UniversalPictures has acquired the rights to BBC's political thriller television series StateOf Play from producerAndrew Hauptman and his Mission Pictures.

Hauptman willproduce the project with Tracy Falco. State Of Play series creator Paul Abbott will serve asexecutive producer and is currently working on future installments to thetelevision series.

State Of Playcentres on a former political campaign manager turned journalist who comes upagainst his former employer, a government minister, when he investigates twomurders.

The series was nominated for seven BAFTA awards and wonthree, including Best Actor for Bill Nighy.

UniversalPictures vice chairman of worldwide production Mary Parent will oversee theproject for the studio with executive vice president of production DonnaLangley.

The studio andproducers will start approaching screenwriters immediately.

The deal wasbrokered on behalf of Mission by Jamie Feldman and Linda Lichter at Lichter,Grossman, Nichols, Adler and Goodman.

Mission andHauptman most recently produced Danny Boyle's latest picture Millions, which Fox Searchlight will release inspring 2005.