EXCLUSIVE: Tully producer Bron Studios has teamed up with Studiocanal’s Tandem Productions on a global television thriller created by The Bridge co-creator Måns Mårlind.
The two companies are co-producing gritty, eight-part series Shadow Play for a slew of European broadcasters including France’s Canal+, Scandinavian digital platform Viaplay, Canal+ in Poland and Dutch public broadcaster NPO.
The character-driven period thriller is set in Berlin and centres on the story of Max McLaughlin, an American cop who arrives in the city in the summer of 1946 to help create a police force in the chaotic aftermath of the war. Max’s goal is to take down “Englemacher” Gladow, the Al Capone of post-war Berlin. At the same time, Max undertakes a secret crusade to find his missing brother, who is killing ex-Nazis in hiding. However, Max is completely unaware that he is being used as a pawn in what is the very beginning of the Cold War.
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Casting is underway and shooting on Shadow Play is set to commence in Spring 2019. Mårlind, who also created Midnight Sun and directed Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld Awakening, will write all eight episodes and will direct four episodes alongside his directing partner Björn Stein. Mårlind will exec produce alongside Rola Bauer (The Pillars of the Earth), Jonas Bauer (Spotless), Tim Halkin (World Without End), Jim Gillespie (I Know What You Did Last Summer), and Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert, Steven Thibault and David Davoli.
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The Studiocanal-distributed show marks Bron Studios’ first major move into international TV drama. The company is behind Sam Levinson’s forthcoming feature Assassination Nation and Hugh Jackman’s The Front Runner. It recently struck a development with former HBO executive Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res.
Marlind is represented by Zero Gravity Management.
Rola Bauer, Managing Director and Partner Studiocanal TV said, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Bron Studios, who also embrace this vivid and thought-provoking drama from the talented Måns Mårlind. To have such a wealth of partners from key markets onboard now is testament to Shadow Play’s huge potential to become a major returning series on the international stage.”
Aaron L. Gilbert, Founder of Bron Studios, added, “We could not be more excited to partner with the extraordinary team at Tandem Productions and to continue our work with exceptional filmmakers in television by joining master storyteller Måns Mårlind, whose ability to create intense and edge-of-your-seat thrilling series is second to none. With such an incredible line-up of creators and international partners we are sure that Shadow Play will deliver premium television that will truly resonate across the world.”
Simone Emmelius, ZDF Senior Vice President Feature Films said, “What connects us with Måns Mårlind are the years of collaboration with The Bridge. We’re thrilled to have our next creative adventure with him on Shadow Play. Behind him stands a great production unit, consisting of the Munich-based Tandem Productions and the Canadian production company Bron Studios – a special constellation for special material.”