"White Lies"
Fremantle and AMC Networks’ Sundance Now today announced that the gripping crime thriller "White Lies" will be coming to U.S, and Canadian audiences, exclusively on Sundance Now and AMC+. The series is a collaboration with Quizzical Pictures and Pan-African broadcaster M-Net.
The 8 x 60’ drama stars award-winning actress Natalie Dormer ("Penny Dreadful: City of Angels", "The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay", "Picnic at Hanging Rock2) - who is also Executive Producing - and Brendon Daniels ("Four Corners", "Skemerdans", "Trackers"). The news follows recent successful launches on STAN (Australia) and on M-Net (South Africa) to huge acclaim. On M-Net (DStv Channel 101) the series grew the Thursday night 8pm slot by an average of 24% and outperformed other international series to be the number-one show on the channel.
The film is from South African producer Quizzical Pictures in partnership with Fremantle, who also worked together on International Emmy Award-nominated M-Net hit Reyka. The series is produced by Harriet Gavshon and Nimrod Geva for Quizzical Pictures, with Dormer and Bristow-Bovey also serving as executive producers. The series’ lead director is The Wound’s John Trengove, whose latest film Manodrome with Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Directing alongside Trengove are Catharine Cooke (Reyka) and Christiaan Olwagen ("Poppie Nongena", "Kanarie"). Julie Hodge is executive producer on behalf of Fremantle, who also distribute the series internationally.
Written by award-winning scriptwriter Darrel Bristow-Bovey, "White Lies" is a riveting murder mystery set in the wealthy neighbourhood of Bishopscourt in Cape Town, South Africa. Investigative journalist Edie Hansen (Dormer) gets caught up in the ugly underbelly that lies beneath the picturesque beauty of the city, dragging her back to a turbulent past. Following her estranged brother’s murder in his luxury home, Edie’s world plunges deeper into chaos when her brother’s teenage children become prime suspects for the crime. As Edie investigates, she finds herself at loggerheads with veteran detective Forty Bell (Daniels), and grapples with the crumbling local police force, a corrupt political system, and the secretive world of extreme Cape wealth.
Shirley Bowers, SVP of U.S. Distribution, Fremantle reviewed the elements that make the series a great product: “It’s fantastic to be bringing 'White Lies' to the U.S. with our formidable partners at Sundance Now. It’s the ultimate modern-day murder-mystery, so cleverly written and features a hugely talented cast led by the brilliant Natalie Dormer. It’s packed with twists and turns that will no doubt leave Sundance’s viewers totally hooked;" commented.
On her part, Shannon Cooper, VP, Programming, Sundance Now, assumes it will delight subscribers: “'White Lies' is a brilliantly written, edge-of-your-seat, murder-mystery brought to life by remarkable performances from both Natalie and Brendon, set against an incredible South African backdrop. Sundance Now subscribers are in for an absolute treat and we’re thankful to our partners at Fremantle, M-Net and Quizzical Pictures," shared.
FInally, Waldimar Pelser, Channel Director: Premium Channels at M-Net’s parent group MultiChoice thinks of the series as a way to showcase South Africa on the international screen: “'White Lies' is the perfect example of how a story steeped in deeply South African challenges has a place on international screens. The series encapsulates the struggles that South Africans face every day and we’re delighted to see it has found an international audience – that’s the magic of powerful storytelling", said.
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