Starlings, Mediabiz, NENT, Night Train Team for Female-Driven AR Drama ‘Veil’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Los Angeles- and Montreal-based Starlings Television and Canada’s Mediabiz Intl. are teaming with Europe’s Nordic Ent. (NENT) Group, and Germany’s Night Train Media for futuristic, female-driven augmented reality drama “Veil.”
Craig Van Sickle (“The Pretender,” “24,” “Tin Man”) is set as showrunner.
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“Veil” takes place in the near future, when everyone has an implant in their brain that makes them see the world through a veil of augmented reality. When a computer virus makes them invisible to others, a woman is recruited to stop its spread. She discovers layers of falsehood, betrayal and conspiracy that need to be lifted to find the truth.
The project originated with Mediabiz Intl. and was created by Shawn Whitney (“A Brand New You”). Karine Martin, CEO of both Mediabiz Intl. and Starlings Ent., and executive producer Chris Philip, president of Starlings Television, packaged the series for the U.S. and international markets. Martin, Philip, Whitney, Van Sickle, Mediabiz’s Anne-Catherine Lafaille, NTM CEO Herbert M. Kloiber and NENT’s Josephine Zapata Genetay, and Fredrik Ljungberg will executive produce.
“We have developed ‘Veil’ as an exciting, cutting edge tech-thriller that explores timely questions like manipulation of the truth in a society driven by technology,” Martin said. “I am thrilled to have such a robust creative, financial and distribution team invested in our project.”
“The outstanding collection of partners we’ve assembled for ‘Veil’ clearly indicate its global appeal,” Philip added. “We intend to bring them a series set in the near future filled with escapism and technological progress, yet deeply grounded in vulnerability that reflects current global events.”
“Veil” is the first collaboration between Starlings TV and Kloiber, who formed NTM in February after serving as managing director of Germany’s Tele München Group.
NTM has a content partnership with NENT to develop and produce a select number of English-language productions every year for the group. If commissioned, NENT will gain the rights to show “Veil” first in the region on its Viaplay streaming service. Production is scheduled to start early next year in Hungary.
“We are proud to launch our ambitious development slate with ‘Veil’ in partnership with NENT, Starlings and Mediabiz,” Kloiber said. “With Night Train Media’s participation, we can deliver local streamers and networks a series meeting top-quality production standards and enable them to compete with global platforms for the same level of high-caliber premium content.”
Meanwhile, Starlings TV has secured a pair of renewals in the U.S. for the upcoming fall season. The CW has ordered round two of the YA sci-fi action series “Pandora,” while Comcast’s new streaming service Peacock have commissioned six more episodes of missing passenger plane conspiracy drama “Departure.”
Red Arrow is handing “Departure” sales and Sony Pictures Intl. Television for “Pandora.”
Starlings co-financed Paramount’s Elton John biopic “Rocketman,” and recently expanded its relationship with the musician, entering into a strategic partnership with a cash investment in Countryline, the U.K.-based country music fan app.
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