“Sandokan”
Fremantle's Lux Vide and Rai Fiction announced the new international action-adventure series “Sandokan”, a new adaptation of Emilio Salgari's historic saga, developed for television by Alessandro Sermoneta, Scott Rosenbaum and Davide Lantieri, and directed by Jan Maria Michelini and Nicola Abbatangelo. "Sandokan" will air on Rai1 and will be distributed worldwide by Frementle and in Spain by Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group.
Newcomer Alanah Bloor will star as Marianne, alongside Can Yaman who will be the Malayan Tiger in an original guise. Joining them will be Ed Westwick ("Gossip Girl") as the charming antagonist Lord Brooke, while Alessandro Preziosi ("The Doctors") will be the face of the iconic Yanez de Gomera. Also joining the cast will be John Hannah ("The Last of Us"), Madeleine Price, Gilberto Gliozzi ("Them"), Mark Grosy ("Zero Zero Zero") and Samuele Segreto ("Stranizza d'amuri").
"Sandokan" is a tale of adventure and love, in which the protagonists will discover themselves and realise that they belong to a much larger story of revolution, love of nature, and the fight for freedom.
The new series based on an idea by Luca Bernabei, "Sandokan" will be a grand and epic action-adventure with a strong connection to the environment. The series will tell the origins of the Tiger of Malaya, who is finally returning to the small screen. This is a revolutionary love story full of adventure, action and heroism, a tale ready to enchant adults and children alike, uniting the whole family.
Filming will begin on April 22nd in Formello, where the set of "Sandokan" will inaugurate the new Theater 7, in the production hub targato Lux Vide, and will take place between Lazio, Tuscany, Reunion Island, and the evocative Calabria, where the English colony of Labuan in Lamezia Terme has been built, with the support of the Film Commission and the Region of Calabria.
Luca Bernabei, CEO of Lux Vide, said: “We are very proud to bring the iconic 'Sandokan' saga back into the homes of Italians. Over the past few years we have worked to create an international project that would enhance Emilio Salgari's IP through a contemporary way. I thank Rai Fiction and Fremantle International who believed in this project and in our desire to gather the whole family in front of the TV! I am sure that the direction of Jan Michelini and Nicola Abbatangelo will give back a unique style to the series, giving new life to the most famous pirate of Borneo. Thanks to a talented cast and scripts by Headwriter Alessandro Sermoneta, we will explore faraway places, dream and thrill as we do with great Lux stories!"
Maria Pia Ammirati, Rai Fiction Director, said: "'Sandokan' is a myth-character that marks the history of RAI. From the imagination of Emilio Salgari this hero has passed into the images of a scripted drama that audiences have never forgotten. We are therefore happy and proud to bring back to the screen one of the great protagonists of our imagination.”
Jens Richter, CEO Commercial and International at Fremantle said: “We are excited to be partnering with Lux Vide and Rai Fiction on this exciting and ambitious reimagining of a well-loved saga for new audiences across the globe.”