The distributor has closed the first international deal for O3 Medya’s new period drama, starring Pınar Deniz and Selahattin Paşalı, ahead of filming in November.
Eccho Rights has announced the first international presale for The Hatmaker (Şapkacı Kadınlar), O3 Medya’s upcoming period drama. MBC Group has acquired the series for its streaming platform Shahid and its linear channels across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The deal was concluded on the opening day of Mipcom in Cannes, ahead of the series’ scheduled production start in November.
“Having MBC secure The Hatmaker just as we opened our stand in Cannes says a great deal about the appetite for this series,” said Handan Özkubat, Director of Turkish Drama at Eccho Rights. The executive highlighted the company’s longstanding relationship with MBC Group, as well as the appeal of Ayşe’s story and the star power of Pınar Deniz and Selahattin Paşalı.
Saner Ayar, Founder and Managing Partner at O3 Medya, said that securing a commitment from buyers before production begins represents a vote of confidence in the story, cast and creative team. He also welcomed the strong start to the series’ international sales campaign alongside Eccho Rights.
Created and written by Necati Şahin, directed by Ömür Atay and produced by Suzan Sümeli for O3 Medya, The Hatmaker will comprise 60 episodes of 45 minutes each. The series is available to international buyers both as a finished drama and as a scripted format.
Set in the early 1920s, during a period of profound transformation in Türkiye, the drama follows Ayşe, whose family life is shattered by a brutal attack before her husband, Rıza, abandons her. Five years later, financial hardship forces her to move to İzmir with her children, sister and mother-in-law.
In a city still marked by the aftermath of the Great Fire, Ayşe meets an elderly woman who introduces her to the craft of hatmaking. The opportunity allows her to build an independent livelihood while creating new employment opportunities for other women. However, her new beginning also brings her face to face with Rıza, who has since married into one of the city’s most powerful families and now stands as a threat to the independence she is determined to achieve.
Eccho Rights is presenting the title to international buyers throughout Mipcom, which runs from October 12–15 in Cannes.
