Market In Focus: The Drama Sequels, Prequels, Originals & Remakes To Look Out For At MIA’s Greenlit Showcase

Greenlit is the international series showcase at MIA and a spot where juicy new titles are seen, often for the first time. The seven-strong lineup spans big-ticket sequels and prequels – step forward Italian giants Gomorrah and The Law According to Lidia Poët – new originals, adaptations and remakes.

Each project is presented on MIA’s main stage by its producers, commissioners or talent. Gomorrah – The Origins is sure to grab attention. From Sky Studios and Cattleya and for Sky Italia, it was created by Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, and tells the story of Pietro Savastano, from a boy the street who rises up the ranks to become the most important crime boss in Naples. Sandokan is a remake of the cult Italian pirate series produced by Lux Vide and Rai for the Italian pubcaster. Turkish star Can Yaman leads the cast, which also includes Ed Westwick and John Hannah.

Here’s the low down on the other highlights, with the thoughts of the people behind the shows talking to Deadline before they head to Rome and take the MIA Greenlit stage.

Reykjavik Fusion (Iceland): “Part Breaking Bad and part The Bear”

Reykjavik Fusion is the first show from Act4, the Icelandic drama prodco formed by creatives including True Detective actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and Hordur Runarsson (Black Sands). The latter co-created the show with Birkir Blær Ingolfsson. It follows a talented chef who is wrongfully imprisoned. He attempts to clear his name and win back his family as society turns its back on the ex-con, but he is presented with a dilemma that might mean his last resort is to commit his first crime.

Wild Sheep Content, the outfit run by former Netflix exec Erik Barmack, co-produces and is across distribution. “We feel like this show, which is part Breaking Bad and part The Bear, will be differentiated from more traditional crime dramas from Scandinavia,” Barmack told Deadline.

He added: “The writing and directing all speaks to premium, global television. With a global cast attached, we feel like it can be more international in scope, and the Greenlit showcase at MIA Market is the perfect place to show this.” Co-pro partners in Western Europe are expected to be announced soon for the show, which is for Iceland’s Sìminn and ARTE.

The Law According to Lidia Poët 2 (Italy): “A light tone to talk about important themes”

A second season of Netflix’s most-watched Italian Original, The Law According to Lidia Poët, continues the story of the woman who became Italy’s first-ever female lawyer. The period drama is inspired by real events and stars Matilda De Angelis in the title role. Season 2 drops on Netflix in late Oct. The series is produced by Matteo Rovere’s Banijay-backed-prodco Groenlandia.

“This character impressed us from the very first moment,” says Sara Polese, Manager, Series Netflix Italy. “The Law according to Lidia Poët is a high production value show that reinvents classic genres from our local TV and film culture in a modern and unexpected way.” She adds the “second season will continue to entertain and thrill our audience by using a light tone to talk about important themes such as prejudice and female empowerment.”

Rovere produces and directs episodes. He said the historical drama has a present-day resonance and presented something new for domestic viewers. “It has been conceived, written and planned to exploit the full potential of the historical narrative, thus allowing us to bring out all the strongest elements that belong to the present time, from themes to characters, from geographical contexts to cultural horizons,” he says. “The mixture was new to our home Italian market, but also gave us the opportunity to look further afield.”

Henki (Norway): “A young person, standing at the crossroads of life and love”

Henki tells the true story of Henki Hauge Karlsen, a 28-year-old gay bartender, who’s fired after disclosing his HIV-illness to his employer. The backdrop is 1980s Oslo and Henki becomes the face of what some cruelly labelled ‘the gay plague’. The drama follows Henki as he fights for his job, for future generations and for his dignity. Klynge AS and Scanbox Productions are on production duty for Norwegian pubcaster NRK.

“It masterfully blends the tension of a courtroom drama with the emotional journey of a young person, standing at the crossroads of life and love, who faces a death sentence,” says Marianne Furevold-Boland, Head of Drama at NRK. “The creative team is an impressive mix of two of Norway’s most seasoned writers for broad audiences, Jan Trygve Røyneland and Harald Rosenløw Eeg, along with the young and talented director, Erika Calmeyer.”

Speaking about the MIA slot, Furevold-Boland added: “Greenlit offers a bouquet of diverse and high-quality projects, carefully selected by seasoned TV drama professionals, and being part of this line up is both a joy and an honor.”

One Hundred and Thirteen (Germany): “It starts with a huge visual event”

A single catastrophic event can tear through scores of lives. In this instance the event is a vehicle pile-up in a city center and the One Hundred and Thirteen of the title alludes to the number of people affected, from victims’ families and first responders to bystanders. Their interlinked stories are told across the six-episode drama.

“It starts with a huge visual event and then layers throughout the police investigation with the personal storylines of those surrounding the crash and the victims,” explains Mortitz Polter whose ITV Studios-backed Windlight Pictures produces. “It’s a fabulous crime mystery, cleverly unveiling and revealing new parts of the story weekly and surrounding the investigation with a wonderful cast of characters whose stories are linked to the catastrophe.”

Ahead of the trip to Rome he added: “It provides us with an invaluable platform, helping us bridge cultural gaps and connect with global partners who recognize the universal appeal of our story and its themes. One Hundred and Thirteen has the potential to resonate far beyond German-speaking regions.”

Winter Palace (Switzerland): “Cast and crew came from Europe and the US to shoot in the Swiss Alps”

Winter Palace will be Netflix’s first Swiss Original. Local pubcaster RTS partnered with the streamer for the series, which is set in the Swiss Alps in 1899. It recounts the story of André Morel, an ambitious hotelier with a vision for a five star hotel that opens throughout the winter season.

Point Productions, Oble and RTS share production credits and while ostensibly Swiss, the show has international auspices. “It has been an incredible co-production adventure,” Oble’s Lydia Kali and Jean-Marc Frohle from Point Production told Deadline in a statement. The idea was born in Geneva (Point Prod.), developed and written in London (by Lindsay Shapero), then co-developed in Paris (Oble) and Zurich (with Pierre Monnard the director). The cast and crew come from all over Europe and even the U.S. to shoot in the beautiful Swiss Alps. It also is the first collaboration between the public broadcaster RTS and Netflix. All of these different influences make Winter Palace a unique show.”

The series is the only Swiss offering in the Greenlit lineup and drama from the country has not historically has a huge profile. “Being part of the showcase with Winter Palace is proof that, with the help of partners such as MIA, we can move mountains and produce ambitious stories for worldwide audiences,” the producers said.