complexities of motherhood.
Principal photography is slated to start mid-2024 for a film that stands as a testament to the rise of women filmmakers in Latin America and their creative prowess.
“I have always felt drawn to narratives that offer a different approach to the idea of death. I believe in a less materialistic...
The story takes place in a cabin set against the snow-covered Patagonian mountains and is described as a “neo-horror feminine film that explores the failed relationship between a pregnant woman and her dying father.” Through the gripping mechanisms of thriller and neo-horror, the film delves deep into the theme of grief while posing unsettling reflections on the complexities of motherhood.
Principal photography is slated to start mid-2024 for a film that stands as a testament to the rise of women filmmakers in Latin America and their creative prowess.
“I have always felt drawn to narratives that offer a different approach to the idea of death. I believe in a less materialistic...
- 2/17/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Passion and Perseverance, the two watchwords at this year’s TV Drama Vision in Göteborg will resonate across this year’s program where a record 700 delegates will take the pulse of what’s hot and upcoming from the Nordics and Europe.
Unfolding parallel to the Göteborg Film Festival, the Nordics’ biggest TV drama showcase and networking event will run Jan 30-31.
“This is what we need!” said TV Drama Vision honcho Cia Edström about the passion infused in the 60-plus series to be showcased – and about perseverance in the industry, to be debated by the 100 guest speakers – including U.S. streaming giants Netflix, Disney+– first time on-stage – Amazon and all key Nordic commissioners.
“Times are tough-not only in the Nordics but internationally. Our industry is going through profound changes,” she said, citing the microeconomic headwinds impacting drama investors’ coin, artificial intelligence, the halt in production-triggered among others by Hollywood strikes,...
Unfolding parallel to the Göteborg Film Festival, the Nordics’ biggest TV drama showcase and networking event will run Jan 30-31.
“This is what we need!” said TV Drama Vision honcho Cia Edström about the passion infused in the 60-plus series to be showcased – and about perseverance in the industry, to be debated by the 100 guest speakers – including U.S. streaming giants Netflix, Disney+– first time on-stage – Amazon and all key Nordic commissioners.
“Times are tough-not only in the Nordics but internationally. Our industry is going through profound changes,” she said, citing the microeconomic headwinds impacting drama investors’ coin, artificial intelligence, the halt in production-triggered among others by Hollywood strikes,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy and Jack Gleeson are to star in a Dutch-Belgian thriller series from Ozark co-creator Mark Williams, Night Train Media and Submarine.
They are starring alongside emerging Dutch star Martijn Lakemeier in the eight-part drama, which is for Dutch streamer Videoland and Belgium’s Streamz.
Production has begun in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with Williams directing along with Arne Toonen, and we hear the ambition is for Safe Harbor to be a returner that aims to balance edge-of-the-seat thrills with character-based stories and a twisty plot line. Further shooting will take place in Belgium and Ireland, Deadline understands.
The series follows gifted hacker Tobias (Allen) and his ambitious best friend Marco (Lakemeier), who are intent on cracking into the tech billionaires club. They are plucked from quiet obscurity and plunged headfirst into...
They are starring alongside emerging Dutch star Martijn Lakemeier in the eight-part drama, which is for Dutch streamer Videoland and Belgium’s Streamz.
Production has begun in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with Williams directing along with Arne Toonen, and we hear the ambition is for Safe Harbor to be a returner that aims to balance edge-of-the-seat thrills with character-based stories and a twisty plot line. Further shooting will take place in Belgium and Ireland, Deadline understands.
The series follows gifted hacker Tobias (Allen) and his ambitious best friend Marco (Lakemeier), who are intent on cracking into the tech billionaires club. They are plucked from quiet obscurity and plunged headfirst into...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Channel 4 Takes Another JFK Doc
The UK’s Channel 4 has acquired a doc on the late U.S. President John F Kennedy. The network has struck a deal with Espresso Media International for the hour-long doc on the first day of Mipcom. JFK: 24 Hours That Changed The World comes from Coleman Television and follows the final day of Kennedy’s life, before he was assassinated in November 1963. The doc also follows the aftermath, as gunman Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the murder. Espresso says ten other deals have been struck with buyers in Europe and Asia. Channel 4 previously bought Espresso sold doc Ve Day in Colour: Britain’s Biggest Party and recently pre-bought Sinatra, Kennedy and the Mob from Abacus Media Rights.
Rtl Buys ‘Maxima’
Upcoming Dutch royal doc Maxima has found a home in Germany. Rtl has bought the six-part drama series, which follows the...
