Fremantle Inks Deal with Canada’s CBC for Butterfly

Fremantle has sold the family drama series Butterfly to Canada’s national public broadcaster, CBC.

The miniseries will launch on CBC in late winter 2019. The drama follows the story of an 11-year-old boy who makes the decision of wanting to live life as a girl. The three-parter was created and penned by Tony Marchant and stars International Emmy Award-winning actress Anna Friel (Marcella, Broken).

Butterfly was originally commissioned by ITV and produced by RED Production Company and AENON.

Michela Di Mondo, senior VP of distribution for Canada, International, at Fremantle, said: “Butterfly is an incredibly raw and emotive drama that tackles the difficult issues surrounding gender dysphoria. We are proud to be partnering with CBC to bring the drama to Canada and are confident viewers will be moved by the standout story and the powerful performances from the outstanding cast.”

Jenna Bourdeau, senior director of acquisitions at CBC, said: “With its nuanced approach to such a timely and intimate story, Butterfly is a wonderful example of the type of best-in-class international content that CBC is seeking in its acquisitions. We are proud to share this relevant drama with our audiences.”