As announced this morning from MIP TV by BBC One, the new seven-part series JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL has found a home on Space. Produced by Cuba Pictures and co-produced by BBC America, in association with Feel Film, Space, Far Moor, and Screen Yorkshire, the series will begin production in late summer.
JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL will be shot in Quebec as well as the U.K., and the series is based on the bestselling novel by Susanna Clarke, with Peter Harness adapting. Toby Haynes (Sherlock, Doctor Who, Wallender) is director, and NickHirschkorn from Feel Films (Five Children And It, Skellig) is producer along with Greg Dummett on behalf of Quebec’s Cité Amérique.
JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL is going into pre-production this month with a world class production team and international co-producers in place, brokered by FAR MOOR MEDIA. The carefully constructed team now in place are:ENDEMOL WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION, BBC AMERICA, Bell Media’s SPACE and SCREEN YORKSHIRE, along with production companies CUBA PICTURES, FEEL FILMS, Quebec’s CITÉ AMÉRIQUE and co-production specialist FAR MOOR. The seven part series for BBC ONE is based on the bestselling novel by Susanna Clarke, set during the Napoleonic Wars in an England where magic once existed and is about to return.
In the growing international industry of high end scripted drama, FAR MOOR have secured the major international co-production team to enable JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL to have the best possible financial grounding for a production worldwide.
Peter Harness (Wallander starring Kenneth Brannagh; Is Anybody There? starring Michael Caine and David Morrissey) is adapting all seven episodes of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL.
Nick Marston CEO of Cuba Pictures says: “The production has now developed into a seven part series and we are delighted that scriptwriter Peter Harness is well on the way to completing all seven hours. He has just delivered episode five and, with Toby Haynes on board to direct, we are in an excellent position to begin pre-production later this month, with production due to start filming in late summer.”
Cathy Payne, Chief Executive of Endemol Worldwide Distribution: “We are delighted to be working on such a strong project. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a fantastic novel with a huge cult following and we really believe that the producers and the talented team that they have assembled have created an extraordinary and fantastical world that will really appeal to our buyers, It’s a hugely exciting prospect for Endemol.”
Justin Thomson-Glover and Patrick Irwin of Far Moor say: “This is a major international production with a wonderful story to tell. It was very important to find the right international partners who all saw the huge potential of the world created by Susanna Clarke and with Endemol, BBC America and Space we are delighted that we all share the same vision on this production. The combination of fantasy and period, adapted by such a talented writer as Peter Harness and to be helmed by the director Toby Haynes, who is at the top of his game, is immensely exciting. It is a major BBC One series and this quality will be reflected in the calibre of cast the mini series will attract.”
Richard De Croce, SVP Programming, BBC America says: “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of our next big series’ for ourSupernatural Saturday block, as Susanna Clarke’s stories transcend borders and are perfect for our US audience. It’s another high end drama for BBC AMERICA and we’re proud to be working with Cuba Pictures and BBC One.”
Catherine MacLeod, Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media says: “We’re delighted to be part of this amazing project. The fact that Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be filming in Canada is an added bonus, and we look forward to bringing this new series to our Space viewers.”
Hugo Heppell, Head of Investments at Screen Yorkshire said: “One of the most iconic moments in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is set in York Minster so it made absolute sense for the Yorkshire Content Fund to invest in such a high-end BBC One drama. The quality of our production partners only supported our decision in ensuring a series so significant to Yorkshire came here for the UK shoot.”
Toby Haynes (Sherlock, Doctor Who, Wallender) directs and Nick Hirschkorn FEEL FILMS (Five Children And It, Skellig) will produce with Greg Dummett, on behalf of Quebec’s CITÉ AMÉRIQUE. Executive producers are: Nick Marston, Tally Garner and Dixie Linder for CUBA PICTURES, ENDEMOL WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION and Justin Thomson-Glover and Patrick Irwin for FAR MOOR. Matthew Read is the Executive Producer for the BBC. JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL is produced by CUBA PICTURES (BAFTA-winning Boy A, Broken) and co-produced by BBC AMERICA, in association with FEEL FILM(Skellig), Bell Media’s SPACE (Orphan Black), FAR MOOR (The Fall) and SCREEN YORKSHIRE.
Filming will take place in the UK including Yorkshire as one of several key filming locations and Canada beginning late summer 2013.
