English Entertainment
Anil Ambani’s Reliance Entertainment to produce French movie
MUMBAI: Anil D. Ambani’s Reliance Entertainment has inked an Indo-French partnership with Julie Gayet’s Rouge International, and Elisa Soussan’s myFamily, to produce Serge Hazanavicius’ French movie, nOmber One.
Kev Adams, who has earlier been seen in movies like Les Profs 2 and Les Nouvelles Aventures d’Aladin, will play the lead role.
nOmber One tells the story of a quest, and of the ascension of a uniquely talented young man, in a world gone mad, a world of commerce and mercantile deals. It is also the tale of a father-son relationship between two men who share the same passion, of how events tear them apart, and of how a love of the snow, and quite simply love itself, brings them back together again. The movie is a story of riders, the daring last action heroes who risk their lives for a beautiful run, for an ephemeral race carved out on the sheer, white face of a remote and isolated mountain.
nOmber One is written by Hazanavicius, Stephane Dan, Mary-Noelle Dana, and Alexis Galmot, and will be directed by Hazanavicius.
Principal photography is expected to start in February 2016 in France, and the film will also shoot extensively in March – April 2016 on the skiing slopes in the Himalayas in India.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
