Hat Trick International Expands True-Crime Slate

Hat Trick International (HTI) is bringing three new true-crime productions to MIPCOM and has clinched a series of deals on the Channel 5 doc Rose West: Born Evil?, about half of the notorious serial killer couple.

Joining the HTI slate in time for Cannes are two productions from Nine Network in Australia, The Toolbox Murders and The Byron Bay Murders, produced by Perpetual Entertainment in association with Marmalade Sky; and The Catfish Next Door, produced by STV Studios Factual for BBC iPlayer, BBC Scotland and BBC Three.

The Toolbox Murders, about the murder of Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru, has sold to Channel 4. The Byron Bay Murders looks at what happened to 67 women who vanished along Australia’s east coast. The Catfish Next Door explores female cyberstalkers.

Meanwhile, Kalel Productions’ Rose West: Born Evil? has landed on A+E Germany and BritBox Australia, joining previous deals with Foxtel Australia, TV4 Finland, Planete+ France, AVRO/TROS Netherlands and TV4 Sweden.

Sarah Tong, director of sales at Hat Trick International, said: “In the case of The Toolbox Murders, The Byron Bay Murders and The Catfish Next Door, we’re proud to be an accessory to crime—all three titles tell sensational stories that chill and thrill, offer an insight into the justice system and invite viewers to solve real-life whodunnits. We have every confidence that our new true-crime launches will perform as well internationally as Rose West: Born Evil?, Click For Murder, Killer Women with Piers Morgan and Serial Killer with Piers Morgan, all of which continue to do buoyant business, particularly in the AVOD space.”