Patrick Dempsey & Alessandro Borghi To Lead Financial-World Thriller Series ‘Devils’ For Sky Italia & Lux Vide
EXCLUSIVE: Grey’s Anatomy icon Patrick Dempsey and in-demand Italian actor Alessandro Borghi, star of Netflix’s Suburra, are to lead cast in hot new financial-world thriller series Devils for The Young Pope and Gomorrah backer Sky Italia and Medici: Masters Of Florence producer Lux Vide.
Based on the best-selling novel by Italian trader Guido Maria Brera, the anticipated ten-part English-language series will be set in the London office of a major U.S. bank, where the ruthless Head of Trading, Massimo Ruggero (Borghi) from Italy, has been welcomed and introduced to the world of finance by Dominic Morgan (Dempsey), the bank’s CEO. When Ruggero ends up involved in an intercontinental financial war rocking Europe, he has to choose whether to ally himself with his mentor or fight him. The book was partly inspired by the financial crisis that swept global markets in 2008.
Among the Euro series’ strong supporting cast will be Laia Costa (Victoria), Malachi Kirby (Roots), Pia Mechler (Everything Is Wonderful), Paul Chowdhry (Swinging With The Finkels), Harry Michell (Chubby Funny) and Sallie Harmsen (Blade Runner 2049).
The 24-week shoot is due to get underway in September in London and Rome. Sky Vision will co-fund and distribute internationally, in partnership with Orange Studio.
Directors are Nick Hurran (Sherlock) and Jan Michelini (Don Matteo) with the former also serving as show-runner. The writing team includes Guido Maria Brera, Alessandro Sermoneta, Mario Ruggeri, Elena Bucaccio, Chris Lunt, Michael Walker, Ben Harris, Daniele Cesarano, Ezio Abate and Barbara Petronio.
The series marks the latest foray into English-language drama for influential Euro broadcaster Sky Italia, which has backed series including Jude Law-starrer The Young Pope and upcoming cocaine crime epic ZeroZeroZero as well as Italian-language hit Gomorrah.
In a statement sent to Deadline, Nils Hartmann, Head of Sky Italia Original Productions, described the series as “an ambitious project, which marks Sky’s debut into a genre, the financial thriller, that has been little explored in Italy, and inaugurates the collaboration with Lux Vide, a brand of great Italian and international successes.”
Luca Bernabei, CEO of Lux Vide, called it “a new enthralling series that will tell the stories of men and women who work in the financial markets no longer to earn money but to become the masters of the world.”
Moreyba Bidessie, Scripted Acquisitions Manager of Sky Vision, added, “This is the first Sky Italia Original that Sky Vision will co-fund and distribute internationally and is testimony to continuing the drive to create world class, premium television that Sky Vision is proud to be a part of. Devils is a brilliantly heady mix of thriller and conspiracy and how the seduction of power can corrupt even the strongest of bonds.”
Emmy and Golden Globe-nominee Dempsey will next be seen in MGM’s crime mini-series The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair, which will premiere in the UK on Sky Witness on September 4, with Epix carrying in U.S. He also produces upcoming Fox 2000 pic The Art Of Racing In The Rain, starring Kevin Costner, Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried. He is repped by UTA, Burstein Company and Stone, Genow.
In-demand Italian actor Borghi stars in anticipated Venice premiere On My Skin and Netflix’s first Italian original series Suburra. He broke through on gritty 2015 crime pic Don’t Be Bad.
Laia Costa made waves with single-shot Berlin Film Festival thriller Victoria and next up has Dan Fogelman’s TIFF pic Life Itself. Rising UK actor Malachi Kirby scored the lead in History Channel’s Roots reboot and German actress Mechler is currently starring with Edgar Morais and Olivia Thirlby in feature You Above All. UK comic and stand-up Chowdhry previously starred in 2011 Mandy Moore-Martin Freeman comedy Swinging With The Finkels.
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