Paramount+, the global streaming service of Paramount Global, have struck a drama slate partnership with Gaumont, France’s historic film and TV company which has made its mark on the global high-end series scene with shows like Lupin, Narcos, Barbarian and Stillwater.
Under the deal, Gaumont will produce several originals in association with Paramount’s international studio, VIS, as part of Paramount+’s plan to greenlight 50 new international scripted originals in 2022.
“This long-term partnership with the storied and esteemed production company Gaumont is another example of our commitment to producing high-quality content that crosses borders and resonates with audiences worldwide,” said Raffaele Annecchino, Paramount president and CEO of international networks, studios and streaming.
First shows to be greenlit under the partnership include French horror-thriller The Signal, an adaptation of a best-selling novel by Maxime Chattam, which will be driven by Lupin showrunner François Uzan.
It revolves around a famous radio host who moves to an isolated island following the death of her beloved sister in a car accident. The change of scenery soon proves more challenging than expected when her family’s unspoken fears begin to take ghostly form and some inhabitants of the island start to die in strange circumstances.
Further shows greenlit for development include the Argentinian dystopian thriller Desolate Future in which a robotics engineer moves with his family to an isolated town in Patagonia where he is ordered to test the first humanoid robots in secret.
Argentina’s writer-director Lucia Puenzo, whose features credits include the Cannes-selected XXY and The German Doctor, will co-showrun and direct multiple episodes with her brother, Nicolas Puenzo, co-director of Cromo and La Jauría.
The slate also features German dramedy Anywhere, led by creator and screenwriter Jana Burbach (Bad Banks, Tribes of Europa), It follows a successful career woman who is unable to form healthy relationships and embarks on a personal journey to discover the real version of herself.
Also out of France is the environmental thriller Impact about a man who goes on a crusade against the companies responsible for the pollution that killed his newborn daughter.
Based on a novel by Olivier Norek, it is. co-created by Oscar-winning director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (Murder on a Sunday Morning, The Staircase), Antoine Lacomblez (Laetitia), and Severine Werba (Spiral).
“We are excited to start a global relationship with Paramount+ and contribute to its international rollout with four new shows in Europe and Latin America,” commented Sidonie Dumas, CEO, Gaumont.
These originals will complement the 40 Gaumont projects, already in preparation or production across its six international offices in Paris, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Cologne and Rome for other platforms. These include season six of Narcos season 6, season two of Barbarian, season two of Lupin, Damage, El Presidente and Totem, Kaiser Karl and Stillwater.
The new partnership slate joins a raft of previously announced Paramount+ international scripted originals, including Sexy Beast, A Gentleman in Moscow, Simon Beckett’s Chemistry of Death, Los Enviados (The Envoys), Cecilia, Bosé, Miss Fallaci, At Midnight.
Paramount+ is currently live in the US, Canada, Latin America, the Nordics, and Australia, and will is due to be made available in 48 markets by the end of 2022.
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