Streaming service Topic has announced its acquisition of four Euro TV thriller series from Newen Connect for the US and Canada.
North American streaming service Topic and Newen Connect, the distribution arm of Newen Studios, have finalized a deal for Topic to acquire the exclusive US and Canada rights to four hit European series, which will further bolster the service’s international crime and suspense offerings.
The four titles in the first-ever deal between the two companies include the Italian series Christian, the Swedish series Dough, the Dutch series The Spectacular, and the Danish series White Sands.
Said Jennifer Liang, Vice President, Programming Strategy, Acquisitions & Sales, Topic:
“Our subscribers come to Topic for truly unique, well-crafted crime stories not found anywhere else. These four critically acclaimed series reinforce our goal to curate and deliver the best crime-themed offerings worldwide, and we’re thrilled we get to partner with Newen Connect to deliver them to our viewers.”
Commented Leona Connell, EVP Distribution, Newen Connect:
“With these four hit series, Topic has acquired some of the best thrillers from our slate. These series represent what Newen Connect does so well, distribute strong series from across Europe, each one presenting innovative and gripping storytelling. Topic is the perfect platform to bring these unique series to North America.
Details about the four series, all of which will be exclusive to Topic in the US and Canada when they premiere here, are as follows:
Christian (Italy)
Christian is a six-episode thriller that follows a man who apparently has the power of curing people with his hands.
A resident of a crime-ridden neighborhood on the outskirts of Rome, Christian earns his living doing dirty work for Lino, the local crime boss. When stigmata appear on Christian’s hands, he finds it physically impossible to carry out his duties. But he also discovers that he has gained mysterious healing powers which, if used in the right way, would allow him to finally achieve a better life. With the help of Rachele, a drug-addict neighbor whom he saved from a fatal overdose with his new abilities, Christian prepares for a fight with Lino. At the same time, though, Christian is being tracked down by Matteo, a mysterious Vatican postulator in search of signs and confirmation of a miracle that changed his own life as a child — bringing him too close to a truth that could upset his life and that of the whole world.
The cast includes Edoardo Pesce (The Hunter, Romanzo Criminale) as Christian, Giordano De Plano (The Trial, Anti-Mafia Squad) as Lino, Silvia D’Amico (The Man Without Gravity) as Rachele, and Claudio Santamaria (Forgive Us Our Debts) as Matteo.
A production of Sky Italia and Lucky Red, Christian is directed by Stefano Lodovichi and Roberto “Saku” Cinardo.
Dough (Deg) (Sweden)
Crime drama Dough follows Malou, a divorced, financially-strained mother in a Stockholm suburb, who starts leading a double life when she accidentally finds five million euros from a failed robbery. Clueless about how to launder money, she buys a failing bakery and unwittingly hires the robber’s ex-wife, Liana, who has no idea that the money from the robbery that imprisoned her ex is now in her new boss’s hands. When Liana unwillingly gets involved in the hunt for the missing money, the two women’s paths cross.
The eight-episode series stars Helena Af Sandeberg (Alex, Quicksand) as Malou and Bianca Kronlöf (Thin Ice, Young & Promising) as Liana.
Commissioned by Swedish broadcaster SVT, Dough is produced by Lisa Berggren Eyre and Martin Söder of Nexiko, and Inland Films. The directors are Levan Akin, Mattias J. Skoglund, and Måns Månsson.
The Spectacular (Netherlands)
Based on a true story, the 1980s-set The Spectacular follows Jeanine Maes, an academic recruited to be the team leader for the criminal investigation into violent IRA attacks on British soldiers stationed in the Dutch region of Limburg. Jeanine’s hunt soon brings her face-to-face with her main suspect, the ruthless and highly-dangerous Fiona Hughes — the only female member of the IRA cell responsible for the attacks.
Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, British security service MI5 coerces IRA volunteer Patrick Lynch to infiltrate the inner circle of legendary bomber Declan Moore, who, encouraged by his older brother-in-arms Corey O’Keefe, is soon expected to lead a cell in Mainland Europe. Will Jeanine risk disrupting the peace process between Britain and Northern Ireland with her obsessive pursuit of Fiona? And will Declan’s rift with Corey mean it’s down to him to show that the IRA are still as powerful as they were ten years ago?
The multilingual four-part miniseries stars Hadewych Minis (Van der Valk) as Jeanine Maes, Aoibhinn McGinnity (Love/Hate) as Fiona Hughes, Kerr Logan (C.B. Strike) as Patrick Lynch, Declan Conlon (The Tudors) as Declan Moore, and Ian Beattie (Game of Thrones) as Corey O’Keefe.
A winner at the Nederlands Film Festival, The Spectacular, a production of Pupkin, is directed by Willem Bosch and Pieter Kuijpers.
White Sands (Hvide Sande) (Denmark)
In the “beach noir” crime drama White Sands, a young German man is murdered in a Danish seaside town, but the German authorities are not satisfied with the Danish investigation. So they send Danish undercover cop Helene Falck and Danish-German homicide detective Thomas Beckmann to the tourist paradise of Hvide Sande to conduct their own undercover investigation — while posing as a married couple. But the two quickly realize that being credible in the roles of husband and wife isn’t easy when you’re used to being alone.
The eight-episode series stars Marie Bach Hansen (The Team, The Legacy) as Helene Falck and Carsten Bjørnlund (Rita, The Killing) as Thomas Beckmann.
Nominated for a Danish Film Award and two Zulu Awards, White Sands is produced by Deluca Films and TV 2, and directed by Tilde Harkamp.
Stay tuned for updates about these titles’ premieres in the US and Canada.
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