Leading independent distributor All3Media International signed a new scripted format deal in Asia to produce a new local version of comedy drama "Step Dave" for Malaysia’s leading content and entertainment company, Astro. Originally produced by South Pacific Pictures for TV2 in New Zealand and already commissioned in five countries, "Step Dave" centres on a carefree 24-year-old bartender whose life is turned upside down when he falls for a sophisticated 39-year-old mother of three — can this unexpected love story defy the odds?
Amanda Pe, Sales Manager at All3Media International, commented, “Astro has been a fantastic partner, and following the success of the Malaysian adaptation of Liar, we are thrilled to be working with them again on Step Dave, a dynamic new romantic comedy. Their commitment to remarkable storytelling and groundbreaking content makes Astro the perfect platform to bring this universally relatable and heartwarming comedy to life. We are delighted to also collaborate with the talented team at phoSumpro, Yin (Producer) and Mai (Director) whose expertise in crafting compelling local adaptations shines through in this comedy drama. We believe Step Dave will resonate strongly with Astro’s audience, and we look forward to continuing our partnership on more projects.”
Agnes Rozario, Director, Content, Astro said, “We are thrilled to partner with All3Media International to bring this acclaimed scripted series to Malaysian viewers with its fresh story of love unencumbered by age or convention which is more relevant in our world today. This collaboration is a reflection of our commitment to delivering exceptional storytelling, underpinned by rich characters coupled with high production values and featuring top tier Malaysian talent in order to elevate the entertainment experience and engagement for our audience.”
Astro is set to air the Mandarin-language version of "Step Dave" later this year. This new deal is the latest scripted format partnership between All3Media International and Astro following the platform’s recent adaptation of "Two Brothers Pictures’ Liar." Astro’s "Step Dave" production, the sixth version of the drama, will be a ten-part series and is a production collaboration with the award-winning independent production company phoSumpro, based in Kuala Lumpur with 20 years of industry experience.
"Step Dave" joins a host of All3Media International’s scripted formats deals. With over 15 scripted formats commissioned in Asia, many of the adaptations are garnering acclaim and awards such as Kafas, the adaptation of "The Forge’s Dark Money," recently winning ‘Best Scripted Format’ at C21’s 2024 International Format Awards, and ‘Best TV Format Adaptation (Scripted) at the 2024 ContentAsia Awards. In addition, several of the adaptations have travelled to many other countries such as "Miss S," a Chinese adaptation for Tencent of the detective drama "Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries," aired across 29 territories including Canada, Australia, Japan and Korea and HBO in the US.
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