Carsten Jensen’s bestselling historical saga “We, the Drowned” is being adapted for TV, and prolific director and cinematographer Mikael Salomon (“Band of Brothers”) is on board. Salomon will direct the seafaring epic, which will be produced in English by Denmark’s Marlowfilm Productions.
Banijay Rights has snagged international rights to the series and will hold early-stage talks with buyers at Mipcom in Cannes. The TV project is in late-stage development at Copenhagen-based Marlowfilm.
The multi-generational story follows the people of the Danish seaport of Marstal. Starting in the mid-19th century, it follows those who set to sea and those they left behind. Danish author and columnist Jensen’s book was first published in 2006 to widespread acclaim.
Banijay is well-versed in bringing drama from the Nordic countries to the international market. Nordic production banners in the Banijay Group include Nordisk Film TV, Mastiff, Jarowskij, and Yellow Bird. Shows from the region sold by distribution unit Banijay Rights include “Occupied.” Jan Trygve Røyneland who was a writer on that series is handling the “We, the Drowned” adaptation. The series will run to eight installments.
“We are fortunate to have a wealth of gorgeous material to work with and an immensely dedicated and talented team to nurture it,” said Deborah Marlow, creative producer, Marlowfilm. “Having the visual prowess of Salomon, the linguistic eloquence of Trygve, and the support from Banijay Rights is quite the cocktail.”
“’We, the Drowned’ is the perfect example of a local story with a truly global appeal, focusing on timeless and universal themes of adventure, love, desire, grief and the passage of time, which we know will strike a chord with international audiences,” added Chris Stewart, commercial director at Banijay Rights.