News

Mandy McElhinney as Gina Rinehart in 'House of Hancock' (2015). Cordell Jigsaw Productions.

The two-year saga of Gina Rinehart.s battle with Channel Nine over House of Hancock (2015) came to an apparent end last month with the broadcaster unreservedly apologising to the mining magnate.

The two-part miniseries, about the life and family of Lang Hancock (initially advertised as a true story but later featuring a disclaimer with the word .fictionalised.), had been dogged by legal action since it first went to air. After the final episode was broadcast, Rinehart issued a statement listing 20 .glaring errors.. These fell in broadly three categories: sheer inaccuracy, portraying her as an unloving daughter, and implying unfair business practices.

Now Channel Nine has publicly acknowledged that .Mrs Rinehart had a close and loving relationship with her father Lang Hancock.. The Sydney Morning Herald and news.com.au have variously reported that the show won.t be streamed,...

The premiere of Nine Network.s House of Hancock drew 2.02 million viewers nationally on Sunday night, a strong result but trailing Seven.s My Kitchen Rules which pulled in 2.38 million.

Network Ten launched Shark Tank, which struggled against Mkr and 60 Minutes.

In the costly battle of the interviews with the Lindt Café siege survivors, 60 Minutes came out on top with 1.95 million, ahead of Seven News: Inside the Siege, which had 1.62 million.

Produced by Michael Cordell, Claudia Karvan and Paul Bennett for Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder, the two-part House of Hancock stars Mandy McElhinney as Gina Rinehart, Sam Neill as Lang Hancock and Peta Sergeant as Rose Lacson. It tells the true story of the Hancock dynasty and the bizarre love triangle that emerged between Lang (Neill), his daughter Gina (McElhinney) and his Filipina housekeeper Rose (Sergeant).

Based on a Sony Pictures TV format and produced by Shine Australia, Shark Tank hooked...

Mark Joffe will direct the Nine Network telemovie on the world.s richest woman Gina Rinehart and the troubled Hancock/Rinehart dynasty.

Joffe (A Place to Call Home, Wild Boys) will start shooting at the end of this month in Sydney and Western Australia.

Love Child.s Mandy McElhinney will play Rinehart in the telepic produced by Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder.s Michael Cordell, Claudia Karvan and Paul Bennett.. Karvan won't have an on-camera role.

Set primarily in 1980-2002, the plot follows the public feud between Gina and her father Lang Hancock.s second wife Rose Lacson, her struggles to rebuild the company following her father.s death, and her recent battles with her children over their multi-billion dollar inheritance.

Lang and Gina are inseparable, the perfect team, and Gina is confident she will soon inherit the family business. But their relationship is rocked by a series of tumultuous events.

What...

The Nine Network today revealed details of its upcoming telemovie on Schapelle Corby, a miniseries on Gina Rinehart and a telemovie chronicling a near- disaster involving a Qantas flight.

The network.s 2014 slate also includes a factual series which follows Australian diplomats as they deal with Aussies in crisis in Thailand, relationships documentary Married at First Sight, dating show When Love Comes To Town and a new, six-part current affairs series, Inside Story.

FremantleMedia.s Schapelle features Krew Boylan as the 27-year-old beauty school dropout from the Gold Coast who was arrested at Bali airport with 4.2kg of marijuana in a boogie board bag. The cast includes Jacinta Stapleton as her sister Mercedes, Denise Roberts as her mother Ros, Colin Friels as her father Mick, Les Chantery as her mentor Ron Bakir, Vince Colosimo as lawyer Robin Tampoe, Francis Greenslade as Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Michael Croaker as Federal Police boss Mick Keelty.

Xavier Samuel Set For Australian Drama ‘Healing’ The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’s Xavier Samuel will co-star with Hugo Weaving and Don Hany in Healing, writer-director Craig Monahan’s drama which starts shooting in Victoria on February 18. Samuel, who’ll next be seen in Catherine Hardwicke’s thriller Plush, plays a young, vulnerable prisoner who gets involved in a rehabilitation program involving treating injured birds at a low-security prison farm run by Weaving’s Senior Officer Perry. Hany plays a long-term crim who has almost given up on life. The cast includes Jane Menelaus, Anthony Hayes, Mark Leonard Winter, Robert Taylor and Justine Clark. The producers are Tait Brady and Monahan’s PointBlank Pictures. Monahan co-wrote the script with Alison Nisselle. Andrew Lesnie is the Dop. Lightning Entertainment consultant Richard Guardian is pitching the project to buyers at Berlin’s European Film Market. – Don Groves Dueling Miniseries On Australian Billionaire Gina...

Adele Ferguson’s Gina Rinehart acquired by Screentime

Screentime has acquired the rights to the unauthorised biography of the richest woman in the world.

The Banijay-owned company picked up the rights of the story of Gina Rinehart from biographer and Fairfax journalist Adele Ferguson.

