Pulse Films Preps Narco Terrorism Drama Atomic Bazaar

Pulse Films has teamed up with writer Gregory Burke (’71, Entebbe) for the scripted drama series Atomic Bazaar (working title).

The project will be co-developed and co-financed by First Look Media’s Topic Studios. The series is inspired by the non-fiction book The Atomic Bazaar by Vanity Fair journalist William Langewiesche. It brings together high-stakes tension and jeopardy via the worlds of narco-tracking, espionage and terrorism.

The 10×1-hour series follows Pulse’s recent Gangs of London (Sky Atlantic, HBO/Cinemax), a new drama helmed by Gareth Evans (The Raid franchise, Apostle) as showrunner, co-writing and directing with his long-time collaborator Matt Flannery (The Raid franchise, Merantau).

Burke said: “I am very excited to work with Pulse Films and create a series which examines the ultimate nightmare for the West’s security forces. Our characters will lead the audience into a parallel world where terrorists, traffickers and our governments operate beyond any laws, national or international, and where no one knows which side anyone is truly on.”

Thomas Benski, CEO of Pulse Films, said: “Atomic Bazaar (w/t) is a powerfully written, high-octane and complex series told through Greg’s narrative. As a studio we are very excited to embark on this journey with him—a partnership that affirms our commitment to find unique stories and match them to the best talent—and one that lays down a marker for the type of scripted drama projects to come from our in-house team.”

Lucas Ochoa, managing director of film and scripted TV at Pulse Films, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with First Look’s Topic Studios again and collaborating so closely with Greg Burke on such a thrilling series. Built from years of extensive original research, and the award-winning investigative reporting of Vanity Fair journalist William Langewiesche, Atomic Bazaar marks another significant step forward for our scripted TV slate and Pulse’s commitment to producing powerful stories for global audiences.”

Adam Pincus, the executive VP of programming and content at First Look Media, said: “We’re so glad to be working with Pulse on another urgent and provocative project, and thrilled that Greg’s come aboard to create it. This series is a natural fit with the kinds of film and TV we’re making at Topic—powerful filmmaker-driven stories that have something meaningful to say about the world we live in.”