LA-based film and TV studio Happy Accidents has joined forces with Australian production outfits Total Fiction and Screen Invaders to co-produce the highly anticipated new series Gnomes (6×30’). This exciting, twisted genre series has been commissioned by Stan in Australia and picked up by ZDFneo in Germany via production company Network Movie – a subsidiary of ZDF Studios. Happy Accidents is handling international distribution.
GNOMES has been created by award-winning filmmaker Joel Kohn, who runs Screen Invaders. Kohn will also serve as producer alongside Total Fiction executive producers John Molloy (Barons, The Gloaming) and Richard Kelly (The Tailings, Jones Family Christmas). Holly A. Hines (Ginny & Georgia, Fortitude) and Eric Jarboe (Falling for Christmas, The Princess Switch) are Executive Producers for Happy Accidents. The series boasts a stellar creative team, with Australian actors/comedy writers Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven penning the scripts, and Matthias Hoene (Theodosia, Cockneys vs Zombies) attached as setup director.
Described as Gremlins meets Hot Fuzz, GNOMES is a returnable, genre-bending dramedy series that blends laugh-out-loud comedy with spine-tingling horror. Last year, the series was selected at the prestigious Content London Drama Pitch Competition as a top 12 finalist out of over 200 project entries from around the world, and was awarded second place.
The show is set in a fading small-town that finds itself under siege by an army of murderous garden gnomes on the eve of their first annual Gnome-a-Palooza festival. At the heart of the story are two local police officers, Senior Sergeant Arnold Kipps and his ex-partner from the force (and life) Senior Constable Ellie McKay, who has returned to town with the task of shutting down Arnold’s beloved police station. When the town’s gnome population is brought to life by an ancient evil, all hell breaks loose, and Arnold and Ellie must team up with a motley crew of locals to try and save their home from a Gnome-apocalypse.
Production is slated for early 2025, with filming set to take place in Australia, and will feature a mix of practical effects and VFX to bring the gnomes to life.
Holly A. Hines, Executive Producer and Co-CEO of Happy Accidents says “I fell in love with this concept the moment I heard the pitch and the scripts have been just exceptional. Gnomes is a complete gem – wildly imaginative, hilariously offbeat, and unlike anything else in the comedy-drama space. With Paul and Tegan writing, and our wonderful co-producers, we have created a series that truly stands out in the global marketplace.”
Eric Jarboe, Executive Producer and Co-CEO of Happy Accidents says “The enthusiasm from our partners at Stan Australia and ZDFneo is a testament to how universal its appeal truly is, and we can’t wait to introduce this unique adventure to audiences.”
