Korean ‘Masked Singer’ Broadcaster MBC Unveils New ‘Masked Talent’ Format – Global Bulletin
PRODUCTION
“The Masked Talent,” a new format from Korea’s MBC, creators of global hit “The Masked Singer,” is currently in production.
Unlike the celebrity-driven “The Masked Singer” and spin-off “The Masked Dancer,” where the focus is on who is behind the mask, “The Masked Talent” is a non-celebrity masked audition format concentrating on singing skills and talents. Two episodes, to be broadcast on the MBC channel during the Chuseok Korean Thanksgiving holidays, invites the audience to participate.
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“The purpose of the show is to present the audience with the unique experience to become the masked hero and perform their showmanship,” said Park Jeong-Kyu, chief producer of “The Masked Singer” and “The Masked Talent.” “With prejudice and bias out of the way, the contestants will be judged solely by their genuine voice and talent.”
The show was co-developed by MBC and France’s Herve Hubert, the production house for the French “Mask Singer,” both seasons of which were successes on TF1.
“The Masked Singer” is now licensed to 54 countries worldwide.
<img class="size-full wp-image-1235029201" src="https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg" alt=". - Credit: Netflix" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg 1000w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monica-O-My-Darling.jpg?resize=250,140 250w" sizes="(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px" />Netflix
Meanwhile, Indian filmmaker Vasan Bala (“Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota”) has commenced principal photography on Netflix original film “Monica, O My Darling,” in which a young man desperately tries to make it big with some unlikely allies and hatches a plan to pull off the perfect murder.
Written by Yogesh Chandekar (“Andhadhun”) and produced by Matchbox Shots, the film features an ensemble cast including Rajkummar Rao (“Shahid”), Huma S. Qureshi (“Army of the Dead”), Radhika Apte (“Sacred Games”), Sikander Kher (“Aarya”), Bagavathi Perumal (“Super Deluxe”), Akansha Ranjan Kapoor (“Ray”), Sukant Goel (“Ghost Stories”) and Zayn Marie Khan (“Feels Like Ishq”).
Byron Studios
APPOINTMENT
Following a 17-year career with Network 10, where he was most recently CEO Network 10 and executive VP Viacom CBS Networks Australia and NZ, Paul Anderson has joined Byron Studios as its new CEO.
Anderson will work alongside founders Will Gammon and Mark Holden to position and grow Byron Studios as a key driver in creating a sustainable creative industry in the region. Located in the idyllic Northern Rivers, Byron Studios is the first and only film studio in the area with four studios across locations in Byron Bay and Alstonville.
PRODUCER
Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap (“Gangs of Wasseypur”) has boarded Malayalam-language Toronto International Film Festival selection “Paka” (River of Blood) as a producer and will help shepherd it through its festival journey.
The film, writer/director Nithin Lukose‘s debut feature, will have its world premiere at Toronto’s Discovery strand.
Produced by Raj Rachakonda (“Mallesham”), “Paka” is a tale of a river that swells with the blood of two feuding families and a young couple that tries to overcome this hatred with their love.
The film won the best WIP project in the Work-in-Progress Lab of NFDC Film Bazaar 2020 and is produced by Studio 99 Films in association with Alif Talkies Productions.
It features an ensemble cast including Basil Paulose, Vinitha Koshy, Jose Kizhakkan, Athul John, Nithin George, Joseph Manickal and is shot by Srikanth Kabothu, edited by Arunima Shankar, with music by Faizal Ahamed. Samir Sarkar (Rotterdam winner “Nasir”) serves as co-executive producer.
Nithin Lukose
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