News round-up: Mercurio signs 20th TV deal; BritBox NA takes ‘The Tower’; Stellify & Joe Sugg launch VR show

Bodyguard

Mercurio signs 20^th TV deal

Bodyguard showrunner Jed Mercurio and producer Jimmy Mulville have signed a first-look deal with 20^th Television under their Hat Trick Mercurio (HTM) label.

HTM, which is co-owned by Mercurio and UK indie Hat Trick Productions, will develop projects for Disney-owned 20^thTelevision as part of a multi-year agreement.

Mercurio and Mulville said the deal was a “very exciting opportunity for us at HTM to expand into the US market.”

BritBox NA takes ‘The Tower’

BritBox North America has acquired exclusive North American rights to upcoming ITV thriller The Tower.

Produced by Mammoth Screen and Windhover Films, the three-part series is based on former UK detective Kate London’s novel Post Mortem.

The series, which is distributed globally by ITV Studios, will debut on ITV in the UK and will be released on BritBox North America on 1 December.

Stellify & Joe Sugg launch VR show

Sony Pictures Television-owned indie Stellify Media has partnered with YouTube star Joe Sugg and his production company Final Straw Productions, to produce a new VR gameshow, Virtually Impossible.

The series will launch the show on his YouTube channel as he hosts 12 contestants through a childlike assault course as quickly as possible. All very straightforward except for one catch – all the contestants are in VR and this simple course now becomes their worst nightmare – from monsters in mazes to terrifying zip wires.

Matthew Worthy, joint-CEO & founder of Stellify Media said: “This will be Stellify’s very first YouTube show – which is a big deal for us – and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with Joe”