Muse Entertainment and Gaumont have begun filming a back-door pilot for the series Jack of Diamonds, a dramatic caper about a notorious jewel thief and a young tennis pro who join forces to help those cheated by a corrupt insurance company. Jean-Yves Berteloot (The Da Vinci Code, March of Millions) stars as Scallie, an elegant French master thief who elevates burglary to an art form. John Bregar (Family Biz, Taking A Chance on Love) plays Campbell, his apprentice in crime. Rounding out the cast are Sarah Smyth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Covenant) as Campbell’s love interest Lane, newcomer Charlotte Legault as Campbell’s sister Shaylen and Susie Almgren (Affliction, An American Haunting) as Campbell’s mother Grace. The series pilot is being produced for Canwest Global and France 2 (France Television) and will be distributed in Germany and internationally by ZDF Enterprises.
Director Hervé Renoh (Coursier, Requiem) says that “Jack of Diamonds will be cinematic in scope and depth, like a feature film, but with the fast pace and rhythm of a modern TV show. Peter Hume’s writing has the richness, characters’ complexity and plot twists of a feature film yet retains the fluidity and clarity of episodic television. With large TV screens and home cinema sound systems, audiences have grown to expect images and entertainment found in the best feature films – even in a TV pilot.”
Writer/Showrunner/Executive Producer Peter Hume (Charmed, Flash Gordon) says that, “Jack of Diamonds is the kind of fun, action filled adventure I’ve always loved. It’s got laughs, a few heartbreaking moments and lots of thrills. With the incredible Jean-Yves Berteloot and John Bregar as our leads, we’ve found the perfect talent to bring the series to life.”
Producer Jesse Prupas (I Me Wed, Mind Over Murder) says Muse Entertainment was drawn to the project because of its international appeal and its fabulous characters. “Jack of Diamonds stole my heart,” he says. “I just love the concept of thieves romping through private clubs and mansions stealing from the wealthy -doing bad things for all the right reasons.” Prupas adds: “The opportunity to work on international co-production of this calibre with our fantastic partners at Gaumont has been really rewarding and will hopefully lead to much future collaboration.”
Executive Producer Christian Davin of Gaumont (founder of Alphanim, the leading French production company in animation for television and cinema, now 100% Gaumont affiliate) says, “I loved the concept at once as a comedy thriller and as a tale about how to be good even when acting badly in a challenging and paradoxical world. It is a fantastic opportunity for Gaumont and Muse Entertainment to share an ambitious project of international reach with strong series’ potential and pursue this fruitful collaboration into other projects. This production is a chance for France 2 to innovate with the broadcasting of a prime time drama shot in English with very significant and well balanced French content.”
The director of photography is Michel. St. Martin (Prom Wars), the Production Designer is Donna Noonan (Durham County) and Costume Designer is Chattoune Bourrec (Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky). The Executive Producers are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, The Pillars of the Earth), Joel Rice (Secrets of the Mountain, Taking a Chance on Love) and Christian Davin (1200 hours of international kids TV programs). The film is shooting in Montreal until the end of September.
