In a country where women’s freedoms have historically been marginalized (a nationwide ban on female drivers was only lifted five years ago), new Mbc Studios boss Christina Wayne is determined to seek out the strongest female creative voices Saudi Arabia has to offer.
In her first major interview since replacing Peter Smith in February, American producer Wayne, who shepherded Mad Men and Breaking Bad for AMC Networks, tells Deadline how the Riyadh-based media giant is encouraging work from “across all genders” but lasering in on new female talent.
“We have lots of amazing female writers and directors in the region who are bringing us fabulous stories,” she says. “There are book series here with fanbases that are young and female, and they are surprisingly interested in fantasy and sci-fi.”
Despite being criticized for a litany of human rights abuses and ‘sportswashing’ claims, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spearheaded...
In her first major interview since replacing Peter Smith in February, American producer Wayne, who shepherded Mad Men and Breaking Bad for AMC Networks, tells Deadline how the Riyadh-based media giant is encouraging work from “across all genders” but lasering in on new female talent.
“We have lots of amazing female writers and directors in the region who are bringing us fabulous stories,” she says. “There are book series here with fanbases that are young and female, and they are surprisingly interested in fantasy and sci-fi.”
Despite being criticized for a litany of human rights abuses and ‘sportswashing’ claims, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spearheaded...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
US producer previously helped develop ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Breaking Bad’.
Former Amazon Studios executive Christina Wayne has been appointed managing director of Mbc Studios, the production arm of top Middle East broadcaster Mbc Group.
The US producer replaces Peter Smith, a former president of NBCUniversal International, who is stepping down after four years but will remain with the group in an advisory role.
During his tenure, Smith spearheaded major growth in Mbc’s production activity with titles such as Rashash, Rise of the Witches, and Devil’s Promise. The latter is a series created by Tony Jordan, the UK creator of Life Of Mars,...
Former Amazon Studios executive Christina Wayne has been appointed managing director of Mbc Studios, the production arm of top Middle East broadcaster Mbc Group.
The US producer replaces Peter Smith, a former president of NBCUniversal International, who is stepping down after four years but will remain with the group in an advisory role.
During his tenure, Smith spearheaded major growth in Mbc’s production activity with titles such as Rashash, Rise of the Witches, and Devil’s Promise. The latter is a series created by Tony Jordan, the UK creator of Life Of Mars,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Prominent U.S. producer Christina Wayne, who shepherded “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” has been appointed managing director of Mbc Studios, the expanding production arm of top Middle East broadcaster Mbc Group.
Wayne will replace Peter Smith, the former president of NBCUniversal, who over the past four years has overseen a surge in the Saudi-owned broadcaster’s production activity while launching its Shahid VIP streaming service, alongside its linear channels. Mbc Studios is now pumping hundreds of millions of dollars in high-end productions in Saudi Arabia as part of the ongoing effort to help kickstart the kingdom’s nascent industry. To this end, Mbc significantly moved its headquarters from Dubai to Riyadh last year.
In her new role, Wayne will continue Mbc Studios’ “ongoing work in expanding the reach of its content to audiences around the world, leveraging the continuous trend for non-English-language television content to reach more global markets,...
Wayne will replace Peter Smith, the former president of NBCUniversal, who over the past four years has overseen a surge in the Saudi-owned broadcaster’s production activity while launching its Shahid VIP streaming service, alongside its linear channels. Mbc Studios is now pumping hundreds of millions of dollars in high-end productions in Saudi Arabia as part of the ongoing effort to help kickstart the kingdom’s nascent industry. To this end, Mbc significantly moved its headquarters from Dubai to Riyadh last year.
In her new role, Wayne will continue Mbc Studios’ “ongoing work in expanding the reach of its content to audiences around the world, leveraging the continuous trend for non-English-language television content to reach more global markets,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Former Amazon Studios originals boss for Canada and Australia, Christina Wayne, will be the new Managing Director of Saudi Arabia-based Mbc Studios.
