Fox Television Studios & Eyeworks Group Sign Scripted Development Deal

LOS ANGELES: Fox Television Studios has entered into an agreement with Eyeworks Group to jointly develop scripted programming originating from Scandinavian writers.

The two will be developing scripted content for both the U.S. and international markets. Melinda Jason and her company, Conspiracy, with whom Fox Television Studios already has a first-look deal, will serve as executive producer on all projects resulting from the deal.

David Madden, the president of Fox Television Studios, commented, “After our fantastic experience developing and producing The Killing for AMC, which is based on the extremely successful Danish TV series Forbrydelsen, we have had the pleasure of finding projects from the best of Scandinavian literary and television culture. But we didn’t want simply to wait for finished product to come to us—we wanted the opportunity to leap into the trenches with Scandinavian writers, and to develop stories from the ground up whose universal appeal would stem from their origins in the richness of Scandinavia’s unique sensibilities.”


He continued, “This deal offers FTVS access to gifted writers with fresh voices who are outside the traditional realm of Hollywood, and also allows us to work in partnership with Eyeworks from the idea stage, and to produce shows together that serve both U.S. and international audiences.”



Reinout Oerlemans, the founder of Eyeworks, added, “While Eyeworks may be best known to American and international audiences for its breakout reality and factual entertainment unscripted series, the company has been emerging as a force in scripted drama, in both film and television, especially in Europe, and particularly in Spain, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands and Scandinavia. This deal with Fox TV Studios gives Eyeworks in Scandinavia and its talented writers the opportunity to develop for worldwide audiences.”
 
Poa Strömberg, the managing director of Eyeworks Film & TV Drama Scandinavia, said, “This will enable Eyeworks Scandinavia to develop stories based in the Scandinavia tradition but with an international focus and a potential for international productions. I am happy to be able to offer this to the great writers we have in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.”  â€¨