International
Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal to come together for ‘Everest’
MUMBAI: The movie about a tragic attempt to climb Mount Everest is in closing negotiations with Josh Borlin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clark and John Hawkes. Based on a true story, Universal is talking to Emmet/Furla to co-finance the film and distribute Everest in North America.
Baltasar Kormakur will be directing the movie. The plot is about two expedition groups who are climbing Mount Everest but are hit by a massive storm, leaving eight people in the two groups dead. The movie is most likely to be shot in Iceland which is also Kormakur‘s homeland.
Jason Clarke, from Zero Dark Thirty, and Jake Gyllenhaal, from End of Watch, will be playing the roles of the two group leaders.
International
Council of Europe to unveil new TV and streaming co-production convention
Series Mania Forum to host landmark signing to boost global TV collaboration
LILLE: The small screen is getting a big policy push. At this year’s Series Mania Forum in Lille, Alain Berset will take centre stage to chair the opening ceremony for a new international convention aimed at reshaping how television and streaming series are co-produced across borders.
Set for March 26 at the Théâtre Marie Curie in Lille Grand Palais, the signing marks the debut of the first legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent co-production of series. In an industry where stories travel faster than ever, the move aims to make collaboration smoother, fairer and more transparent.
Backed by the Council of Europe, the convention is designed to strengthen cultural ties, give independent producers a firmer footing, and bring greater clarity to deals in a rapidly evolving content landscape. With streaming platforms fuelling a surge in global storytelling, the timing feels deliberate.
Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset, underscored the cultural heft of series today, noting how they carry voices and viewpoints across borders. He called on member states and countries beyond Europe to sign on, framing the initiative as a way to turn culture into a tool for cooperation and democratic exchange.
For Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, hosting the signing is both symbolic and strategic. She described the convention as a step that could widen the range of stories reaching audiences, staying true to the forum’s long-standing mission of championing diverse storytelling.
The ceremony will unfold alongside the Lille Dialogues, a high-level summit that gathers policymakers and industry leaders to debate the future of Europe’s audiovisual sector. Berset is also set to deliver the opening address there, adding political weight to a week already rich in creative ambition.
In short, as screens multiply and borders blur, Europe is putting a framework in place to ensure that storytelling keeps pace, collaboratively and coherently.
