EXCLUSIVE: In latest weeks, intrigue has been constructing within the UK trade concerning the native remake of French hit Name My Agent! (Dix Pour Cent in France), however solid and plot particulars have been a tightly guarded secret.
At the moment, 4 days earlier than the collection will get underway in central London, we are able to reveal key intel concerning the Bron Studios and Headline Footage adaptation, which heralds from BAFTA-winner John Morton (W1A).
Starring might be Tony-nominated actress Lydia Leonard (Absentia) as Alexa, within the function loosely based mostly on Camille Coton’s character Andréa Martel; Jack Davenport (Pirates Of The Caribbean) will play Jonathan, in a task loosely based mostly on character Mathias Barneville; Maggie Steed (Chewing Gum) might be Stella; Prasanna Puwanarajah (Patrick Melrose) performs Dan; and newcomers Harry Trevaldwyn (The King) might be Ollie and Hiftu Quasem (Killing Eve) will play Misha.
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Additionally starring might be Fola Evans-Akingbola (Siren), Rebecca Humphries (Trigonometry), Tim McInnerny (The Serpent), newcomer Eleanor Arnaud (Nu), and Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent (Iris).
We perceive {that a} host of A-list Brit and U.S. visitor stars have been lined up throughout the collection, which might be made up of eight one hour episodes and shoot till September.
The difference will retain the essence of the French collection (which has discovered world success on Netflix) the place a Parisian expertise company’s staff should scramble to maintain their star purchasers comfortable and their enterprise afloat after the sudden demise of their founder. Nonetheless, the remake will incorporate Morton’s British sensibility and introduce some new storylines.
Exec producer Christian Baute (The Man In The Excessive Citadel), Firm Director for Headline Footage, is well-placed to shepherd the remake as a French and English-speaking movie and TV vet who splits his time between Paris and London.
He advised us: “I first watched the present on TV in France again in 2015 and fell in love with it right away. I instantly thought it could be a slam dunk in English and I went to talk to TF1. Typically individuals assume comedies don’t journey nicely however when there’s the right combination of comedy and drama and a powerful story they completely can journey. The attraction of the present comes lots from its very flawed characters who band collectively as a neighborhood to get issues completed in opposition to the chances. The present finally expresses humanity in a really candy approach.”
The remake’s Anglicisations will embrace a larger give attention to Transatlantic trade relationships, and embrace nods to Brit obsessions reminiscent of the category system.
“John went to talk to UK companies and brokers and this adaptation is impressed by tales he heard, in addition to by books and interviews,” Baute continued.
The tone will stay humorous, we’re advised, regardless of quite a few company indiscretions coming to mild in recent times as a part of the trade’s reckoning with inappropriate behaviour. “Unhealthy behaviour is implicit within the present however not an express storyline”, says Baute. “We see human beings, not solely imply executives. It’s within the background, however not the main target of our story.”
President of Bron Tv David Davoli provides: “There’s a whimsical nature to John’s writing and an authenticity to his characters that’s certain to resonate with audiences world wide. It’s due to John’s writing that we’ve attracted such robust expertise in entrance of and behind the digicam. We’re thrilled to be working with Headline Footage and the implausible crews within the UK to breathe life into a beautiful present.”
Bron is dealing with world gross sales and we hear the Joker and Judas And The Black Messiah financier-producer is near tying up offers in key markets. Curiosity is excessive from streamers and conventional broadcasters.
Morton, whose widespread BBC mockumentary W1A ran for 3 seasons, is writing and directing the primary two episodes and executive-producing.
Different writers on the collection are Bryce Hart, who can also be affiliate producer, Ella Street, Cat Clarke, Abigail Wilson and Keith Akushie, with Tom Williams performing as story editor. Jessica Swale, Sam Leifer, and M.J. Delaney are hooked up to direct later episodes with Baz Irvine on board as director of pictures, Candida Otton on board as manufacturing designer and Rachel Freck casting.
Govt producers are David Davoli, Samantha Thomas, Steven Thibault and Aaron L. Gilbert, for Bron Studios, Christian Baute, Frank Calderon and Laurence Lenica for Headline Footage, and David Tanner from Turbine Studios. Sarah Curtis is producer and Ben Rimmer is co-producer, with Bron’s Emma Fleischer on as supervising producer.
Name My Agent!‘s unique producers Aurélien Bigger and Harold Valentin of Mom Productions and Dominique Besnehard and Michel Feller of Mon Voisin Productions, are additionally govt producers.
Whereas a fifth season of the French unique is within the works, in addition to a characteristic, Baute confirmed to us that there isn’t at the moment a U.S.-set remake on the playing cards.
Bron just lately offered Irish crime drama Kin, additionally produced with Headline, to AMC+. Headline is greatest recognized for co-developing and co-producing Amazon’s The Man In The Excessive Citadel and for films reminiscent of Quartet and The Invisible Lady.