Around the World in 80 Days Set for Canneseries

The fourth edition of Canneseries, which returns to Cannes from October 8 to 13, will feature the world premiere of Around the World in 80 Days, starring David Tennant (Des, Good Omens).

Adapted by Ashley Pharoah (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) and Caleb Ranson (Child of Mine, Heartless) from the famous novel by Jules Verne, the series tells the story of the race around the world of an English gentleman, Phileas Fogg, who bets to do so in 80 days. Joined by his valet, Jean Passepartout, and a journalist, Abigail Fix, he will live incredible adventures during an extraordinary journey occurring in the 19th century.

The new adaptation is co-produced by Slim Film + Television and Federation Entertainment for France Télévisions, ZDF, Rai (the European Alliance) as well as BBC, Masterpiece PBS and Seven West Media in Australia, among others. The series has been acquired by BBC in the U.K. and RTS in Switzerland. Federation will handle distribution rights to the series.

Albin Lewi, artistic director of Canneseries, said: “We are happy to announce the world premiere screening, in association with MIPCOM, of this highly awaited series, which allows us to encounter the amazing world of Jules Verne again and to dive again into these adventures full of twists. We are especially delighted that the first series we announced is the result of a co-production between France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Australia, South Africa, Belgium and Switzerland. For an international festival like Canneseries, these international collaborations are crucial. We wait with great impatience to travel Around the World in 80 Days on the big screen of the Lumière Theater of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès of Cannes.”

Lucy Smith, director of MIPCOM, added: “We are thrilled to be returning to the Palais des Festivals for Canneseries and bringing together the distribution and production communities for this first major reunion of the international television industry. We could not ask for a better opening to the market than the premiere of Around the World in 80 Days, a hotly anticipated new series and major European co-production.”