The drama was acquired by HBO (CEE, Nordics and Portugal), ABC and Stan in Australia, KT Hitel in Korea, TVNZ, NPO (Netherlands), Magenta TV (Germany) Intervision (Greece and Cyprus), Kinopoisk (Russia and the CIS), Siminn hf (Iceland) and Telefónica (Spain).
Leading independent distributor all3media international has secured a range of pre-sales for The Forge’s upcoming political thriller Roadkill, signing deals in key territories. Starring Hugh Laurie and Helen McCrory, Roadkill is premiering as part of Mipcom’s online screenings programme.
Commissioned by BBC One with Masterpiece in the USA – and set to premiere in the UK on Sunday 18th October, Roadkill has been signed by HBO in a pan-territory deal covering the CEE region, Nordics and Portugal.
In Australia, ABC has picked up first window TV rights with ABC Commercial taking home entertainment, while Stan has acquired second window SVOD rights for their platform. KT Hitel has picked up the title in Korea.
Further pre-sales have been concluded with TVNZ taking first window in New Zealand, NPO (Netherlands), Magenta TV (Germany) Intervision (Greece and Cyprus), Kinopoisk (Russia and the CIS), Siminn hf (Iceland), Telefónica (Spain) and home entertainment rights go to Dazzler Media for the UK and Eire.
These deals add to all3media internationals previously announced co-production pact with PBS Masterpiece which will see Roadkill airing on WGBH in the US and PBS in Canada.
Four-part drama Roadkill stars Hugh Laurie (House) as Peter Laurence – a self-made, forceful and charismatic politician whose public and private life seems to be falling apart – alongside Helen McCrory (Peaky Blinders) as acerbic Prime Minister Dawn Ellison.
Produced by George Faber’s UK-based independent The Forge (National Treasure, Ackley Bridge, Collateral), Roadkill is written by David Hare (Collateral) and directed by Michael Keillor (Chimerica). The cast also features Pippa Bennett-Warner (Gangs of London), Saskia Reeves (Collateral), Sarah Greene (Normal People), Olivia Vinall (The Woman in White), Shalom Brune-Franklin (The State), Iain De Caestecker (Overlord), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Intelligence) and Sidse Babett Knudsen (The Accident).
Maartje Horchner, EVP Content at all3media international, commented: “The Forge has built an incredible reputation for delivering original and innovative premium drama. Ackley Bridge, Dark Money and then the Jack Thorne trilogy, commencing with National Treasure, Roadkill is the latest in this success story, and we’re very pleased to see so many international broadcasters already onboard as the drama debuts officially with its MIPCOM premiere status. Its stellar ensemble cast and a gripping fictional storyline, set amid the ever-shifting dynamics of 21st-century politics, make Roadkill one of this year’s must-see contemporary thrillers.”
Roadkill centres on Peter Laurence, a political outsider with ambition. Fresh from a successful libel case against a newspaper alleging corruption, he’s a man on the up. Ever-present in the public eye, his devil-may-care attitude and loose tongue have earned him a groundswell of popularity. He’s due a promotion to the top tier, so long as there are no more unpleasant surprises. Peter, however, has a closet brimming with skeletons and plenty of enemies.
As personal revelations begin to spiral, Peter’s life seems to be falling apart – or is rather being picked apart by his enemies. Shamelessly untroubled by guilt or remorse, Peter expertly walks a high wire between glory and catastrophe, seeking to further his own agenda while others plot to bring him down. However, events soon prove how hard it is, for both an individual and a country, to leave the past behind. With enemies so close to home, can Peter ever out-run his own secrets to win the ultimate prize?
