Zentropa’s “Cecilie Mars,” from Christoffer Boe, “The Chaplain,” from Australia’s Wooden Horse and Jennifer Fox’s latest “Ruth’s Ghosts” are among buzz titles at March’s Series Mania Co-Pro Pitching Sessions.
There’s also good word on “Phenomena – the Series,” a modern makeover of Dario Argento’s “Creepers,” and Spanish dramedy “The Lottery Ticket,” from Secuoya Studios. Announced by Series Mania Friday, the 16-title lineup runs the gamut from powerhouses – German pubcaster ARD (“Nuclear Sunset Cruise”), the Lars von Trier-run Zentropa, Iceland’s Glassriver (“Masquerade”) and Israel’s Sipur (“Intimacy”) – to far more contained budget link-ups such as “Wool,” a Serbia-Iceland co-pro. That said, the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions show, like the London TV Screenings before them, a new industrial realism, with Europe’s TV production adapting to more straightened times.
“Certainly, project financing is a bit more complicated than a few years ago. Broadcasters and platforms are a little bit more cautious about investment, even though they sometimes collaborate on projects. But you need to stand out and to convince broadcasters a bit more,” Francesco Capurro, Series Mania Forum director. “We tried this year for the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions to really bear in mind feasibility of projects in market terms which was the main – though not only – selection criteria.”
As producers and sales conglomerates seek out English-language series which are far easier to sell to streamers for the U.S., companies from burgeoning talent hubs such as New Zealand, the Philippines and Australia are ever more on the global radar.
“Volume of project applications – 406 – is on a par with 2024 but these have come from more countries, from literally all around the world,” Capurro added. New territories this year include New Zealand, the Philippines, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Uganda and Eswatini. “The Chaplain” is the first Australian project to pitch at the Sessions.
Appealing ever more to the main market staple – crime thrillers – the global six streamers percentage of first-run scripted series orders that are crime shows has near doubled from 22% 2H 2019 to 38% 2H 2024. As producers seek to make shows which can play on free to air and platforms, that stat plays out over Series Mania. 10 of the 16 projects pitched can be described as crime thrillers. But they’ve hardly been written by numbers.
“The thriller is still the main genre but so big that you can treat it in many, many different ways. The originality of crime thrillers’ is one large source of this year’s lineup breadth and richness.
Some projects take on a supernatural turn (“Phenomena – The Series,” “Ruth’s Ghosts”), others look to boast a wry engaging humor (“Invisible”), or develop an ethical drama edge, such as “Cecilie Mars,” which turns on a a driven police commissioner, is secretly consumed by a past trauma. When a case hits too close to home, she crosses the line into vigilantism.
“Most crime series revolve around drugs, trafficking, and murder mysteries, but our racing pigeons—and the billions in gambling money behind them—unveil a whole new world,” promises producer David Vermander at Belgium’s Cartouche.
Also, dramedies – “or at least series that bring comedic or lighter elements to the forefront are also on the rise,” Capurro observes.
“This could be seen as an attempt by producers to make lighter stories also for audiences that are in a very complicated and frightening world. They might want to be entertained a little bit more!” he ventured.
Otherwise, some notable series – “Ruth’s Ghosts,” “The Institute,” “Wool” – include a strong gender agenda, focusing on female empowerment or a push back against initial disenfranchisement. “There are also more and more female protagonists, trying to find their way in a world which is still mainly male dominated,” Capurro noted.
The Series Mania Forum Co-Pro Pitching Sessions take place Tuesday March 25.
The titles:
“Antiparos,” (8 x 45,’ Greece)
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Produced by Dionyssis Samiotis, Development Producer Alexandra Orfanidou, for Tanweer Productions, Co – Producer Mark Denessen, for Ginger Film Flanders (Belgium)
Written by Alexandros Tsilifonis and George Zafeiropoulos
Directed by Alexandros Tsilifonis
From Tanweer Productions, the Athens-based producer on seminal Leonard Cohen true-life love story “So Long, Marianne, a “darkly comedic mystery,” says creator Tsilifonis, in which a verge-of-burn-out detective returns for rest to his home island of Antiparos, and is embroigled in the most complicated murders he’s faced. This contemporary series peels back the layers of an idyllic destination to reveal an unexpected underworld—where intrigue, absurdity, and sharp storytelling collide.” Tsilifonis added.
“Cecilie Mars,” (6 x 45,’ Denmark)
Genre: Thriller
Produced by Karoline Leth for Zentropa Entertainments
Written and directed by Christoffer Boe
The buzziest title in this year’s lineup, backed by double Oscar winner Zentropa (“In a Better World,” “Another World”), and helmed by Christopher Boe, whose 2018 “Warrior” marked some of the most innovative of mainstream TV series work from Denmark to that date. Now Cecilie Mars marks Zentropa’s third recent series after Lars Von Trier’s “The Kingdom: Exodus” and Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours.” Crossing the line into vigilantism, Mars is blackmailed by a shadowy figure, she’s forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse, blurring the lines between justice and revenge,” runs the second half of Zentropa’s synopsis.
