SPI Acquires Trio of FremantleMedia International Dramas

SPI International/FilmBox Channels Group has secured from FremantleMedia International (FMI) pay-window rights for three scripted titles, including The Young Pope, for its FilmBox movie channels and FilmBox Live VOD service.

Under the agreement, The Young Pope starring Jude Law, the thriller Apple Tree Yard and the crime drama Modus will all become available in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Russia and CIS. The Young Pope tells the story of Lenny Belardo (alias Pius XIII), the first American Pope. The series also stars Diane Keaton and is directed by Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino.

The miniseries Apple Tree Yard was adapted from a best-selling novel and is about a respected female scientist and the single impulsive act that leads to her standing trial for murder. Modus, meanwhile, is a Swedish detective thriller that follows a psychologist and ex-FBI profiler who finds herself and her autistic daughter drawn into an investigation surrounding a series of brutal deaths.

“The Young Pope has been the topic of much excitement with global audiences,” said Berk Uziyel, the executive director at SPI International/FilmBox. “We are excited to bring this extraordinary series to FilmBox viewers across our territories.”

Maximilian Bolenius, the senior VP of sales and distribution for German-speaking Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS, who completed the sale for FMI, added, “The Young Pope, Apple Tree Yard and Modus are three outstanding scripted titles from FremantleMedia International’s catalog, which represents the very best of European drama. All three have received critical acclaim and have captivated audiences wherever they have aired, so we’re really excited that [these] titles will be available to FilmBox audiences in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS.”