Cottonwood, ZDF, ZDF Enterprises Team Up on Teen Drama

PARIS: Cottonwood Media, ZDF and ZDF Enterprises have entered into a co-production deal on the weekly live-action drama series Paris Opera, marking the companies’ first collaboration.

Paris Opera is a half-hour young-adult drama that follows Lena Grisky, a time-traveling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia who is trying to navigate the perils of adolescence in 2015 Paris. The series represents Cottonwood Media’s first live-action show. It is currently in preproduction and is slated to premiere on ZDF in 2017.

The series will be produced on location at and with the collaboration of the world-renowned Paris Opera. Filmed in English with international actors, the cast will work with the Opera house’s choreographers to make the dance aspect of the show authentic. Thus far, the creative team includes showrunners Jill Girling and Lori Matter Welch (creator of the Nickelodeon series Ride), producers Pascal Breton (founder of Cottonwood’s parent company, Federation Entertainment, and producer of Netflix’s Marseilles) and Cottonwood founders Zoe Carrera, Cecile Lauritano and David Michel.

Nicole Keeb, ZDF’s producer on the series, commented, “Children in France and Germany grew up with the series L’âge Heureux. This show shall recreate that fascination and passion for ballet. When we discussed this idea with Federation/Cottonwood, we knew we had found the perfect partners.”

“It’s an honor for us to work with ZDF and ZDF Enterprises on our first international live-action co-production,” added Michel, the president of Cottonwood Media and head of Federation Kids and Family. “ZDF have a fantastic history in commissioning the best teen drama series in the last decade, and we look forward to creating yet another quality show.”