Yahoo Lifestyle Universal International Studios Boards BBC Thriller ‘The Dream Lands’
EXCLUSIVE: Universal International Studios (UIS) has boarded The Dream Lands, the BBC and Sister’s apocalyptic climate change series.
UIS has joined the project as co-producer. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution will handle international sales. Penned by BAFTA-winner Kayleigh Llewellyn and based on Rosa Rankin-Gee’s novel, The Dream Lands tells the story of Chance, a young woman who discovers life and love while being forced to fight for her family’s survival in a world that’s crumbling around her in 2039 due to climate change. Chance lives a life of crime just to get by when her community is singled out for a government rejuvenation scheme, promising to bring her coastal town back to life. But when Chance falls in love with Franky, a girl with ties to the establishment, she and those closest to her begin to realise that all may not be as it seems.
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The novel attracted positive reviews when it was released several years back. Llewellyn has since won two BAFTAs for her hit BBC series In My Skin, another coming-of-age story that follows a 16 year old as she deals with the anxieties and insecurities of teenage life.
Kelsey Balance, the recently-promoted EVP of Global Scripted Series at UIS, said: “The Dream Lands is a captivating exploration of the human spirit brought to life by Kayleigh Llewellyn’s unique vision. We are proud to partner with the exceptional team at Sister for this must-watch BBC series.” Casting on The Dream Lands is yet to be announced.
Unveiled on a splashy BBC drama slate last year, The Dream Lands is the latest project from the BBC and Sister, following the likes of This is Going to Hurt and The Split. News of UIS boarding has come soon after Sister boss Jane Featherstone said the BBC has “multiple shows through which no fault of its own it can’t fund,” which has rocked the UK drama sector.
UIS has been busy in the optioning market of late, acquiring the likes of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl with Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door attached and The Alliance based on the Matt Brolly book.
The Dream Lands was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. It is executive produced by Naomi de Pear (This is Going to Hurt, The Power) and Holly Pullinger (This is Going to Hurt, Eric) for Sister, Llewellyn (In My Skin, Killing Eve, Chloe), author Rankin-Gee and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC and is directed by Erika Calmeyer (Tore, Young Royals) and Myriam Raja (Top Boy S4 ).
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