She will succeed Peter Smith, who we last week revealed was stepping down after four years. Smith will remain as an advisor.
Former AMC Networks exec Wayne and Smith are well known to each other. In 2012, Smith joined Cineflix Studios as CEO when Wayne was President.
At Mbc Studios, the production arm of the Middle East and North Africa-focused network Mbc Group, Wayne will look to continue a push into premium non-English-language TV programs.
Mbc operates 17 free-to-air satellite channels and streaming service Shahid.
Sam Barnett, Group CEO of Mbc Group, stated: “We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming Christina Wayne to the role of Managing Director at Mbc Studios. Christina brings with her a wealth of international expertise in content development and production where she has worked across...
She will succeed Peter Smith, who we last week revealed was stepping down after four years. Smith will remain as an advisor.
Former AMC Networks exec Wayne and Smith are well known to each other. In 2012, Smith joined Cineflix Studios as CEO when Wayne was President.
At Mbc Studios, the production arm of the Middle East and North Africa-focused network Mbc Group, Wayne will look to continue a push into premium non-English-language TV programs.
Mbc operates 17 free-to-air satellite channels and streaming service Shahid.
Sam Barnett, Group CEO of Mbc Group, stated: “We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming Christina Wayne to the role of Managing Director at Mbc Studios. Christina brings with her a wealth of international expertise in content development and production where she has worked across...
- 2/3/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here. It’s Oscar noms week, and we’d be rude not to bring you the latest headlines and analysis from the Academy and beyond. Read on.
And The Nominations Are In
Everything Everywhere all at the Oscars: Zac Ntim here reporting after an Oscar noms week in which A24’s multiverse epic Everything Everywhere All at Once scored a leading 11 nominations, while there was plenty to digest on the international side. The film’s haul included Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, who became the first actress of Asian descent nominated in the category. Writer-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert originally created the role for Jackie Chan. The A24 pic has leapt from plucky underdog to awards frontrunner in a matter of weeks, collecting impressive hauls at BAFTA and numerous others. A nomination for Best Supporting Actress Stephanie Hsu, who...
And The Nominations Are In
Everything Everywhere all at the Oscars: Zac Ntim here reporting after an Oscar noms week in which A24’s multiverse epic Everything Everywhere All at Once scored a leading 11 nominations, while there was plenty to digest on the international side. The film’s haul included Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, who became the first actress of Asian descent nominated in the category. Writer-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert originally created the role for Jackie Chan. The A24 pic has leapt from plucky underdog to awards frontrunner in a matter of weeks, collecting impressive hauls at BAFTA and numerous others. A nomination for Best Supporting Actress Stephanie Hsu, who...
- 1/27/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran TV exec Peter Smith is stepping down as managing director of Mbc Studios, the production arm of top Middle East broadcaster Mbc Group.
Smith, a former president of NBCUniversal, had joined Saudi-owned Mbc in 2018 as it ramped up production while launching its Shahid VIP streaming service, alongside its linear channels. Over the following four years he oversaw a burst in production activity as Mbc Studios pumped hundreds of millions of dollars in high-end productions in Saudi Arabia as part of the ongoing effort to help kickstart the kingdom’s nascent industry. Mbc moved its headquarters from Dubai to Riyadh last year.
Smith has lead the production of many flagship Mbc Studios shows, including “Rashash, Rise of the Witches”; “The Devil’s Promise,” which is a series created by Tony Jordan (“Life on Mars”) helmed by British director Colin Teague; “Slave Market”; and big-budget Saudi actioner “Desert Warrior,” featuring an all-star...
Smith, a former president of NBCUniversal, had joined Saudi-owned Mbc in 2018 as it ramped up production while launching its Shahid VIP streaming service, alongside its linear channels. Over the following four years he oversaw a burst in production activity as Mbc Studios pumped hundreds of millions of dollars in high-end productions in Saudi Arabia as part of the ongoing effort to help kickstart the kingdom’s nascent industry. Mbc moved its headquarters from Dubai to Riyadh last year.
