Cineflix Rights has made headlines with the announcement of several international acquisitions for the BBC One primetime crime drama “Virdee” at Mipcom.
The series has garnered interest from Canal+ (Netherlands), SVT (Sweden), Filmin (Spain), and Britbox, which will showcase it across Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Additionally, BBC Studios will feature the series on its BBC First and BBC Player platforms in Asia. These latest sales come after previous agreements with SBS (Australia) and Media4Fun (Poland).
“Virdee,” adapted from A.A. Dhand’s popular novels, centers on Harry Virdee, portrayed by Staz Nair (“Rebel Moon”), a police officer in Bradford who is on the trail of a serial killer. Meanwhile, his personal life teeters on the edge, having been ostracized by his family for marrying Saima, played by Aysha Kala (“Criminal Record”), crossing a religious boundary for love.
When the murderer targets a local police chief’s son, holding the city hostage, Harry must turn to Riaz (played by Vikash Bhai from “Crossfire” and “Limbo”), his brother-in-law and a formidable drug lord controlling the largest cartel in the region. In a partnership fraught with danger, Harry faces a critical decision: protect himself and his family or save his city.
A.A. Dhand adapts his own work for the screen, while the directing team includes Mark Tonderai (“Gotham,” “Doctor Who,” “Foundation”), Milad Ami (“Bullshit,” “When the Dust Settles”), and Mo Ali (“Hijack,” “Cobra”).
Executive producers of the series include Paul Trijbits (“Jane Eyre,” “The Casual Vacancy,” “Saving Mr Banks”) representing Magical Society, A.A. Dhand, Jo McClellan for the BBC, alongside James Durie and Tom Misselbrook for Cineflix Rights. Production credits go to Stella Nwimo (“Nuclear,” “The London Mob”) and Himesh Kar (“Walk With Me,” “The Bengali Detective”).
“Virdee” is a Magical Society production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, created in conjunction with Screen Yorkshire. Cineflix Rights serves as the exclusive distributor on a global scale.
Tom Misselbrook, senior VP of scripted development at Cineflix Rights, remarked, “’Virdee’s’ thrilling narrative has resonated with audiences, and we are excited to see the series gain further traction with these new sales at Mipcom.”
The partnership with Canal+ was facilitated by Lucy Rawson, VP of sales for Benelux, CEE, and Southern Mediterranean at Cineflix Rights. Business with SVT and Britbox was arranged by Sandra Piha, senior VP of pan-regional sales for the U.K., Ireland, and Scandinavia. Sabrina Ayala, sales consultant for Iberia, Italy, French-speaking Europe, and French Canada, negotiated the deal with Filmin, while Chris Bluett, senior VP of sales for Asia Pacific, brokered the agreement with the BBC.
