Tori Spelling Thriller ‘Lost in The Everglades’ Filming; A+E ‘Alone’ Indian Remake; ‘Egghead & Twinkie’ AFM Launch & Paramount Backs Manchester Hospital Cinema – Global Briefs

Tori Spelling Thriller ‘Lost in The Everglades’ Starts Production

Vancouver-based John Production Group has announced the start of filming on thriller Lost in The Everglades, starring Tori Spelling as a mother on a perilous search for her college-age daughter who goes missing during a Spring Break trip to Miami. Enlists the help of a rugged local boatman, they brave the untamed wilderness together, facing unexpected threats while racing against time to uncover the truth. Spelling also serves as an executive producer on the film directed by Damián Romay. The ensemble cast also features Tommi Rose, Nick Ballard, Joseph Cannon, Nick Flaig, and Nikki Nunziato. Filming is taking place, on location in Miami and Everglades National Park for the first three weeks of November.

A+E’s ‘Alone’ Getting Indian Remake

A+E Global Media Group’s survival format Alone is going into India. A+E is teaming with streamer Arré Studio to make a local version of the show, in which contestants are dropped into the remote wilderness and must survive using their wits, mental resilience and survival skills while self-filming their experience. The format was first launched in the U.S. on The History Channel in 2015 and has gone on to be remade in countries such as Denmark and Australia, where it became the highest rating original commission in public broadcaster SBS’s history. Namit Sharma, CEO of Arré Studio, said: “Alone is an incredible, ambitious format, gripping audiences the world over. Our audience loves captive reality shows and Alone is a uniquely dramatic and challenging format. This partnership with A+E is a mark of Arré’s commitment to bringing the best international scripted and unscripted formats to our clients and audience.”

The Dazey Phase Boards TIFF Next Wave, Austin Breakout ‘Egghead & Twinkie’ – AFM

Syracuse-based company The Dazey Phase has boarded sales on Sarah Kambe Holland’s coming of age LGBTQ+ comedy Egghead & Twinkie for an AFM launch, following its buzzy festival run over the past year. The film follows the adventures of a recently out Asian-American teen who sets off on a 2,000 mile road trip with her nerdy best friend to meet her online crush. The comedy played a slew of festivals across the U.S. as well as BFI Flare in the UK, picking up awards along the way including the Comedy Vanguard Award for best comedy feature at the 2023 Austin Film Festival. “We felt that The Dazey Phase was the right fit for Egghead & Twinkie because they care deeply about the film. As a queer filmmaker, it was important to me to partner with a company that understands and values the representation this film seeks to provide for a young LGBTQ audience,” said Holland. The Dazey Phase co-founder Jake Casey said:  “Egghead & Twinkie is a story of Queer joy, and the undeniable passion of this filmmaking team jumps off the screen. We’re thrilled to support a project that so strongly resonates with our mission of amplifying marginalized voices without further placing those voices into boxes solely defined by their past trauma.”

Paramount To Part-Fund Manchester MediCinema

Ahead of this weekend’s MTV EMAs, Paramount Global has unveiled plans to part-fund a cinema for patients in the awards’ 2024 host city, Manchester, UK. The MediCinema, which is being built within Manchester University NHS Trust’s Oxford Road campus, is part of a 25-year project in which charity MediCinema builds screens within hospital complexes that allow in-patients and their families to watch films in spaces equipped for beds, wheelchairs and medical equipment. Paramount is working with MediCinema, the Manchester University NHS Trust and the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity on the project. Lee Sears, President, International Markets Advertising Sales, at Paramount brokered the agreement with Colin Lawrence, CEO of MediCinema. The 30th MTV EMAs will broadcast live from the Manchester Co-Op Live arena on Sunday (November 10).