“The Chaplain,” (8 x 30,’ Australia)
Genre: Dramatic comedy
Co-created and produced by Jude Troy for Wooden Horse. Co-created and written by Elise McCredie
Another potential Pitching Sessions standout. Unspooling in the bustling environment of an international airport, “The Chaplain” follows Airport Chaplain Tobias Wallace, who uses unorthodox methods to solve daily crises while dealing with new management threatening his job. Created by Elise McCredie and Jude Troy, the show promises a captivating blend of drama and comedy, highlighting the unique challenges and stories within the multicultural melting pot of an airport. Wooden Horse, behind Disney+’s “The Clearing,” produces.
”Consultants,” 6 x 45′ – Germany
Genre: Political thriller
Produced by Alexis von Wittgenstein and Gilda Weller for Violet Pictures and Henning Kamm for Real Film Berlin
Written by Richard Kropf, Bob Conrad, Hanno Hackfort.
Berliner Carlo, a young campaign strategist, lands a dream job fighting a neo-fascist party in Italy—until he realises he’s part of a larger, sinister manipulation. Co-produced with ZDF and backed by Filmfernsehfonds Bayern (FFF), Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg (MBB), and the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF). From the team behind the well received “Kleo” this thriller exposes the ease of disinformation in modern politics. “‘Consultants’ touches a very essential challenge of our society: How can our democracies survive without truth,” producer Alexis von Wittgenstein told Variety.
“Heist,” (6 x 45,’ Belgium, France)
Genre: Action thriller
Produced by Dries Phylpo for A Private View and Antoine Simkine for Les Films d’Antoine
Written by Ben Braeunlich
Based on an idea by journalist Xavier Muntz and filmmaker François Bergeron, the nail-biting actioner will take the viewer on a double adrenaline ride. Inspired by true events, the story is set in Beirut in 1976. While the Civil War holds the Lebanese capital captive and everyone just tries to survive, the biggest bank robbery of all times is about to go down. Seasoned Belgian helmer Hans Herbots (“Paris Has Fallen,” “Riviera”) will bring his action savoir-faire to this ambitious Belgium/French co-production.
Heist
“The Institute,” (working title, 6 x 50,’ Germany, Denmark)
Genre: Thriller
Produced by Irina Ignatiew-Lemke for Boxworks Media and Deborah Bayer Marlow for Nordisk Film Productions
Created by: Esther Gronenborn
Written by Esther Gronenborn and Astrid Ströher
High-profile TV exec Irina Ignatiew-Lemke (formerly at All3Media and Red Arrow International before relaunching Boxworks Media), has teamed up with seasoned writer-director Esther Gronenborg (“The White Silence”) on this corporate thriller. The story turns on brilliant scientist Rebecca Abrams (47), who experiences a career setback after anonymous allegations of abuses of power are brought against her. ”It’s a timely and globally relevant exploration of power, gender, and institutional corruption, a story rooted in multiple true accounts of systemic sabotage against women in leadership,” says Ignatiew-Lemke.
The Institute
“Intimacy,” (8 x 42,’ U.K./Israel)
Genre: Thriller
Produced by Ariel Weisbrod for Sipur
Created by: Dan Berlinka, Maude Sandham, Dan Buckland
Written by: Dan Berlinka
WIth Bad Boy, from Euphoria creator Ron Leshem and “I’m Still Alive,” the adult animated feature by Roberto Saviano (Gomorrah) both in the hopper, Sipur now comes to market with “Intimacy”: “Sex scene, death scene, crime scene. When an actress is found dead on a film set, the Intimacy Co-ordinator feels compelled to investigate, which means taking on the dead woman’s role,” the synopsis runs. “A gripping and entertaining genre show that gives us an authentic vision of a side of the entertainment industry we’ve not seen on screen before,” says Sipur’s Ariel Weisbrod.
Intimacy
“Invisible,” (6 x 47′-Ireland)
Genre: Mystery Drama
Produced by Ciarán Charles, Darach Ó Tuairisg & Bernadette Hoban
Written by Matt Harvey & Marteinn Thorisson
In this procedural set in Northern Ireland, an unlikely duo is leading the crime investigation: Scarlett, a girl no one respects, and her grandfather James, a man no one believes. Matt Harvey is credited for the Shudder original “Mandrake”, and Icelandic-born Marteinn Thorisson for the Sundance nominated “One Point O”, Karlovy Vary winner “XL” and TV show “Happily Never After.” Development support was provided by Northern Ireland Screen and BBC Northern Ireland & Screen Ireland.
“The Lottery Ticket,” (6 x 50,’ Spain)
Genre: Dramedy
Produced by Secuoya Studios
The latest from Madrid’s Secuoya Studios, under CEO Brendan Fitzgerald, and written by Carlos Vila, a co-creator of 2016’s “Los misterios de Laura, adapted by Warner Bros. for NBC as The Mysteries of Laura, starring Debra Messing, as well as a co-creator on recent RTVE hit “Detective Touré.” Julia, turning 50, announces she has terminal cancer, and reconnect with the daughter she gave up for adoption when young. Her 50th birthday party turns into an all-out war when a winning lottery ticket turns up which everyone wants to get their hands on.
