Paramount+ Unveils New Slate of U.K. Originals

Paramount+ has revealed a slew of new U.K. originals ahead of its launch in the country this summer, including two adaptations of thriller novels.

The Ex-Wife, based on the novel of the same name by Jess Ryder, sees a woman’s perfect life turned upside down when her husband’s ex-wife refuses to leave her family alone. Céline Buckens (Showtrial) is set to star in the lead role.

The Ex-Wife is co-produced by Clapperboard Studios, BlackBox Multimedia and Night Train Media, with Night Train Media financing and handling worldwide distribution rights. The adaptation is written by Catherine Steadman, who will also serve as executive producer alongside Mike Benson for Clapperboard; Giuliano Papadia and Chiara Cardoso for BlackBox Multimedia; Olivia Pahl and Herbert Kloiber for Night Train Media; and Ryder.

The drama The Burning Girls is also on the slate. Based on CJ Tudor’s novel, The Burning Girls centers on Chapel Croft, a village haunted by a dark history. Five hundred years prior, protestant martyrs were betrayed and burned at the stake, including two young girls. Only thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. When a female vicar and her daughter arrive with the hopes of a fresh start, they find anything but peace.

The Burning Girls adaptation is produced by Buccaneer Media (Marcella, Whitstable Pearl) in association with VIS. Richard Tulk-Hart, Tony Wood, CJ Tudor and Hans Rosenfeldt (Marcella, The Bridge) serve as executive producers. Rosenfeldt also serves as the lead writer, with Camilla Ahlgren (The Bridge) part of the writing team.

Paramount+ has greenlit a number of unscripted titles as well, including LA Hairdressers (w.t.), Fashion House (w.t.), Pervert: Catching the Strip Search Caller (w.t.) and Girl, Taken (w.t.).