EXCLUSIVE: Federation Studios has struck more pre-sales for the upcoming A Tale of Two Cities adaptation starring Kit Harington.
The French major has sold the Dickens adaptation to Canada’s CBC and Belgium’s RTBF, along with revealing that Nordic broadcasters YLE, SVT, NRK, DR and RUV are aboard.
The adaptation of one of Dickens’ most famous novels has already pre-sold to the BBC, MGM+ in the U.S. and Prime Video in France. Deadline understands a second window deal in France will be announced soon and advanced discussions are underway with other territories.
Created by Daniel West (Top Boy) and directed by Hong Khaou, A Tale of Two Cities stars Harington, François Civil (Beating Hearts, The Three Musketeers) and Mirren Mack (Miss Austen, Hedda) in the iconic story about French emigré Charles Darnay (Civil) amid the war beween France and Britain. It is produced by Federation with Harington and West’s Thriker Films.
Speaking to Deadline ahead of the London TV Screenings, Federation distribution co-head Guillaume Pommier said the show has already “surpassed” expectations in terms of sales, given that the market for period drama is currently cumbersome.
“On the period drama side it is a bit risky for buyers,” he said. “But this one only has four episodes which limits the risk when you are a linear channel. It has great casting, IP and a healthy budget, and when you bring it together we now have a good number of first window territories.”
As Federation pitches its slate to buyers at a London TV Screenings event this morning, A Tale of Two Cities speaks to what The Agency studio is doing in the English-language market, having already made Around the World in 80 Days and now working on an adaptation of Gulliver’s Travels. Federation bosses told us last year that the on-the-block studio had around eight to 10 of these big English co-pros in the works.
“We noticed about two or three years ago that the wind was turning on non-English-language shows,” said Levy. “English shows with huge casts have put us in a new dimension over the last couple of years.”
Federation has also been getting involved with shows earlier on in the production process, such as A Tale of Two Cities, which it is deficit financing. Levy and Pommier said the market now understands this – according to Pommier, Federation is “spending at least half of our time on pre-sales and co-pros” – and producers are approaching them more frequently to fill financing gaps.
“We try our best to step into the breach,” added Levy. “So far we’ve been very fortunate to partner with producers that make it happen on their end too.”
‘Dustfall’
‘Dustfall’. Image: Vince Valitutti
Also on Federation’s English-language slate is Australian “Tropic Noir” series Dustfall starring Anna Torv, which featured in our Deadline Dozen ahead of the London TV Screenings.
In Dustfall, Torv’s Detective Tig Pollard is working a harrowing case after an 18-year-old is found naked in a cane field with no memory of how she got there. The show has already pre-sold to the BBC and will screen episode one to buyers this morning. It is the only Australian series due to appear in the Series Mania international competition next month.
Levy compared Dustfall in tone to Mare of Easttown and True Detective. “It’s a dark series but at the same time it explores a different part of sexual violence that many can relate to because it has happened in their own life,” she added. “It’s such a subtle and pervasive look into how these things can happen, which is super interesting and moving.”
Explaining the “Tropic Noir” descriptor, Levy said the series happens in parts of Australia where there are tropical mangroves and swamps.
Regarding content that is a bit closer to home, Federation revealed it has sold Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s Bataclan drama Des Vivants (Those Who Lived) to HBO Max in France, Nova (Greece), SVT (Sweden), RTS (Switzerland), Movistar (Spain) and Nos (Portugal).
The mini-series is about survivors of the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris at a concert venue, which recently passed its 10th anniversary. It aired on France 2 after de-Lestrade’s previous series, Sambre, had proved to be one of France’s top TV exports in 2024.
At the London Screenings, Federation is also shopping Disney+’s Lucky Luke about the iconic lonesome cowboy, along with Israel’s Jaffa and Sky New Zealand’s Anglesea.