Munich, New York – Red Arrow International and Sundance TV announced its partnership on Cleverman, an epic genre drama featuring a superb ensemble cast led by Scottish actor Iain Glen (Game of Thrones), Golden Globe® nominee Frances O’Connor (The Missing), Deborah Mailman (The Sapphires), Hunter Page-Lochard (The Sapphires), Rob Collins (The Lion King) and Stef Dawson (The Hunger Games).
With production set in Sydney, Cleverman (6 x 1 hour) is an epic new genre drama produced by Goalpost Pictures Australia and New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures for ABC TV Australia in co-production with Sundance TV and Red Arrow International, with the assistance of Screen Australia, Screen NSW and the New Zealand Screen Production Grant.
Red Arrow International is distributing the drama worldwide and the show will have its market launch at MIPCOM in October.
“Sundance TV is becoming the U.S. home to some of the most intriguing and interesting television shows from around the world,” said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and Sundance TV. “We’re looking forward to having Cleverman join the Golden Globe® winning ‘Carlos,’ France’s International Emmy® winning ‘The Returned’ and other acclaimed series that U.S. viewers can’t find anywhere else. We were drawn to Cleverman’s originality, character-driven storylines and thought-provoking nature – qualities central to many of Sundance TV’s signature series.”
Henrik Pabst, Managing Director, Red Arrow International, says: “This bold and ambitious project is both hugely original and very timely and relevant in its themes. Sundance TV is the perfect home for the show and we are delighted to be partnering with them to bring Cleverman to US viewers.”
Jan Frouman, CEO of Red Arrow Entertainment Group and Executive Producer on the show, says: “Cleverman has been a thrilling journey from the beginning, and we are delighted to work alongside such great partners as Sundance TV and ABC TV Australia.”
Set in the near future, Cleverman is a smart, sexy and startlingly original drama that sees a group of non-humans battling for survival in a world where humans feel increasingly inferior to them, and want to silence, exploit and kill them. Central to the drama is the story of two estranged Indigenous brothers who are forced together to fight for their own survival. Otherworldly creatures also emerge into this fragile and dangerous place, in this action-packed new series.
Oscar®-winning, world-renowned Weta Workshop (Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, King Kong, Avatar, The Amazing Spider-Man 3, Godzilla), through their association with Pukeko Pictures, together with Jacob Nash (Bangarra Dance Company) are providing the creature design. Park Road Post Production (The Hobbit films) is providing picture, visual effects and sound post production services.
Wayne Blair, director of the Australian box office hit The Sapphires and upcoming film Septembers of Shiraz, is lead director, with acclaimed director, writer, actress and performer Leah Purcell also directing.
Cleverman is based on an original concept by Ryan Griffen. Michael Miller is script producer and writers are Michael Miller and Jon Bell. Producers are Rosemary Blight and Lauren Edwards for Goalpost Pictures, Ryan Griffen, and, for Pukeko Pictures, Angela Littlejohn, with executive producers Sally Riley, Kylie du Fresne, Ben Grant, Martin Baynton, Adam Fratto, Jan David Frouman and Amelie Kienlin.
Also at MIPCOM, Red Arrow International will launch previously announced new dramas including event TV movie Peter & Wendy starring Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games); Season Two of crime drama Bosch (Total: 20 x 1 hour) starring Titus Welliver (Argo); crime series Einstein starring Tom Beck (Alarm for Cobra 11); and TV movie Berlin One from Wiedemann & Berg – the award-winning producers of The Lives of Others.