Smith has lead the production of many flagship Mbc Studios shows, including “Rashash, Rise of the Witches”; “The Devil’s Promise,” which is a series created by Tony Jordan (“Life on Mars”) helmed by British director Colin Teague; “Slave Market”; and big-budget Saudi actioner “Desert Warrior,” featuring an all-star...
- 1/26/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Peter Smith is leaving Mbc Studios after four years as Managing Director.
We’ve learned the international industry veteran is stepping down from the premium production arm of Middle Eastern and North African network Mbc, though he’ll continue to advise on production and distribution.
In a statement to Deadline, Mbc CEO Sam Barnett confirmed the exit and said a successor would be named “in due course, in coming days.”
Smith is a former NBCUniversal International President and was CEO of Cineflix Studios and Greece-based broadcaster Antenna Group.
He joined Mbc Studios in 2018 as it launched as the production arm of free-to-air network Mbc, which is the largest media company in the Mena region. He was tasked with increasing Mbc’s original film and TV output and and he has gone on to overseen the launch of shows such as Rashash, Rise of the Witches and The Devil’s Promise.
We’ve learned the international industry veteran is stepping down from the premium production arm of Middle Eastern and North African network Mbc, though he’ll continue to advise on production and distribution.
In a statement to Deadline, Mbc CEO Sam Barnett confirmed the exit and said a successor would be named “in due course, in coming days.”
Smith is a former NBCUniversal International President and was CEO of Cineflix Studios and Greece-based broadcaster Antenna Group.
He joined Mbc Studios in 2018 as it launched as the production arm of free-to-air network Mbc, which is the largest media company in the Mena region. He was tasked with increasing Mbc’s original film and TV output and and he has gone on to overseen the launch of shows such as Rashash, Rise of the Witches and The Devil’s Promise.
- 1/26/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Gerard Butler stars in ‘Kandahar’ (Photo Courtesy of Open Road Films)
Open Road Films has acquired the North American rights to the action film Kandahar starring Gerard Butler. The thriller reunites Butler with his Greenland and Angel Has Fallen director Ric Roman Waugh. The duo are also in pre-production on the Greenland follow-up, Greenland: Migration.
“What made Mitch Lafortune’s visceral script so compelling and unique for me is its authenticity and how he humanizes not just our heroes, but all the characters portrayed in a region that’s been locked in a perpetual cycle of violence,” said director Ric Roman Waugh.
In addition to Gerard Butler, the cast includes Navid Negahban (Homeland), Ali Fazal (Death on the Nile), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), and Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi.
Commenting on the acquisition, Open Road Films’ Tom Ortenberg stated, “Kandahar is an adrenaline ride made for the big screen. Gerry, Ric, the G-base team,...
Open Road Films has acquired the North American rights to the action film Kandahar starring Gerard Butler. The thriller reunites Butler with his Greenland and Angel Has Fallen director Ric Roman Waugh. The duo are also in pre-production on the Greenland follow-up, Greenland: Migration.
“What made Mitch Lafortune’s visceral script so compelling and unique for me is its authenticity and how he humanizes not just our heroes, but all the characters portrayed in a region that’s been locked in a perpetual cycle of violence,” said director Ric Roman Waugh.
In addition to Gerard Butler, the cast includes Navid Negahban (Homeland), Ali Fazal (Death on the Nile), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), and Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi.
Commenting on the acquisition, Open Road Films’ Tom Ortenberg stated, “Kandahar is an adrenaline ride made for the big screen. Gerry, Ric, the G-base team,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Open Road Films has landed North American distribution rights to the action thriller “Kandahar,” starring Gerard Butler and directed by Ric Roman Waugh. The film will receive a wide domestic release in 2023.
First announced in 2020, “Kandahar” follows Tom Harris (Butler), an undercover CIA operative stationed in hostile territory in Afghanistan. When his mission is exposed, he and his Afghan translator (Navid Negahban) must fight their way past foreign spies and enemy forces on their way to an extraction point in Kandahar.
