Chad Faust’s Girl acquired by Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures has acquired the international rights to Chad Faust’s revenge thriller Girl.

The Canadian feature, toplined by The Duff star Bella Thorne, is written and directed by Faust, who makes his feature directorial debut, and produced by Thomas Michael, Shayne Putzlocher and Sara Shaak. Executive producers are Jason Moring, Dave Duckett, Joe Ferraro, Jean Pierre Magro, Al Morrison, Lee Nelson, David Tish, Seth Needle and Conor McAdam.

The deal was negotiated by Moring, president and CEO, and Mark Padilla, SVP of sales and acquisitions at Double Dutch International negotiating on behalf of the filmmakers.

The film tells the story of a young woman who returns to her small hometown intent on killing her abusive father, but when she arrives she realizes someone else got there first. The northern Ontario-shot feature also stars Mickey Rourke, Glenn Gould, Lanette Ware and Elizabeth Saunders

Boat Rocker Studios

Toronto-based Boat Rocker Studios announced several global sales deals for its documentary series and specials Secrets in the Ice (pictured), Hell in the Heartland and Secrets of a Psychopath.

Secrets in the Ice, produced by Shark Teeth Films and commissioned by Discovery Science U.S., has been sold to A+E OLE in Latin America and Caribbean, Bell Media’s Canal D in French Canada, Prava I Prevodi in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia; ProSieben in Germany and A+E in UK, Poland and South Africa.

Foxtel Australia/NZ acquired CNN Productions’ true crime series Hell in the Heartland: What Happened to Ashley and Lauria? (4 x 60 minutes) and Secrets of a Psychopath (3 x 60 minutes), produced for CBS Reality Network in the U.K. Both series were also picked up by Nordic Entertainment Group for their Viaplay SVOD service in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Hell in the Heartland was also picked up by AETN for the U.K., History Channel in Germany and Quebecor’s streaming service Club Illico for French Canada.

WildBrain

WildBrain Television has picked up HBO Max original series Baketopia to start airing on Family Channel June 14.

The 12 x 30-minute unscripted baking competition show is driven by chef and influencer Rosanna Pansino, who guides competitors through dessert challenges for a chance to win US$10,000. This broadcast deal marks the first time the family-friendly series, which debuted on HBO Max in March, will air in Canada. B17 Entertainment’s Rhett Bachner and Brien Meagher are executive producing the show along with Melissa Stokes and EP/showrunner Patrick Dooty (Nailed It). Lauren Riihimaki is on board as a producer.