The Young Pope Sold into Scandinavia

LONDON: FremantleMedia International and IMG have locked in the first distribution deal for Paolo Sorrentino’s The Young Pope, one that will bring the ten-part drama across Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

The pan-Nordic SVOD and pay-TV operator C More has licensed the drama, which tells the story of Lenny Belardo, alias Pius XIII, the first American Pope. As part of the deal, Sweden’s largest commercial free-to-air network, TV4, will air the series after it has been broadcast on C More.

The Young Pope stars Jude Law as Lenny Belardo, Pope Pius XIII, and Diane Keaton as Sister Mary. The series is a joint production of Sky, HBO and CANAL+. It is produced by Wildside, in which FremantleMedia has a majority stake, and co-produced by Haut et Court TV.

Jens Richter, CEO of FremantleMedia International, said: ”With the world-class director Paolo Sorrentino, a stunning cast including Jude Law and Diane Keaton, and the extremely talented Wildside and Haut et Court TV bringing the story to life, The Young Pope has become the most hotly anticipated drama of this year.”

Bo Thörnwall, the director of programs for C More, added, “C More is dedicated to offering our subscribers quality series in the first pay-TV window. With its stellar production values and star-studded cast, The Young Pope is a perfect example of the kind of event programming we cherry pick for the Nordic market.”