Gaumont UK Lands Latest Channel 5 Thriller; Juno Dawson Series For Altitude; Ukrainian Anthology Sales; ZDF Kim Dotcom Drama – Global Briefs

Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
·4 min read
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Gaumont UK Lands Latest Channel 5 Thriller

Locked In producer Gaumont UK is making The Wives for Paramount UK network Channel 5, a six-part mystery drama about the unravelling of a family. The Wives follows four sisters-in-law and their families who escape to their Maltese holiday apartments, as they’ve done every summer for 15 years, but things go awry. Cast will be revealed shortly and show is filming in Malta early next year, airing later in 2024. Gaumont UK is producing in association with Banijay Rights, which is selling around the world. Run by Alison Jackson, Gaumont UK has already produced For Her Sins for Channel 5 along with Netflix double Locked In and Obsession. “The Wives is set to bring layers of mystery and intrigue which is guaranteed to keep the Channel 5 audience guessing,” said Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer for Paramount UK.

More from Deadline

Juno Dawson Developing Eliza Clark Adaptation

Juno Dawson is developing a TV version of Eliza Clark’s Penance for Altitude Television. The This Book is Gay and Clean scribe will forge a version of Clark’s novel that tells a chilling and compulsive story of murder among teenagers on the eve of the historic Brexit vote. No network is attached as of yet and the project is launching sales at this week’s Content London. “Eliza’s novel is a stunning, zeitgeisty tour de force and there’s nothing quite like it on the screen,” said Altitude Development Executive Gabby Kardar. Deadline revealed last month that Altitude was forging a modern TV series remake of The Wombles after hiring former Working Title exec Chris Clark as MD and Chief Creative Officer. The deal was brokered by Marc Simonsson of Mulcahy Sweeney Associates Limited on behalf of Rachel Mann at Jo Unwin Literary Agency and Kardar.

Ukrainian Anthology Series Sells To Canada, France, Australia

Ukrainian anthology series Those Who Stayed has unveiled its latest slew of sales. The heartfelt drama has been licensed by CBC’s streaming service CBC Gem in Canada, SBS Australia and France Télévisions. Launched at this year’s Mipcom, the series has already sold to Lumière for Benelux, DR in Denmark, ERR Estonia, Czech Television in the Czech Republic and RUV in Iceland. Those Who Stayed tells touching stories about the Ukraine war in each episode, bringing together established and emerging Ukrainian talent with eps written and directed by a different creator. Co-developed by FILM.UA and Red Arrow Studios International, the series is produced by FILM.UA and coproduced by SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland) for 1 + 1 Media (Ukraine). Earlier this year the series made its debut on SVT and YLE and also on Netflix across CEE, where, in Ukraine, it is still one of the platforms top 10 shows. “It’s an honour to represent such a profoundly important and inspiring title around the world,” said Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, VP Scripted Acquisitions & Coproductions at Red Arrow Studios International. “We’re thrilled to have found new homes with leading broadcasting partners for Those Who Stayed, and this latest wave of deals is further proof that quality titles continue to resonate with international audiences – who will soon be able to enjoy this sincere and genuine series.”

ZDF Studios Codes Kim Dotcom Drama

The wild story of European-hacker-turned-entreprenuer Kim Dotcom is to be made into a drama series at ZDF Studios. The German production arm of ZDF is working with Japan’s Fuji Television, Berlin’s Boogie Entertainment and New Zealand’s Aristofilms on a six-part series, titled The Kim Dotcom Story. Dotcom was the man behind MegaUpload, an early online sharing site that the U.S. government declared to be a criminal enterprise. Relentlessly pursued by the FBI and CIA, his extravagant lifestyle, legal battles and defiance of copyright enforcement divided opinion: Some saw him as a symbol of digital resistance and others a major criminal. The series will be a “mix of investigative thriller, courtroom drama and a gripping exploration of the darker corners of the internet” and explores the “profound consequences of challenging government authority.” It is planned to span Germany, Monte Carlo, the U.S., Thailand, Hong Kong, the UK and New Zealand, with ZDF Studios taking international rights and completion scheduled for 2025.

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