Boat Rocker Partners for New Psychological Thriller Series

Boat Rocker has partnered with New Zealand’s Great Southern Studios and the U.K.’s Sinner Films to produce The Ridge for BBC Scotland and Sky New Zealand.

The six-parter tells the story of Mia, who flees addiction and leaves a tattered professional life in Scotland. She accepts a wedding invitation from her estranged sister in New Zealand, only to arrive and find her dead. As she juggles grief and a dark attraction to her late sister’s fiancé, Mia uncovers wider tensions tearing apart the rugged mountain community.

The Ridge is created by Nora Chassler and David Murdoch. It is written by Murdoch, Chassler, Alan Campbell and Jess Sayer. The series’ executive producers include Boat Rocker’s Ivan Schneeberg (Beacon 23), David Fortier (Slip), Jon Rutherford (Bet) and Erik Pack (Video Nasty).

The series has funding support from NZ On Air and the NZ Screen Production Rebate.

Production is set to begin in January 2025 in New Zealand. It will be available to audiences on BBC Scotland, BBC iPlayer, SKY Open and Neon later in 2025. Boat Rocker is handling international distribution.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with the wonderful teams at Great Southern Studios and Sinner Films and commissioning partners at BBC Scotland and Sky New Zealand to bring this riveting, character-driven thriller to global audiences,” said executive producer Rutherford, president of global rights, franchise and content strategy at Boat Rocker Studios. “We believe The Ridge holds wide global appeal and are delighted to expand our slate of international scripted co-productions with this compelling project.”

Thomas Robins, head of Sky New Zealand Originals, commented, “We are thrilled to see wonderful creatives from Scotland and New Zealand come together for this fabulous series. We know they are already working hard to produce something exceptional with The Ridge. Sky New Zealand Originals have been looking forward to this special project firing up, and having Boat Rocker join the party is an exciting development for us all. This series is going to make some big waves here in New Zealand that we are sure will reach the rest of the world.”

“The Ridge is a hugely exciting commission for BBC Scotland, and we’re delighted to welcome Boat Rocker on board as international distributor,” added Gavin Smith, commissioning executive for BBC Scotland. “This commission is an example of our ambition to look beyond borders for innovative partnerships that bring high-end scripted content to audiences not just in Scotland but across the world, and we’re excited to see it come to life.”

“We’re delighted to be working with such wonderful international partners on the gripping psychological thriller series The Ridge and are very excited for powerhouse distributor Boat Rocker to have boarded the project,” said David Murdoch, Sinner Films’ CEO, and Cate Calver, Great Southern Studios’ CEO. “Sinner Films and Great Southern Studios are both committed to exploring inventive co-production models to bring global viewers high-quality premium drama.”