Super Channel has acquired the Australian drama series Fake from Lionsgate Television for its Canadian debut.

The 8 x 60-minute series (pictured), produced by Melbourne-based Kindling Pictures, initially premiered on Paramount+ in Australia on July 4, 2024 and broke subscription and streaming records on the service, according to a release from Paramount. It will have its Canadian premiere on Jan. 16 on Super Channel Fuse.

Fake, inspired by Australian journalist Stephanie Wood’s memoir of the same name, stars Asher Keddie (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), Heather Mitchell (The Great Gatsby), Nicolas Brown (Upright) and Spencer McLaren (Dive Club) and follows a magazine writer who thinks she has found the perfect match. However, as the relationship intensifies, she has an instinct that her boyfriend is not all he has led her to believe.

The production was supported by Paramount ANZ and Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen. Lionsgate Television handles worldwide distribution outside of Australia.

Amuz Distribution

Quebec City-based Amuz Distribution (formerly known as ComediHa! Distribution) has licensed two of its sketch comedy programs in Europe.

For Czechia, Ceska Televize has acquired five seasons of LOL ComediHa!,including the upcoming 12th season, which enters production this spring. The series, produced by Quebec’s ComediHa!, compiles dialogue-less 15 to 90 second comedy sketches into 3o-minute episodes.

In Slovenia, Pro Plus has acquired 100 episodes from Just For Laughs Gags. Produced by Just For Laughs, the similarly dialogue-less 30-minute, 25-season series features its Quebec-based comedy troupe performing gags with the city as its stage and the citizens as unwitting participants.

Amuz acquired the Just For Laughs assets in June 2024.

Spin Master

Spin Master has renewed its toy license agreement with Universal Products & Experiences for the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

The agreement expands the more than 15-year relationship between the two companies. The deal includes the worldwide rights to the license for dolls and action figures, among other toys.

The agreement comes ahead of Universal’s live-action reimagining of the 2010 DreamWorks Animation film How to Train Your Dragon, which starred Canadian actor Jay Baruchel. The live-action version releases on June 13, according to the Dec. 17, 2024 release.

The film is written and directed by Canadian Dean DeBlois. DeBlois, who has either directed or co-directed all the films in the franchise, also produces the live-action reimagining alongside Marc Platt and Adam Siegel.

Image courtesy of Super Channel