About two years ago, the UK’s Left Bank Pictures partnered with China International Television Corporation (CiTVC) in a co-development deal for high-end English-language drama intended for both the Chinese and international market. Now comes Origin, a sci-fi thriller from Left Bank and Midnight Radio in association with CiTVC and Sony Pictures Television International Production. The 10-episode series will hit YouTube Red in 2018.
Origin finds a group of strangers stranded on a spacecraft bound for a distant planet. The abandoned passengers must work together for survival, but quickly realize that one of them is far from who they claim to be.
Created, written and exec produced by Mika Watkins, Origin will also be exec produced by Andy Harries, Rob Bullock, and Suzanne Mackie from Left Bank along with Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg from Midnight Radio. Origin is a Left Bank/CiTVC co-production in association with SPTIP.
“We are excited to be in business with the legendary producers at Left Bank Pictures and Midnight Radio, and talented new writer, Mika Watkins,” says YouTube Global Head of Original Content, Susanne Daniels. “Sci-fi and action adventure are huge on YouTube, and our audience will be intrigued by the unexpected plot twists and turns in this bold, studio-quality thriller.”
“This is a tremendously exciting project, a truly global project that brings together partners from the U.S., UK and China to create a unique and thrilling space drama,” adds Wayne Garvie, President, International Production, Sony Pictures Television.
Sony Pictures Television acquired a majority stake in Left Bank in 2012. Credits include the hit Netflix drama The Crown as well as Wallander, Outlander and Strike Back. Midnight Radio was founded in 2014 and has the upcoming Netflix series Everything Sucks! premiering in early 2018. The company’s Knightfall debuts on History in December. The founders’ feature writing credits include Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Sony’s Jumanji reboot and Marvel’s Venom.
YouTube Red is currently available in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Korea.
CiTVC is a subsidiary of China’s state-owned CCTV which has a network of 45 channels available to more than 1B viewers. Watkins is repped by Curtis Brown and Grandview.
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