Sean Penn, Matthew Fox, and Kick Gurry To Talk Comedy Series ‘C*A*U*G*H*T’ At Mipcom Cannes

Jesse Whittock
·4 min read
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Sean Penn, Matthew Fox, and Kick Gurry are heading to Mipcom Cannes to talk about their satirical comedy series C*A*U*G*H*T.

In a major coup for the TV market, they’ll discuss the Australian show in an exclusive Media Mastermind Keynote on Wednesday, October 18 at 12pm local time in France, alongside distributor Fremantle.

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Two-time Academy Award winner actor Penn (Milk, Gaslit), who serves as an executive producer (and acts as himself in the series), will feature in the panel in at the Palais des Festivales’ Grand Auditorium, alongside Fox (Lost), and Curry (Edge of Tomorrow), moderated by TV and film critic Rhianna Dhillon.

The session will feature footage and an ‘In Conversation with’ segment featuring Penn, Fox and Gurry, bringing insights about approach taken for the series, which explores themes of identity, fame, and the absurdity of the viral age and looks to comedically deconstructs the intellectual ideas humanity faces.

Fremantle has global rights to the series after helping set up the international co-production, which is an original series for Australian streamer Stan. John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz’s company, Deeper Water Films, were key to developing with show, working alongside Brendan Donohue and Gurry’s label, Little Bird Films. Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie executive produced for Stan.

Edge of Tomorrow actor Gurry created, wrote and directed the series, which follows four Australian soldiers on a covert mission in a war-torn country. Mistaken for Americans, they’re captured and produce a hostage video that achieves unexpected viral success, turning them into unlikely celebrities.

As we revealed when we first told you about the show last year, ITVX has exclusive rights in the UK, and it had confirmed an October 12 launch date — just days before Mipcom begins.

The 6 x 30-minute series is commissioned by Stan, with global rights handled by Fremantle.  Instrumental in bringing the show to screen was producer John Schwarz with his and Michael Schwarz’s company, Deeper Water Films, alongside Brendan Donohue and Gurry’s label, Little Bird Films. Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie executive produced for Stan.

The likes of Bella Heathcote (Bloom), Bryan Brown (Bloom), Erik Thomson (Black Snow), Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge), Lincoln Younes (After the Verdict), Alexander England (Black Snow) appear alongside Penn, Gurry and Fox in the show.

“When you grow up down under in Australia, dreaming of someday telling stories on screen, Cannes, holds a magical, almost mythical place in your creative heart, like Valhalla or heaven,” said Gurry. “To be invited to Mipcom to speak about this project is truly an unimaginable honour and a thrill beyond words. Europe’s history of storytelling is baked into every stone in its streets and every brick on its ancient monuments, you can hear the whispers of great story tellers from literally thousands of years ago… I cannot wait to add a few whispers to that rich history.”

“Fremantle is delighted to showcase C*A*U*G*H*T at MIPCOM and welcome these incredible international talents onto the iconic global stage where in a world first will together discuss this remarkably bold, ambitious, and highly entertaining series. Matthew, Sean, and Kick in Cannes presenting C*A*U*G*H*T is a must-see event,” said Jens Richter, CEO Commercial and International at Fremantle, commented:

Billed as “the mother of all entertainment content markets,” the 39th edition of MIPCOM CANNES (16-October 2023) will gather more than 10,000 senior international television producers, buyers, commissioners and creatives from the industry’s major studios and platforms worldwide. More than 250 exhibiting studios and distributors from 45 countries are confirmed for the annual International Co-Production and Entertainment Content Market.

In Cannes, Fremantle will also be launching Alice & Jack, the Channel 4 and Masterpiece drama starring Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson, and will hold a special presentation on Neighbours, following its dramatic demise and rise this year. Exec producer Jason Herbison and stars Annie Jones and Tim Kano will discuss the power of IP to streamers, and how fans helped saved the hit series. Amazon’s Freevee revived the show and rebooted it earlier this year after Channel 5’s decision to ditch its investment in the long-running Australian soap led to a cancellation.

The 39th Mipcom runs from October 16-19, with more than 320 exhibiting studios and distributors from 100 countries expected to attend.

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