CANNES: Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of TV series and feature films, Studiocanal has sold breakthrough Swedish-French drama Midnight Sun, a CANAL+/SVT/Filmpool Nordcoproduction, to a host of international broadcasters, it was announced today.
Produced by Atlantique Productions and Nice Drama, the 8 x 1 hour thriller series has been secured ahead of its premiere by ZDF in Germany, SBS in Australia, HOT in Israel,NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, RUV in Iceland, MTV3 in Finland, VRT in Belgium, and Lumière in Benelux.
Starring Leïla Bekhti (The Prophet) and Gustaf Hammarsten (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Midnight Sun will first air on 23 October on SVT and later this year on CANAL+ under the Création Originale brand.
ZDF executive director, feature films and international co-productions, Susanne Mueller, says: “Midnight Sun is a wonderfully crafted, nail-biting thriller series and will be an absolute highlight in our 2017 schedule. It is a perfect fit for our Sunday late night crime slot, where we air the finest European crime drama. Midnight Sun is the next big Scandi-series with a twist after our successful coproductions like The Bridge, Modusand also the upcoming Springtide.”
SBS director of television and online content, Marshall Heald, commented: “Midnight Sun is Nordic Noir at its finest, delivering a thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seat to the very last. This truly international series offers sweeping scenery, compelling storytelling and stunning performances, and is an exciting addition to our program offering as we continue to showcase the very best in world drama.”
Lumière head of acquisitions & coproductions for TV series, Marike Muselaers, says: “We have been following Midnight Sun from a very early stage and we are thrilled to start working with Studiocanal on this topical, gripping and beautiful drama/thriller series. As both Studiocanal and Lumière specialize in bringing high-end quality TV series to the public, we are sure this will be the start of a long and fruitful partnership. Soon the Midnight Sun will shine everywhere in Benelux!”
Studiocanal EVP sales and marketing Katrina Neylon, added, “Midnight Sun is a beautifully shot, absorbing drama series which also raises real and current issues such as racism and damage to our environment. The series has hit a nerve with buyers internationally already ahead of its premiere, appealing to both Free and Pay TV networks and we’re in advanced negotiations to close additional sales in the coming months.”
Created by Mårlind & Stein (Bron/Broen), based on an idea by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer and Patrick Nebout, Midnight Sun is a high concept thriller set in a small mining community in remote northern Sweden where a series of brutal murders – which contrast starkly against the beauty of the landscape and the ethereal daylight – conceal a secret conspiracy. Midnight Sun received the Audience Award at SeriesMania in Paris in April.
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ZDF German Television is Germany’s national public television broadcaster and one of Europe’s leading public television corporations. It is run as an independent non-profit corporation under the authority of the 16 federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany.
With a background as Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, SBS holds a unique place in the Australian media landscape. As described in the SBS Charter, SBS’s principal function is to provide multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians, reflecting Australia’s diverse society.
The Lumière Group is an all rights / all media Benelux distribution and production company, with offices in Ghent and Amsterdam and cinemas in Bruges and Antwerp. Lumière is known for bringing Scandinavian drama to the Benelux and has been among the first to pick up shows like The Bridge, Wallander, The Killing, Borgen, Springtide, Modus, The Legacy, Follow The Money, Occupied and many more.
Studiocanal is Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series. Operating directly in all three major European markets, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, Studiocanal has fully-financed recent box office hits such as Paddington, Shaun the Sheep and Non-Stop. Upcoming films backed by Studiocanal include The Commuter featuring Liam Neeson, and Nick Park's stop-motion movie Early Man, with Aardman Studios.
