A much talked-about title at the London TV Screenings and Canneseries, sparking inevitable comparisons with “The Crown,” Beta Film Dutch royal family love story “Maxima,” has clinched another major territory sale, with Atresmedia TV acquiring exclusive broadcast rights in Spain.
Based on the life of Maxima of Holland before she became queen, and especially her whirlwind romance with a young tongue-tied Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, “Maxima” has already sold to networks in Latin America, Israel and across Europe.
These include RTL for Germany, Italian public broadcaster RAI, Hot in Israel, Warner Bros. Discovery networks across Latin America, plus Croatia’s HRT, Austria’s ORF and Latvia’s LTV and Hong Kong’s Now TV.
The essence of royal family drama is how personal passion impacts an institutional figure, and how royal families in some ways aren’t that different from the non blue-blood. Tabled down the generations in “The Crown” those questions are posed in compact high-end form set against ravishing settings, and driven by two beautiful young leads, Delfina Chaves, especially notable former performance as the effusive, outgoing but conflicted Argentine Wall Street banker suddenly enchanted by the stiffer upper-lipped crown Prince (Martijn Lakemeir).
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If “Maxima” had been in competition at Canneseries, it would probably have had a run at some of its top prizes.
“Máxima’s story is relatable and inspiring, told from the point of view of a strong and independent woman. When writing a series based on real events, one has to constantly ask oneself where truth and accuracy lie. In this series we tell the story of an emotional journey, from Máxima’s old life to her new life, and the drama that accompanied it. To do this we draw on the extensive and thorough research Marcia Luyten did for her book, as well as the subsequent research we did ourselves. The scenes are written to the letter. We are always going to see how the series unfolds the story through Máxima’s eyes. That’s what will appeal to the audience,” said Rachel van Bommel, the series’ producer and CEO of lead producer Millstreet Films.
“When writing a series based on real events, one has to constantly ask oneself where truth and accuracy lie. In this series we tell the story of an emotional journey, from Máxima’s old life to her new life, and the drama that accompanied it,” she added. “To do this we draw on the extensive and thorough research Marcia Luyten did for her book, as well as the subsequent research we did ourselves. The scenes are written to the letter. We are always going to see how the series unfolds the story through Máxima’s eyes. That’s what will appeal to the audience,” van Bommel said.
“In this series we want to create an emotional, sincere and intimate portrait of Máxima. Accessible and recognizable to a wide audience and, at the same time, one that does not hide the most unpleasant and striking events in her family history, but brings them to light,” director Saskia Diesing commented.
“During the shooting, the first and most important thing for me is that the camera work is at the service of emotion. In fact, the different locations and cities lend themselves perfectly to this. Maxima, in real life, is someone you can’t take your eyes off. We were looking for someone who had exactly that which makes you want to keep looking at her. In Delfina Chaves, we managed to find it.”