Quebecor Content Acquires Designated Survivor

MONTREAL: Quebecor Content has secured the French-language rights for the new Kiefer Sutherland-led drama series Designated Survivor from Les Films Séville, a subsidiary of Entertainment One (eOne).

Designated Survivor will broadcast on Club Illico and on one of TVA Group’s channels. Sutherland stars as a lower-level cabinet member who is unexpectedly appointed as President of the U.S. after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union Address leaves everyone above him in the line of succession dead.

The series was created by executive producer David Guggenheim and is produced by The Mark Gordon Company and ABC Studios. It is distributed internationally by eOne, which also holds an equity stake in The Mark Gordon Company. Designated Survivor co-stars Natascha McElhone, Maggie Q, Kal Penn, Adan Canto and Italia Ricci.

“We are glad that our hit series Designated Survivor found a great home in French Canada,” said Xavier Trudel, the executive VP of television and digital North America at Les Films Séville and Entertainment One Films. “We look forward to seeing the show become a huge hit in the territory across all platforms.”

“We’re extremely proud to present this eagerly awaited event series to all our viewers,” commented Yann Paquet, the VP of acquisitions and partnerships at Quebecor Content. “Designated Survivor is an excellent example of the high-quality content that we offer on our different platforms.”