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New Regency Bolsters Asia-Pacific Leadership, Sells ‘Beast Must Die’ Around the World (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran
·2 min read

New Regency is expanding in Asia-Pacific with the hire of Ben Bishop as VP of international sales for the region, based out of Sydney.

Prior to joining New Regency, Bishop served as president of international distribution at Vortex International, and international VP of TV sales for Asia-Pacific at “Narcos” producer Gaumont. Before Gaumont, he worked with eOne Television International for 13 years in various roles within the film and TV divisions, culminating in sales director for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. At eOne, Bishop sold projects including “La La Land,” the “Divergent” film series and “The Walking Dead.”

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In January 2019, New Regency re-formed its international sales team to take back control of its international television licensing activities. With a long-standing partnership with 20th Century Fox for its global theatrical distribution, the Walt Disney Company also handles the company’s home entertainment and first pay rights. Meanwhile, New Regency’s London-based sales team, which is led by Charlotte Thorp, handles all other television and SVOD rights after the first pay window, as well as other business development.

Elsewhere, New Regency and BritBox U.K. thriller “The Beast Must Die” has scored a raft of sales around the world.

The original drama — which stars Jared Harris, Cush Jumbo and Billy Howle — has sold into Canal Plus (France), RTL (Germany), Star Channel (Japan), TV4 and CMore Entertainment (Scandinavia), HBO Central and Eastern Europe, NPO (Netherlands), AMediateka (Russia), RTS (Switzerland), Open TV (Greece) and Dubai One (Middle East).

U.S. cabler AMC picked up the series earlier this year, and will air it on SVOD service AMC Plus in Australia. The company has also acquired rights in Iberia and Latin America.

Based on the novel by Nicholas Blake (the pen name of Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis CBE), “The Beast Must Die” tells the story of a grieving mother who infiltrates the life of the man she believes killed her son. The show also stars Nathaniel Parker and Geraldine James.

“The Beast Must Die” was produced by BritBox U.K., New Regency Television International and Ridley Scott’s outfit Scott Free. The first season was directed by Dome Karukoski (“Tolkien,” “Tom of Finland”), produced by Sarada McDermott (“Bridgerton,” “Official Secrets”) and adapted for the screen by screenwriter Gaby Chiappe (“Their Finest,” “Shetland”).

Executive producers are Ed Rubin and Emma Broughton for New Regency, Marina Brackenbury and David W. Zucker for Scott Free, as well as Parker and Chiappe. Season 1 aired this spring on BritBox in the U.K. as well as AMC and AMC Plus in the U.S.

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