Global Showbiz Briefs: ArtCastle Film Shingle, Saudis Vs. Web, 'Peter Panzerfaust'

Irish Film Commission Exec Launches ArtCastle With Director Gary Shore
Jonathan Loughran, senior vice president of the Irish Film Board's US outpost, is leaving to set up LA- and Dublin-based production company ArtCastle. Loughran, who opened the Irish Film Commission in LA in 2005, will partner with compatriot filmmaker Gary Shore. Shore has a three-picture deal with Universal and entered negotiations to direct Dracula Year Zero earlier this year. He and his short, Cup Of Tears, appeared on the Black List for Aspiring Filmmakers in 2010. Cup is being turned into a feature by Working Title. Loughran will produce Shore's projects under the ArtCastle banner and continue to work with international filmmakers looking to shoot in Ireland.

'Innocence Of Muslims' Leads Saudis To Seek Global Internet Restrictions
Saudi Arabia has called on stricter policing of the internet in the wake of the Innocence Of Muslims video that sparked deadly violence in the Middle East last month. The kingdom's government has told United Nations body the World Telecommunications Policy Forum that access to the video was an 'obvious example' of the need for greater cooperation on restricting content, Britain's Telegraph reports. The letter to the UN said, 'There is a crying need for international collaboration to address 'freedom of expression' which clearly disregards public order' Any reasonable person would know that this film would foment violence and, indeed, many innocent persons have died and been injured with this film as a root cause.' YouTube parent Google restricted the video in certain countries but refused an overall ban. The producer of the anti-Islam video is currently in jail awaiting a hearing on possible probation violations.

BBCW, Quality To Produce 'Peter Pan'-inspired 'Peter Panzerfaust'
BBC Worldwide Productions and Quality Transmedia are teaming for a new fantasy comic series based on comic book Peter Panzerfaust by Kurtis J. Weibe and Tyler Jenkins. The companies will initially produce the series for a digital release and will develop it as a live-action scripted series at the same time. The contemporary reimagining of Peter Pan, published by Image Comics, premiered last spring. The story follows an American freedom fighter in Nazi-occupied Europe at the start of World War II. He partners with the Lost Boys, a ragtag group of orphans, to combat the Nazi threat, led by SS Captain Haken (aka Captain Hook). BBCW's Julie Gardner (Da Vinci's Demons, Doctor Who, Torchwood) will exec produce with BBCW's Dan Tischler and Quality Transmedia's Jeff Krelitz.