Marcella’s Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies, The Girlfriend Experience) is set to star in a new anthology series from Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak (Eyewitness, 3 Days to Kill), via Deadline. The show entitled The Box casts Friel as Kansas City Police Detective Sharon Pici, who discovers she’s locked in a room she cannot escape. No further details have been released, but the series is described as a psychological thriller with horror elements.
Hasak is set as showrunner of the series through Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group). According to Deadline, Hasak has written or co-written all eight episodes along with Paula Killen (Black Dynamite, Step Brothers), playwright Josh Azouz (Victoria’s Knickers, The Mikvah Project), and Clare Siobhan Byrne (Mother Never Said, Y Mor/The Sea). Production will be handled through the NENT Group’s outfit Nice Drama, which was responsible for the series Midnight Sun and Thicker Than Water. They also produced the Oscar-nominated film The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.
“I’m simply thrilled at how our show came together. An American show, a top-notch and dynamic Nordic streamer and studio in NENT, and a remarkably talented British actress in Anna Friel. This is truly the future of global TV,” Hasak said in a statement via Deadline. The series is aimed for a February 2021 production time in Stockholm, Sweden with COVID-19 protocols in place. NENT looks to air the series through Viaplay with several international platforms vying for distribution.
“Over the next five years, we will launch Viaplay in 15 additional markets, where a compelling combination of international and local original content will be a key part of our offering,” Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group Chief Content Officer stated via Deadline. “Creating this intriguing, high-impact new series with world-class talents such as Anna Friel and Adi Hasak is yet another statement of storytelling intent from NENT Group,” Wallestam said according to Deadline.
“I am excited to be working with NENT Group on such fascinating project. Looking forward to the cameras rolling and going on this journey with Adi,” Friel said via Deadline. This will be Friel’s first series since starring in the Netflix hit Marcella in which she won the International Emmy for Best Actress in 2017.
Hasak has two other shows in the works with the NENT Group, according to Deadline. In between developing his own production company in London, he will helm and executive produce Perfect People with the German production team, Leonine. He is also writing an eight-episode series based on the Munich Olympic massacre entitled Margeaux.