‘Once Upon A Time In Space’ Set As Next James Bluemel BBC Doc Following Success Of Northern Ireland Series

Max Goldbart
·1 min read
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BAFTA-winning Once Upon a Time In Northern Ireland creator James Bluemel has found his next project, an exploration of space.

Bluemel, who has made some of the most critically-acclaimed British docs of the past few years, has also joined Once Upon a Time … producer Keo Films as Creative Director.

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Once Upon a Time in Space will look at the humans who are once again heading back out into the atmosphere. China, Russia, America, India, Saudi Arabia and Japan are all investing heavily in lunar exploration, jostling for power and influence amongst the stars, and the series will profile this new space race, examining the consequences for the future of humankind.

“It will be interesting creatively to take the Once Upon a Time approach and focus it on a subject like space, to move the strand on in an unexpected and refreshing way,” said Bluemel. He is EPing alongside Will Anderson and Andrew Palmer for Keo.

Passion Pictures-backed Keo will once again produce and Bluemel has joined the London outfit as Creative Director. He joins Keo’s senior management team and will work alongside Anderson and Palmer as an equal partner.

Bluemel’s past credits include hits Once Upon a Time In Northern Ireland, Once Upon a Time in Iraq and Exodus about the refugee crisis.

Nick Southgate’s Searching for Sugar Man producer Passion took control of Keo nearly three years ago after pressure on finances as a result of Covid-19 caused the indie co-founded by TV presenter Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to seek investment.

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