“The Masquerade,” (8 x 55′ – Iceland)
Genre: Crime-thriller
Produced by Arnbjörg Hafliðadóttir for Glassriver
Created by Andri Óttarsson & Baldvin Z
Former cop and criminal attorney turned writer/producer Andri Óttarsson has penned some of Iceland’s biggest TV hits in the last decade, from “Case”, “Stella Blómkvist,” to the recent hit “Black Sands”, helmed by Baldvin Z. The partners’ next bet “The Masquerade” is set in Iceland, with a parallel mystery unfolding in the U.S. Sarah, a young American reporter, arrives in an Icelandic village, claiming to be a girl abducted 25 years ago. Her search for family turns nightmarish as she learns her abductors are probably still nearby.
“Nest,” (8 x 60,’ Belgium, U.K., Taiwan)
Genre: Crime Comedy
Produced by David Vermander for Cartouche, Anouk Mertens for Neo Studios and James Chia-Hao for Reel Asia Pictures
Written by Koen Van Sande, Sven Huybrechts, Daniel Lambo and Lai Kin Chang
A charismatic con artist and her unpredictable, “intellectually challenged” brother inherit a racing pigeon, unwittingly plunging into the high-stakes world of Taiwanese gambling syndicates. As they chase the legendary ‘Million Dollar Race,’ “Nest” blends crime and comedy in a tale of family and belonging – where, like their avian speedster, every character is searching for home. Selected for Series Mania, TCCF Taiwan, MIA Rome, and Torino Series Lab, the project is backed by the Flemish Audiovisual Fund (VAF).
“Nuclear Sunset Cruise,” (“MS Völkerfreundschaft”) (6 x 45’ – Germany)
Genre: Historical Comedy
Produced by Schiwago Film, in co-production with ARD Degeto
Written by Robert Krause, Florian Puchert
Oblivious East German cruise ship plots a course into the Cuban Missile Crisis, unaware of the nuclear standoff surrounding them. As Cold War tensions escalate, onboard chaos may be the more immediate threat in this comedy. Developed in collaboration with Europe’s biggest public broadcaster ARD Degeto who continue to back the bold, such as Canneseries 2024 winner “The Zweiflers”), it seems a timely satire on global instability, nuclear tensions, and the absurdity of history repeating itself.
“Phenomena – The Series,” (Italy)
Genre: Horror
Produced by Titanus Production
Written by Nicola Guaglianone and Menotti
Adapted from Dario Argento’s 1985 horror film “Phenomena,” known as “Creepers” in the U.S., this series is produced by Italy’s Titanus Production. The series follows Jennifer Corvino, an American student with a psychic link to insects, as she navigates life at a fencing academy in the Dolomites while confronting a series of brutal murders. With her unique abilities, Jennifer must stop the killer, save her comrades, and survive.
‘Phenomena – The Series’
Credit: Supercinema
“Ruth’s Ghosts,” (6 x 60,’ U.S., Germany)
Genre: Legal thriller with supernatural elements
Produced by Jennifer Fox for A Luminous Mind Production, Tara Grace for Temair Pictures and Jana Lotze for Oma Inge Film.
Written by Jennifer Fox
The Series Mania Award winner and this week’s Berlinale Series Market’s Co-Pro Series, created by Fox, an influential documentarian whose first narrative movie The Tale (2018) was hailed by Variety as a “landmark advance in the field of cinematic memoir,” set in a 2020 U.S., a a Christian pro-life lawyer in New Orleans, haunted by a ghost, argues in court for her 13-year-old granddaughter’s right to an abortion. “A high-stakes thriller that explores a deeply relevant global issue through the intimate lens of a family divided by opposing political and religious beliefs,” Fox has told Variety.
“Tokyo Crush,” (8 x 30′ – France, Japan)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Produced by Jonas Ben Haiem and Jean-Félix Dealberto for Salle Commune, and Hiroko Oda for Flag Inc.
Written by Clémence Dargent
Mona, a wildly creative Parisian sous-chef, thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she’s hired to turn a struggling Tokyo izakaya into the city’s next hot spot. But upon landing in Japan, she realizes there’s a catch: she has to team up with the existing staff — including Toshiro, the fiercely talented (and annoyingly handsome) grandson of the founder. “This series is a rich blend of food, self-discovery, and romance,” said Dealberto.
“Wool,” (6 x 50′ – Serbia, Iceland)
Genre: Drama
Produced by Milena Dzambasovic for Film Road Production, Jonas Margeir Ingolfsson & Milla Ósk for Act4, Danna Stern for In Transit Productions
Written by Milena Dzambasovic (creator), Mladen Maticevic, Birkir Blaer Ingolfsson and Milla Ósk
A visionary woman in 1960s socialist Yugoslavia, rallies rural village housewives into a knitting collective that transforms their lives; challenging traditions, changing their destinies and creating a surprise sensation in the global fashion world. “‘Wool’ is an aspirational, entertaining feel-good series about female friendship and how one person can change – if not the world, certainly a village,” Dzambasovic told Variety.
Wool