“Kandahar” sees Butler reteam with his “Angel Has Fallen” and “Greenland” director Ric Roman Waugh. He wrote the script with Mitchell Lafortune, based on Lafortune’s own experiences serving as a military intelligence officer during the Edward Snowden leaks.
Also Read:
John Cena, Ben Schwartz and Paula Pell Join Cast of Kevin Hart’s ‘Die Hart 2’
The cast also includes Ali Fazal, Travis Fimmel and Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi.
First announced in 2020, “Kandahar” follows Tom Harris (Butler), an undercover CIA operative stationed in hostile territory in Afghanistan. When his mission is exposed, he and his Afghan translator (Navid Negahban) must fight their way past foreign spies and enemy forces on their way to an extraction point in Kandahar.
“Kandahar” sees Butler reteam with his “Angel Has Fallen” and “Greenland” director Ric Roman Waugh. He wrote the script with Mitchell Lafortune, based on Lafortune’s own experiences serving as a military intelligence officer during the Edward Snowden leaks.
Also Read:
John Cena, Ben Schwartz and Paula Pell Join Cast of Kevin Hart’s ‘Die Hart 2’
The cast also includes Ali Fazal, Travis Fimmel and Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi.
- 9/21/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Open Road Films has acquired U.S. rights to Gerard Butler action thriller Kandahar in a splashy eight-figure deal.
The G-base, Thunder Road, Capstone Studios and Mbc Studios feature reunites Butler and director Ric Roman Waugh in the story of Tom Harris (Butler), an undercover CIA operative, stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan. After his mission is exposed, he must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, all whilst avoiding elite enemy forces and foreign spies tasked with hunting them down.
Also starring are Navid Negahban (Homeland), Ali Fazal (Victoria & Abdul), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), and Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi (Sacred Games).
Screenplay comes from Mitchell Lafortune, based on his own experiences as a military intelligence officer during the Snowden leaks. The film was among the first major U.S. productions to shoot in...
The G-base, Thunder Road, Capstone Studios and Mbc Studios feature reunites Butler and director Ric Roman Waugh in the story of Tom Harris (Butler), an undercover CIA operative, stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan. After his mission is exposed, he must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, all whilst avoiding elite enemy forces and foreign spies tasked with hunting them down.
Also starring are Navid Negahban (Homeland), Ali Fazal (Victoria & Abdul), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), and Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi (Sacred Games).
Screenplay comes from Mitchell Lafortune, based on his own experiences as a military intelligence officer during the Snowden leaks. The film was among the first major U.S. productions to shoot in...
- 9/21/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“See the whole board,” a chess-instructing Martin Sheen’s President Josiah Bartlet tells Rob Lowe’s Sam Seaborn in HBO Max’s A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote.
Originally uttered in 2002’s “Hartsfield’s Landing” episode of the multiple Emmy winning political drama, the Aaron Sorkin penned words hang heavy in the digital air during these final weeks before this year’s election. Filmed in recent weeks at downtown L.A.’s Orpheum Theatre, this newly visually streamlined version of “Hartsfield’s Landing” is a pretty easy sell that also provides a welcome relief and sobering reminder when language mattered and presidents were presidential, at least on network TV.
One of my favorite series of all time and much munched TV comfort food over the years, the West Wing in 2020 is a remarkable throwback to a now distant era in more ways than one. Amidst the get out the vote buoying,...
Originally uttered in 2002’s “Hartsfield’s Landing” episode of the multiple Emmy winning political drama, the Aaron Sorkin penned words hang heavy in the digital air during these final weeks before this year’s election. Filmed in recent weeks at downtown L.A.’s Orpheum Theatre, this newly visually streamlined version of “Hartsfield’s Landing” is a pretty easy sell that also provides a welcome relief and sobering reminder when language mattered and presidents were presidential, at least on network TV.
One of my favorite series of all time and much munched TV comfort food over the years, the West Wing in 2020 is a remarkable throwback to a now distant era in more ways than one. Amidst the get out the vote buoying,...
- 10/15/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
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