Éric Rochant, super-producer and creator behind the hit French spy drama “The Bureau,” is set to team with Tomorrow Studios (“Snowpiercer,” “Cowboy Bebop”) on his U.S. television debut.
Rochant will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the untitled espionnage series, which will center on the lives of intelligence officers from different countries (U.S., China, Russia, U.K. and France) who are involved in missions. They are allies or enemies in the big carousel of intelligence, both in the field and in cyberspace. ITV Studios will distribute the series internationally.
Tomorrow Studios, which was formed from a partnership between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios, recently announced a series order of “10-Year-Old-Tom” through Work Friends, its new animation studio with Nick Weidenfeld.
“Thanks to modern technology, Becky and I were able to have incredible conversations with Éric during the last few months, to really get to know him and to understand the creative vision he’s formulated for his next television project,” said Adelstein who will executive produce the untitled series with Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios and Rochant.
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“We are big fans of his and, after a highly competitive bidding situation, we are honored that he is entrusting us with such an exciting project,” said Adelstein.
Rochant, who recently handed off “The Bureau” to Jacques Audiard (“A Prophet”) after five critically acclaimed seasons, said he was looking forward to continue exploring the multi-layered world of counter-intelligence which he knows so well.
“I felt so flattered that [Becky Clements and Marty Adelstein at Tomorrow Studio] wanted me to do my next show with them and I appreciated them asking for me to continue being myself, because they really enjoyed ‘The Bureau,’” said Rochant.
“With them I will examine our contemporary world of intelligence and geopolitics by creating a moving and tense show about those involved in secret operations as we learn that they are just like us,” said Rochant.
Rochant created, directed and oversaw the Canal Plus original series “The Bureau” (Le Bureau des Légendes) from 2015. He has also been producing the show with Alex Berger through their production company TOP-The Oligarchs Productions. Under Rochant’s helm, the show became a commercial and critical hit at home and abroad. It was sold by Federation Entertainment to more than 110 territories around the world. U.S. remake rights were also picked by Paramount, which is developing an American makeover.
Prior to “The Bureau,” Rochant created another hit French series “Mafiosa,” a female-led drama set in the criminal underworld in Corsica. He also wrote and directed the movies “Möbius,” “The Patriots,” which competed at Cannes in 1994, and “Love Without Pity” which earned him the César Award for best first film.
The deal between Rochant and Tomorrow Studios was brokered by Tom Lane, the executive VP of business and legal affairs at ITV Studios America, and by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Jackoway Austen on behalf of Rochant.
Tomorrow Studios has already achieved great success with the series “Snowpiercer,” which has reached over 25 million viewers to date for TNT — according to the production company — and is streaming on Netflix outside of the U.S and China. Tomorrow Studios’ slate also includes the anticipated TV adaptations of the popular anime series “Cowboy Bebop,” as well as “One Piece” for Netflix, and “Physical” for Apple TV Plus.