French-American podcast network Paradiso Media has unveiled a trio of prestige podcast shows, “Wild Whispers,” “STYX” and “Conference Call” with high-profile talent, including Jeff Ward (“Hacks”), Gregory Stees (“Funny or Die”) and Elizabeth Henstridge (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).”
All three shows were presented at Series Mania’s”IP Pitch: Podcast to Screen” session where Paradiso Media was out in force. “Conference Call” is a new scripted startup parody podcast adapted from Paradiso’s own hit French podcast “Conf Call” which was released in Europe on Deezer.
Ward and Stees wrote and directed the audio show which is structured as a public radio documentary hosted by an investigative journalist (Emma Roberts) who explores a failed business partnership and the resulting legal spat. Ward and Stees star as Joel and Jed Toade, two hapless “entrepreneurs” in tech who have failed spectacularly. Henstridge plays their new business partner Julie Burke, a tech entrepreneur down on her luck. The show is made up of recordings of video conference calls between these three characters.
“Conference Call” features guest appearances by Christopher Abbott (“Catch-22”), Demi Adejiyugbe (“The Late Late Show”), Joyce Aimee (“PEN15”), Beck Bennett (“SNL”), Iain DeCaestecker (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Clark Gregg (“Avengers: End Game”), Nick Kocher (“SNL”), David Lengel (“Wandavision”), Grant O’Brien (“CollegeHumor”), and Aaron Schroeder (“Adam Ruins Everything”). The U.S. series is executive produced by Paradiso’s Emi Norris and produced by Molly O’Keefe.
“Conference Call” underscores Paradiso’s ambition to adapt its popular IP’s for the U.S. market, a strategic movie spearheaded by Norris who works hand-in-hand with the banner’s co-founder and CEO, Lorenzo Benedetti. The banner previously adapted its hit French podcast “Mes 14 ans” into “Seventeen: Conversations with My Teenage Self,” a critically acclaimed series following writer Laura Leigh Abby who rediscovers her teenage diary from the early 2000’s.
Produced in partnership with Audible, “Wild Whispers” is a science fiction show exploring five different visions of nature starring Berenice Bejo (“The Past,” “The Artist”), Finnegan Oldfield, Beatrice Dalle, India Hair and Dominique Pinon. The 10-episode show will be available in French, Spanish, German and Italian with some well-known talents attached to each version.
“STYX,” meanwhile, is a timely action thriller audio show following an investigation involving Ukrainian secret services. Penned and directed by Volodia Serre, “STYX” stars Dali Benssalah (“Les Sauvages”) and Freya Mavor (“Skins”). Both “Wild Whispers” and “STYX” slated for release in 2022.
Paradiso will soon expand and diversify its operations with the distribution of third party productions, on top of productions and co-productions.