President Zelenskyy Comedy Gets Polish Remake; Envision Adapts ‘Inspector Mislan’ Novel; Cleopatra Takes Horror Film Rights (Exclusive) — Global Briefs

President Zelenskyy Comedy Gets Polish Remake; Envision Adapts ‘Inspector Mislan’ Novel; Cleopatra Takes Horror Film Rights (Exclusive) — Global Briefs

President Zelenskyy Comedy ‘Servant Of The People’ Remade In Poland


Servant of the People, the Ukrainian comedy that inadvertently launched the political career of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is being remade in Poland. Polish channel Polsat has commissioned a local remake of the format, which is sold internationally by Scandinavia-based Eccho Rights. Currently in production under the local title Sługa Narodu, Polsat’s show stars TV actor Marcin Hycnar in role Zelenskyy made famous, playing the part of an ordinary man who is unwittingly voted president. In Ukraine, the storyline amazingly became a reality when comedian and actor Zelenskyy went on to win the presidency in 2019, with his party adopting the Servant of the People moniker. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, many broadcasters have picked up the original series to show unity with Zelenskyy. Polot Media is producing the Polish version, with Maciej Bieliński the director. “This is a hugely powerful script – a comedy, but one that spoke so deeply to the Ukrainian people that it changed the course of political history in that country, and subsequently the world. Naturally we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Polish version,” said Berkin Nalbantlı, Sales and Acquisitions Executive, CEE & Africa for Eccho Rights.

Envision Entertainment Adapting ‘Inspector Mislan’ Crime Thriller Novel For TV


UK-based producer Envision Entertainment is to adapt Rozlan Mohd Noor’s crime thriller novel 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders after optioning rights. Set in Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur, the Inspector Mislan books follow a tough Muslim street cop as he deals with crime, social issues and high-level police corruption and 21 Immortals was Noor’s first from the franchise. It opens with the discovery of three carefully posed embalmed corpses — a mother, father and son, all seated at the traditional Yee Sang feast with Mona Lisa-like expressions on their faces. Michael Nakan, Envison Entertainment’s Chief Content Officer, said: “The Inspector Mislan character is perfect for television. He is a gritty, seemingly incorruptible Malay muslim street cop who brooks no opposition, from the criminal mafia or his superiors. Thanks to the uniquely creative writing of Rozlan Mohd Noor, I am delighted we have the opportunity to bring Inspector Mislan to the television audience.” Envision plans to partner a Malaysian writer/filmmaker with a British counterpart “to make high quality, authentic content which works for both local and global audiences.” Nakan said 21 Immortals was “the first of several projects with international appeal we have in consideration,” adding similar projects were in the works in in Hungary and India. Writter Noor was a crime investigator in the CID of the Royal Malaysia Police and a court prosecutor before joining the private sector. 21 Immortals was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writer’s Best First Book Award and longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.

Cleopatra Entertainment Takes North America & UK Rights To Horror ‘The Long Dark Trail’


EXCLUSIVE: Cleopatra Entertainment has acquired North American and UK territory rights to a coming-of-age folk horror The Long Dark Trail. The feature comes from writing and directing team Nick Psinakis and Kevin Ignatius under their production company Four Eighteen Films. Billed as “Stand By Me meets Midsommar,” it follows two impoverished teenage brothers who flee home after finally fighting back against their physically abusive father. Hoping to find and reunite with their estranged mother, they go on a dangerous journey to a cursed forest in Northwestern Pennsylvania, not aware she is part of a violent and sadistic cult there. The film was an official selection at The Irish Film Institute Horrorthon (Dublin), Be Afraid Horror Fest (Italy), Weekend Of Fear (Germany), The BUT Film Festival (Holland) and The Festival De Cannes Blood Windoal Selection (France). It stars Carter O’Donnell, Brady O’Donnell, Mick Thyer, Paul “Doc” Ignatius, Trina Campbell and co-writer-director Psinakis with an original music score by Ignatius. The creators shot the film using all-local production crews and mostly unknown talent located in their picturesque hometown of Warren, Pennsylvania and worked with local illustrator R.L. Black to create limited art for comics, vinyl and posters for film.