Aria Studios launched today in North Wales, expanding the production energy even further in the region. Established by Rondo Media and S4C Digital Media Limited, The Location Guide had the opportunity to speak with Rondo Media's Chief Executive Officer Gareth Williams on the launch of the new studio facility, what filmmakers can look forward to and why North Wales was the perfect choice.
From leadership changes, the welcoming of their new ad-tier and the display of their impressive slate of features set to grace the streaming veteran, Netflix has a lot going on. Adding almost 7.7 million subscribers last quarter, many are evidently still gravitating to the platform, which welcomed it’s new ad-based subscription package in November 2022. Saying goodbye to its impressive performance of last year, Netflix is only focussed on bigger and better things to come.
Australian feature A Savage Christmas is currently filming in Queensland. With support from the Queensland government through Screen Queensland’s Screen Finance Programme and principal production investment from Screen Australia, this project will be the debut form production company Roaring Entertainment Production. This will also be the first full-length feature from Townsville-based director, writer and producer Madeline Dyer.
Apple Originals and A24 created Sharper is set to be released for streaming on 17 February. The neo-noir thriller, set amongst the New York City sights, follows the unravelling of secrets and lies as the characters stop at nothing for riches. Starring Julianna Moore, Sebastian Stan, John Lithgow, Justice Smith and Briana Middleton, the project is directed by Benjamin Caron.
Gutsy animations announced today the recommissioning of Emmy nominated animated series Moominvalley for a fourth season. Supported by broadcasters Sky (UK) and Yle (Finland), the series will be joined by its new co-production partner Viaplay Group. The boarding of the new partner for the series will allow all four seasons to be aired on the Viaplay streaming platform across multiple territories including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands.
On New Year’s Day, Netflix released their newest heist drama Kaleidoscope. Designed that you can watch the episodes in any order you want, creator Eric Garcia makes the possibilities endless for audiences, giving each viewer an individualised experience; that is if you don’t follow the many advised orders that are sweeping the internet right now. With the colour coded episode names giving no clues, all that is left is to do is get over the anxiety of choosing which path to take and enter the mysterious journey.
Travelling to the traditional and captivating landscapes of Lisbon, NBC Universal shot 2 episodes of the first season of fantasy drama Vampire Academy in a number of locations across the city. Filming in 12 locations in just over 7 days, the production included backdrops such as Alfama, Carmo Convent and Queluz Place.
As phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to take over from February 2023, the famed film franchise is not the only one expected to dominate cinema screens this year. From much awaited sequels such as Dune Part Two, Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, to long-standing titles such as Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One to the return of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, this year is sure to reunite blockbuster movie fans with their film favourites.