HBO Europe Alums Set Up Romanian Production Company

Former HBO Europe executives Ioanina Pavel and Johnathan Young have launched the production company May One to produce premium TV dramas in Romania for local and international audiences.

Based in Bucharest, the company will develop, produce and provide creative partnership for quality series shot in Romania, discover new writers and ideas within the country and invite collaborations from across Europe and beyond. Its first commission, the original Netflix series Subteran, is currently shooting.

Subteran, first announced in October last year, is being produced alongside Tudor Reu (Mobra Films).

Young and Pavel both have many years of experience developing and producing dramas in Romania and Central Europe. At HBO Europe, Young served as VP of original production and oversaw HBO’s slate of original local-language series in the region. His executive producer credits include the Polish series Wataha (The Pack), the Romanian-German co-production Hackerville and, most recently, the Cold War spy drama Spy/Master.

Pavel began as a development executive at HBO Romania, working on the Romanian gangster drama Umbre (Shadows) and Hackerville, before going on to produce a variety of series, including the romantic drama RUXX, the reality contest One True Singer and Spy/Master.

“Romania is a hotbed for creativity, and the country provides an enticing and fascinating backdrop for TV,” Young said. “With our knowledge and network in this vibrant, exciting space, we want to be a hub for local talent to attract collaborations and create high-quality drama that brings a different flavor to international audiences.”

Pavel added, “Here in Romania, we have ideas that won’t be found anywhere else—and the creative talent to back them up. Our aim is to elevate these for local and global audiences, tapping into our unique vision and landscape to create bold genre shows that feel unique and distinctive but have broad appeal.”