News round-up: Peacock takes stab at ‘Friday The 13th’ prequel; C4 commissions ‘Made in Dubai’; NEO Studios launches Benfica doc

Peacock takes stab at ‘Friday The 13th’ prequel

NBCUniversal-owned streamer Peacock has commissioned Crystal Lake, a prequel series to the Friday The 13^th film franchise, from A24 and Bryan Fuller.

Fuller will serve as writer and showrunner on the series, and also executive produce alongside A24, Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller and Rob Barsamian.

Plot details are being kept under wraps by Peacock for the time being, but Camp Crystal Lake was the setting for the first movie in the series, 1980’s Friday The 13^th. It was the location of a summer camp where teens were stalked and murdered by serial killer Pamela Voorhees.

Subsequent films in the series followed her more infamous hockey mask-clad son Jason on a number of killing sprees over more than 10 sequels. The most recent film in the series was 2009 reboot, also titled Friday The 13^th.

“Friday The 13th is one of the most iconic horror franchises in movie history and we were dying to revisit this story with our upcoming drama series Crystal Lake,” said Susan Rovner, chairman, entertainment content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

Fuller, who developed horror-thriller Hannibal for NBC, and co-created Star Trek: Discovery for CBS, added: “I discovered Friday The 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I have been thinking about this story ever since.

“When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope and I’m thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds of Crystal Lake under their banner. And Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It’s a pleasure and an honour to be working with her again.”

Made In Dubai

C4 commissions ‘Made in Dubai’

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned Made In Dubai (working title), a new series going behind the scenes of the UAE’s oldest real estate brokerage – and the £1.7bn worth of properties on their books.

Angel Eye Media will produce the 6 x 60-minute series, which follows the bosses and staff at Better Homes, as they use their charm and business savvy to sell some of the most opulent homes on the planet.

Ollie Durrant, Creative Director at Angel Eye Media says: “Dubai is one of the most sought- after places to live and work in the world, attracting people from all over the planet to enjoy a luxurious, tax-free lifestyle.

“Made in Dubai(w/t) will follow the efforts of the brokers to make their dream a reality, while giving us a sneak peek through the doors of some of the most amazing homes you’ll ever see.”

Factory of Dreams: Benfica

NEO Studios launches Benfica doc

NEO Studios is working on Factory Of Dreams: Benfica, a four-part docuseries about the Benfica Campus, which has been responsible for developing world-class football stars.

Both current academy players and some of the club’s famous graduates including António Silva, Henrique Araújo, João Felix, Rúben Dias, Ederson, João Cancelo are featured in four episodes incorporating a year of filming.

Anouk Mertens, NEO Studios Global CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to work closely with Benfica to portray what makes the Benfica team and Campus such a unique environment.

“The access they have given the NEO team is unparalleled and I am sure that sports fans across the world will enjoy the inside stories the documentary provides.”

WildBrain to shop ‘LOL ComediHa!’

ComediHa! Distribution has appointed WildBrain as the exclusive international distributor of LOL ComediHa! for FAST and AVOD platforms.

Under the agreement, WildBrain will hold rights worldwide for LOL ComediHa!(excluding YouTube, Canada and Italy).

LOL ComediHa! is a comedy series made entirely of non-verbal sketches. Colourful characters have an unpredictable impact to the world around them, such as incompetent nuclear engineers, ruthless paramedics, impatient leaders, unlucky parachutists.