Carnaby International Sales and Distribution is enjoying a hugely successful market at MIPCOM this year, having introduced an impressive slate of new titles including the much anticipated television series, MAGNUM OPUS.
Set deep in the shadows of Barcelona, MAGNUM OPUS marks Carnaby’s first venture into television content.
A political thriller with a distinctive neo-noir aesthetic, the eight part series is a slick and exciting addition to the Carnaby catalogue. Directed by Emmy-nominated actor/writer/director Timothy Gibbs (One Life to Live) and Ida Cuellar (La muerte de Otilia Ruiz), and co-written by Nicholl Fellow Award recipient John Ciarlo (Bend in the River) and Bob Brown (Operation Phoenix), the series follows Sidney Porter (Gibbs) – a CIA agent who spirals out of control, fast. He is a man trading the love, loyalty and lives of those closest to him for his own obsessive war of vengeance, seeking retribution for the death of his parents on Pan Am Flight 103.
The series stars BAFTA-winner James Cosmo (Game of Thrones, Troy, Braveheart), Timothy Gibbs (Project 12: The Bunker), Jamie Anderson (The Contract), Arly Jover (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Olivier Award Winner Joe Dixon. The series is due for completion early 2015.
MAGNUM OPUS has been the focus of much attention at this year’s MIPCOM and buyers have shown a keen interest in the development of the series.
Other new titles include:
TOMORROW
Also new to Carnaby’s slate is TOMORROW, a feel-good drama executive produced by film legend Martin Scorsese. Directed by Scorsese’s long-term script supervisor Martha Pinson, the film has a star-studded cast including Stephen Fry (The Hobbit), Stuart Brennan (Risen), Sebastian Street (Age of Heroes), Joss Stone (The Tudors), Stephanie Leonidas (Defiance) and Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena). Shooting began on 15th September in London and the film is due for completion in Spring 2015.
CASUAL ENCOUNTERS
Currently in post-production and set to make its world premiere at AFM in November, CASUAL ENCOUNTERS is a hilarious new US rom-com starring Brooklyn Decker (What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Battleship) alongside Saturday Night Live alum Taran Killam (12 Years a Slave), David Arquette (Scream, Cougar Town) David Krumholtz (10 Things I Hate About You) and Mark Boone Jr (Memento, Batman Begins).
When Justin’s (Taran Killam) girlfriend of five years leaves him heartbroken and embarrassed after a very public breakup, his helpful but somewhat misguided friends talk him into the strange world of online dating. With Decker playing Killam’s nerdy co-worker, sparks soon fly, proving that sometimes your perfect match is less than a click away.
Directed by Zackary Adler (I’m Reed Fish, Familiar Strangers) and produced by Cole Payne (Errors of the Human Body, Downloading Nancy), CASUAL ENCOUNERS is a comical take on finding love in the digital age.
SALT BEEF & RYE
Two years in the making, Carnaby’s vibrant and insightful documentary SALT BEEF & RYE is inspired by the colourful characters who frequent the world famous Brick Lane.
London’s reputation as the cultural hub of the world can be attributed in part to its deep-rooted history and diverse communities. SALT BEEF & RYE takes audiences on a tour through one of the city’s most influential streets. Hunting ground for the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper, the infamous crime bosses, the Krays brothers and breeding ground for many of the nation’s political uprisings. SALT BEEF & RYE combines personal observations from the very inhabitants that call Brick Lane home with historical footage, painting a vibrate picture of a little street in a large city with a world of influence.
CONVICT
There’s only one rule in prison: watch your back.
CONVICT is a gritty drama set in the ancient and notorious Parramatta Prison, the oldest serving jail in Sydney, Australia. Ray Francis is an innocent man wrongly convicted of murder, desperate to see his fiancee again and trying to survive on the inside – dodging inmate gangs, sadistic guards and a corrupt warden.
Directed by and starring George Basha (The Combination), CONVICT is a steadfast, visceral insight into the struggle between innocence, corruption and power. Recently completed, the film is now out on DVD across Australia and New Zealand and will roll out in the UK next month.
ASSASSIN
ASSASSIN is a taut action-thriller starring the dream team of British crime cinema: Danny Dyer (East Enders, The Football Factory), Martin Kemp and Gary Kemp, reuniting the Kemp brothers for the first time since The Krays – the most successful independent DVD release in the UK of all time.
From the executive producers of Rise of the Footsoldier and directed by J.K Amalou (Deviation, Hard Men), ASSASSIN sees Dyer playing a cold, calculating and ruthlessly efficient contract killer – faced with the hardest decision of his life.
MIPCOM is one of the world’s largest entertainment markets and takes place annually in October in Cannes.