Eleventh Hour & Sony Partner for UFO Drama

Eleventh Hour Films has teamed up with Sony Pictures Television, International Production for Rendlesham, inspired by a real-life UFO incident that took place at a U.S. air base close to the village of Rendlesham, Suffolk, in 1980.

Writer and director Joe Ahearne (The Replacement, The Secret of Crickley Hall, Doctor Who) has signed on to spearhead the show. The original drama draws on reported events across dual timelines—from the time of the sightings in 1980 and looking ahead to 2020, the 40th anniversary.

Ahearne is an executive producer, alongside Eve Gutierrez and Jill Green for Eleventh Hour Films (Safe House, New Blood, Foyle’s War, Collision).

Gutierrez said: “Joe is a master storyteller with a long-standing fascination for science fiction so we were totally thrilled when the Rendlesham story sparked for him. Now working with Sony Pictures Television we are looking forward to bringing this timely, other-worldly story to the global market.”

Wayne Garvie, the president of international production at Sony Pictures Television, added: “The Cold War, Cruise Missiles, UFOs—Joe is taking extraordinary tales and giving them even more compelling twists. As a local lad, I can’t wait to see him bring his vision of Suffolk to the world.”

Ahearne commented: “When Eleventh Hour Films drew my attention to this extraordinary piece of British and American history it pressed all my buttons and I think it will do the same for a wide audience.”