Endemol announced a line-up of star talent appearing in Cannes this October for MIPCOM 2014.
Hollywood stars Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Nick Jonas will be making their MIPCOM debut, along with creator, executive producer and show runner Byron Balasco (Detroit 1-8-7). They will be in town to represent Kingdom – a gritty original drama from Endemol Studios about family, loyalty, ambition, glory, lust and betrayal.
Also appearing as guests of Endemol are award winning British actors Eddie Marsan (Best of Men, Ray Donovan) and Bertie Carvel (Restless, Hidden) who take on the magical roles of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Based on the best-selling novel by Susanna Clarke, the series has been adapted by Peter Harness (Wallander, Is Anybody There?), directed by Toby Haynes (The Musketeers, Doctor Who) and produced by Nick Hirschkorn (Five Children And It) who will also represent the series at the market. Set at the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England’s history as they join forces to fight the Napoleonic Wars against France.
Cathy Payne, CEO of Endemol Worldwide Distribution, said, “It’s a terrific honour to have this calibre of talent in Cannes representing such highly-anticipated new shows. We’ve got a fantastically varied line up this MIPCOM, headlined by the epic 19th century story of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell alongside the hard hitting contemporary drama of Kingdom.”
Kingdom is a visceral family saga that takes place in Venice, California and is set against the backdrop of the renegade subculture of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). It is a world rife with complex characters and relationships that unfurl in surprising and deeply human ways.
The Kingdom cast stars Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Homefront; Warrior) as Alvey Kulina, a Mixed Martial Arts legend and owner of Navy St. MMA gym based in Venice, CA; Kiele Sanchez (The Glades; Lost) as Lisa Prince, Alvey’s girlfriend; Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) as Ryan Wheeler, the world-class athlete who had it all, including Lisa Prince, until his spiralling drug addiction landed him in prison; Jonathan Tucker (Parenthood) as Jay Kulina, Alvey’s eldest son; Nick Jonas as Nate Kulina, Alvey’s youngest son and the prized fighter at the gym, and Joanna Going (House of Cards; Mad Men) as Christina Kulina, Alvey’s estranged wife and mother of Jay and Nate.
Kingdom is an Endemol Studios production for DirectTV launching in October.
In Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, the reclusive Mr Norrell (Marsan) of Hurtfew Abbey stuns the city of York when he causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. With a little persuasion and help from his man of business Childermass, he goes to London to help the government in the war against Napoleon. It is there Norrell summons a fairy to bring Lady Pole back from the dead, opening a whole can of worms.
Jonathan Strange (Carvel) is charming, rich and arrogant. Whilst trying to secure his beloved Arabella’s hand in marriage, he meets the magician of Threadneedle Street, Vinculus, who tells him he is destined to be a great magician. A shaken and disturbed Strange initially dismisses the claims, but intrigue overcomes and in an attempt to find his occupation, he tries to practise magic. It also stars Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa, Beautiful Creatures), Marc Warren (Hustle, Mad Dogs), Samuel West (Mr Selfridge, Fleming), Charlotte Riley (Wuthering Heights, Easy Virtue), Enzo Cilenti (Prisoners Wives, Rome) and Paul Kaye (Game Of Thrones, Stella).
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is a Cuba Pictures production in association with Feel Films for BBC in association with Far Moor Productions and Screen Yorkshire with Endemol Worldwide Distribution, Ingenious, AdLib productions, BBC America, Bell Media, The Rogers Fund, Quebec RTF and Canada RTF. The series is a UK-Canada production.
