BBC Studios Opens Development Fund for Local-Language European Drama

BBC Studios Global Productions sets up a central scripted development fund for original IP across its European production network, paying for new local-language projects, options on existing material and relationships with writers, authors and other talent, C21 reports. Ben Donald, founder of UK producer Cosmopolitan Pictures, leads it, finding projects and co-production opportunities across markets and executive producing some of them while he continues to run his company; he spent 20 years at BBC Studios and its predecessor BBC Worldwide, most recently as executive producer, international drama, on titles including "Wolf Hall", "Good Omens", "Parade's End" and "Death in Paradise". C21 gives no figure for the fund.