Planned as a six hour mini-series, the production will be written by Michael Lucas, writer of Offspring and Not Suitable For Children.

The biography is based on research and interviews with Rinehart’s colleagues, family, friends and former employees. The series will look at both Rinehart and her father Lang Hancock. Fairfax currently owns about 15% of publisher Fairfax Media and is battling for a place on the board.

Screentime’s Des Monaghan said: “We are delighted that we won the race to secure the rights to the story of Gina Rinehart and her father, who have fascinated Australia for decades.”

“Adele is one of Australia’s most highly regarded writers,...

In this roundup from the Encore and Mumbrella Annual, we take a look at the seven best Dr Mumbo posts from the last 12 months.

1. When McDonald’s signage goes rogue

This rogue piece of signage at Wynyard McDonald’s in Sydney requires no words…

2. Angels and Devils

Confusing being in advertising, isn’t it?

3. Media Watch’s new slogan: ‘We don’t do last minute’

On the day Fairfax Media announced a vast restructuring, the Twitterati predicted it would be a hectic afternoon for the staff of the ABC’s Media Watch as they prepared that night’s show. Not so, revealed host Jonathan Holmes, as his new slogan was unveiled: “We don’t do last minute.”

4. The Sydney Mining Herald

With Gina Rinehart on Fairfax Media’s shareholders’ register, comedian Dan Ilic created The Sydney Mining Herald.

5. A non-heteronormative mole with throbbing eyelids writes…

When Sasha Burden did work...

The series return of Gruen Planet tonight sets agencies the tough challenge of persuading the public that Gina Rinehart would be a good owner for Fairfax Media.

Tonight’s episode, which is on ABC1 at 8.30pm, is the first in the series of the Gruen Planet format after four Gruen Sweat Olympics specials.

Perth’s Cooch Creative and Melbourne’s Loud&Clear Creative will take on the Fairfax challenge in The Pitch.

Joining regulars Todd Sampson from Leo Burnett and Russel Howcroft from Y&R Brands will be creative Dee Madigan and spin doctor Toby Ralph.

The show will also be discussing the current campaign for James Packer’s Crown Casino and ask why it doesn’t mention gambling.

One of Australia’s most respected journalists, David Marr, has resigned from Fairfax Media’s Sydney Morning Herald.

Marr was one of the signatories of last month’s statement to shareholder Gina Rinehart, who is seeking seats on the board, on the importance of the company’s charter of editorial independence.

At the time, Smh economics editor Ross Gittins threatened to resign if Fairfax’ editorial independence was threatened. Marr said in interview with the Sydney Morning Herald last week “I love newspapers, I want newspapers to survive.”

Editorial director Garry Linnell said it was with “enormous regret” that he announced Marr had “chosen to mark his 65th birthday today by leaving us. David has had four stints at Fairfax and our publications. Our readers and our staff have been richer for it.”...

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has threatened to dump her stake in Fairfax Media if “unsuitable conditions” over non-involvement in the company’s editorial direction are not removed. Rinehart now owns nearly 20% of the company and is seeking seats on the board. If she suddenly sold her stock, it would be likely to put Fairfax’s share price – which is already trading close to an all time low – in a further plunge downwards.

Update: Shortly after opening today, Fairfax shares dropped to 53c, the lowest in the company’s history.

(Note: This story originally stated that Rinehart had increased her stake in Ten. In fact, today’s update to the Asx confirmed her increased stake as a result of the company’s fund raising.)

Fairfax’s key mastheads include the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Until now, Rinehart has said almost nothing about her intentions although it has been widely...

Comedian Dan Ilic is quick off the mark to respond to this week’s Fairfax upheavals with his behind-the-scenes look at the Sydney Mining Herald under Gina Rinehart.

His inspiration comes from this Smh ad campaign:

(Declaration of interest: Mumbrella’s Tim Burrowes will be appearing on Ilic’s A Rational Fear radio show on FBi Social in Sydney on Monday.)...

Fairfax staff at the Sydney press conference. From left: Neil Chenoweth; Stuart Washington and David Marr. Pic: Zoe Ferguson

Sydney Morning Herald economics editor Ross Gittins has become the first senior Fairfax Media journalist to suggest he might resign if Gina Rinehart refuses to guarantee editorial independence.

His pledge came as Fairfax journalists called on mining billionaire Rinehart to commit to the company’s charter of editorial independence.

The demands came the day after Rinehart confirmed that she had increased her stake in the company to 18.67%, making it all but certain that she will be given seats on the company’s board.

Yesterday saw the company unveil a wide ranging restructure which will see 1900 job losses, press closures, a switch of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age to tabloid format and the introduction of paywalls.

Staff staged press conferences outside the Smh in Sydney and The Age in Melbourne this afternoon.