Sony Pictures Television  has sold the upcoming Alex Rider series to nearly 100 territories worldwide.

The series is an adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s young adult spy novels produced by SPT-backed Eleventh Hour Films (EHF).

Nordic Entertainment Groups (NENT Groups) have picked up the series for their streaming service Viaplay in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The series has also been picked up by Kinopoisk HD in Russia, and will air on Nova in Greece, and DSmart in Turkey. AXN will broadcast the series across multiple European territories, including Portugal, Hungary, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Movistar+ is showing the series in Spain.

STARZPLAY have picked up the series for broadcast in multiple territories across the Middle East and North Africa, MNET have acquired the series for Showmax across Sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa. Across Asia, buyers include Sony Liv in India, Korea Telecom in South Korea, and U-Next bringing the series to Japan. TVNZ are streaming the series in New Zealand.

Wayne Garvie, Sony Pictures Television, President, International Production, said, “We are so thrilled that Alex Rider is finally to be unleashed on audiences around the world! When we started on this unique journey our aim was to create a premium drama, that paid justice to Anthony’s novels, with exciting action scenes, nerve shredding tension and great acting. Eleventh Hour have delivered just that. And at a time when the world needs escapism, there’s no better time for a new hero to step forward – Alex Rider, your moment has arrived!”

Keith LeGoy, Sony Pictures Television, President, Worldwide Distribution, said, “In these unprecedented times, keeping people entertained with great stories and remaining connected with one another have never been more important. Alex Rider highlights both: it marks a unique model, with our International Production and Worldwide Distribution arms working hand-in-hand from green-light through to final sale. It has been a fantastic collaboration, and a strategic risk we were confident to make with such popular IP we truly believed would have broad, worldwide appeal. Great stories, working together.”

Eve Gutierrez, Executive Producer, Eleventh Hour Films, “Sony’s original approach to commissioning and mission to find buyers who would truly champion the drama in every territory around the world has been both innovative and refreshing.  We are thrilled that the first season of Alex Rider is going to be such a global event in 2020, 20 years after the first Alex Rider book was published.”

 The eight-part series is adapted from the international bestselling Alex Rider novels from Anthony Horowitz, which were first introduced by Horowitz in 2000.

Otto Farrant stars as Alex Rider, with Brenock O’Connor as his best friend Tom. The cast also includes Stephen Dillane as Alan Blunt, Vicky McClure as Mrs Jones, and Andrew Buchan as Ian Rider.

Anthony Horowitz says, “Alex Rider really comes of age in this gripping adaptation of my books. It’s exactly the show I wanted to see and I’m sure it will appeal to a very wide audience.”

The Alex Rider adaptation is penned by BAFTA award-winning screenwriter Guy Burt (Bletchley Circle, The Borgias, The Hole), and begins with the second book in the series, Point Blanc, published in 2001 in the UK and 2002 in North America.  Eve Gutierrez and Jill Green serve as Executive Producers for the TV series for EHF, alongside Horowitz and Burt, and Andreas Prochaska, who also served as series director on multiple episodes.

Jon Creamer

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