The UK’s Channel 4 has acquired a doc on the late U.S. President John F Kennedy. The network has struck a deal with Espresso Media International for the hour-long doc on the first day of Mipcom. JFK: 24 Hours That Changed The World comes from Coleman Television and follows the final day of Kennedy’s life, before he was assassinated in November 1963. The doc also follows the aftermath, as gunman Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the murder. Espresso says ten other deals have been struck with buyers in Europe and Asia. Channel 4 previously bought Espresso sold doc Ve Day in Colour: Britain’s Biggest Party and recently pre-bought Sinatra, Kennedy and the Mob from Abacus Media Rights.
Rtl Buys ‘Maxima’
Upcoming Dutch royal doc Maxima has found a home in Germany. Rtl has bought the six-part drama series, which follows the...
- 10/16/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Germany’s Rtl has acquired royal drama “Maxima” from Beta Film. The show follows the life of Argentinian born Maxima Zorreguieta, who later became Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
The first six-hour season of the show has just wrapped shooting. Several additional territories are in negotiations. A sneak preview of “Maxima” will be presented at Mipcom in Cannes. The series is produced by Millstreet Films and was commissioned by Rtl Netherlands’ Ott service Videoland.
Shot in New York, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium over the course of the summer, the series features a stellar cast: Maxima is portrayed by Argentinian actress Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”), and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander by Martijn Lakemeier (“The East”). German star actor Sebastian Koch takes on the role of Claus von Amsberg, Willem-Alexander’s father, and Elsie de Brauw (“The Death of My Mother”) stars as Queen Beatrix. Valeria Alonso (“Tell Me Who I Am...
The first six-hour season of the show has just wrapped shooting. Several additional territories are in negotiations. A sneak preview of “Maxima” will be presented at Mipcom in Cannes. The series is produced by Millstreet Films and was commissioned by Rtl Netherlands’ Ott service Videoland.
Shot in New York, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium over the course of the summer, the series features a stellar cast: Maxima is portrayed by Argentinian actress Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”), and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander by Martijn Lakemeier (“The East”). German star actor Sebastian Koch takes on the role of Claus von Amsberg, Willem-Alexander’s father, and Elsie de Brauw (“The Death of My Mother”) stars as Queen Beatrix. Valeria Alonso (“Tell Me Who I Am...
- 10/16/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 MIPCOM Cannes international television market kicks off Monday against the backdrop of the violence in the Middle East with the Israel-Hamas War, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and a worldwide TV industry that has seen its business models, built on the promise of global streaming revenues, collapse with little to replace them.
The importance of the latter issue pales against the gravity of the two wars on the edge of Europe, but it will likely be the one most on the minds of industry execs on the Croisette, who have come to Cannes to try and figure out how to weather the downturn everyone knows is coming (or is already here).
“It’s been bad, and everyone I speak to expects it to get a lot worse,” says Ida Martins, CEO of European indie sales group Media Luna. “Coming out of Covid at [MIPCOM] last year there was hope, but...
The importance of the latter issue pales against the gravity of the two wars on the edge of Europe, but it will likely be the one most on the minds of industry execs on the Croisette, who have come to Cannes to try and figure out how to weather the downturn everyone knows is coming (or is already here).
“It’s been bad, and everyone I speak to expects it to get a lot worse,” says Ida Martins, CEO of European indie sales group Media Luna. “Coming out of Covid at [MIPCOM] last year there was hope, but...
- 10/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stars: Thiago Martins, Raphael Logam, Sheron Menezzes, Evandro Mesquita, Milhem Cortez, Paulo Vilhena | Written by Leandro Soares | Directed by Tomas Portella
Do you know what we don’t get enough in movies? Vehicle-based heists. I jest of course but Overhaul (originally titled Cargo Maxima in its native Brazil) feels very much like yet another entry in the Fast & Furious franchise… Well, before it dropped the “and the” from the title! Yes, this is a throwback to the more basic, less “out of this world” antics of the early Vin Diesel films, when it was all about the car racing/cop chase action rather than unbelievable superhero-esque antics of Dom and co. in the more recent franchise entries.
The plot is pretty simple. Truck racer – yes you read that right – Truck racer, Roger Matos (Thiago Martins) is suffering in both his personal and professional life and when his father dies...
Do you know what we don’t get enough in movies? Vehicle-based heists. I jest of course but Overhaul (originally titled Cargo Maxima in its native Brazil) feels very much like yet another entry in the Fast & Furious franchise… Well, before it dropped the “and the” from the title! Yes, this is a throwback to the more basic, less “out of this world” antics of the early Vin Diesel films, when it was all about the car racing/cop chase action rather than unbelievable superhero-esque antics of Dom and co. in the more recent franchise entries.
The plot is pretty simple. Truck racer – yes you read that right – Truck racer, Roger Matos (Thiago Martins) is suffering in both his personal and professional life and when his father dies...
- 10/6/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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