‘Camomile Lawn’ Novelist’s Estate Snapped Up By ILP
International Literary Properties has acquired the estate of British The Camomile Lawn novelist Mary Wesley. Channel 4’s adaptation of The Camomile Lawn is Channel 4’s second most successful drama series of all time, according to ILP, and the deal will see ILP manage the rights to Wesley’s work. Having famously published her first novel aged 70, she also wrote the likes of Jumping the Queue, Harnessing Peacocks and The Vacillations of Poppy Carew, all of which have previously been adapted for film and TV. “Mary was an incredible woman, an extraordinary author and a very close member of my family,” said Wesley’s daughter in law, the author Xinran Xue. Deadline revealed last year that ILP, which holds rights to the literary estates of Langston Hughes and Evelyn Waugh, had headed on a West Coast charm offensive and snapped up the estate of Somerset Maugham.
‘Happy Valley’ Gets Three RTS Nods
Happy Valley, The Gold and Top Boy will do battle for the RTS Drama Series award at the prestigious ceremony later this month, with the former picking up three nominations. The BBC is leading the way with 51 nominations this year, miles ahead of Channel 4 (17) in second. The two BBC shows will face off against the final season of Netflix’s Top Boy for the coveted drama prize, while Happy Valley also has nods for writer Sally Wainwright and lead Sarah Lancashire. Lancashire is up against two stars of BBC drama Time, Jodie Whittaker and Tamara Lawrance, while Best Actor will be contested between Gary Oldman for Slow Horses, Kane Robinson for Top Boy and Timothy Spall for The Sixth Commandment. Disney+ also received its first RTS nominations, a double for Extraordinary in Scripted Comedy and Comedy Performance – Female (Máiréad Tyers). The awards take place on March 26 at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House.
Stephen Rea To Receive IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) will hand Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement at this year’s ceremony on April 20. Rea’s career spans five decades with credits include The Crying Game, Michael Collins, Greta, The Butcher Boy and In Dreams. He has also worked with filmmakers such as Mike Leigh and Robert Altman. This year’s IFTA’s will be hosted for the first time by Emmy and IFTA winning broadcaster Baz Ashmawy. The 2024 IFTA Nominations will be announced on March 14.
Warner Bros. Pictures Takes Asia Rights To ‘Under Parallel Skies’
Warner Bros. Pictures has struck a deal with Manila-based film company 28 Squared Studios to distribute romance film Under Parallel Skies. The film will be released in the Philippines on April 17, Singapore on May 1 and Thailand on May 9. Directed by Sigrid Bernado and starring Thai actor Win Metawin and Filipino actress Janella Salvador, it follows the story of a Thai bachelor who travels to Hong Kong in search of his missing mother, where he encounters Filipino a hotelier who helps him navigate love, heartbreak and healing in a foreign city. Under Parallel Skies is 28 Squared Studios’ first feature, and company co-founder and COO Kristoff Cagapen said it highlighted a mission to “champion impactful stories in Southeast Asia.” The Warner deal was signed at an event on Tuesday (March 5) at the Hilton Mania in Pasay City, Philippines. “There were some particular scenes in the movie that made me decide that, yes, I am going to recommend this film to my regional bosses,” said Rico Gonzales, the Director of Distribution for Warner Bros. Philippines.
