‘Death In Paradise’ producer Red Planet signs deal with ITV’s ‘Our House’ writer Louise Candlish for two more adaptations and sites outside the UK

EXCLUSIVE: dead in paradise Producer Red Planet Pictures has struck a deal with ITVs our house Writer Louise Candlish is looking for more work outside the UK, supported by new owner Asacha Media Group.

The company was founded by award-winning British screenwriter Tony Jordan, who also produces PBS Masterpiece/BritBox’s. sand clay, working on a number of projects aimed at non-UK buyers.

Candlish works with Red Planet our house Tom Mullens CEO on TV drama ideas, while Red Planet has picked up two more Candlish novels from 2016 The swimming pool and upcoming thrillers The only suspect The latter is adapted by Simon Ashdown.

The Candlish deal follows the success of ITV’s adaptation of the Martin Compston starrer our housewhich was watched by more than 5 million viewers per episode and is one of ITV’s biggest new dramas of the year.

Belinda Campbell, Red Planet’s joint managing director with Alex Jones, said the company had a “very good relationship with and a clear vision on how to develop and leverage Louise’s profile. Our homes congratulations.”

“These are high-end shows in a popular drama setting — gripping ideas that are ready to land,” she added. “Louise has such an uncanny ability to come up with stories that resonate but with unique twists.”

Jones said the Candlish deal comes at a “very difficult” time in the book options market, with well-known intellectual property rights being snapped up by giants left, right and centre. During the week, Deadline interviewed Red Planet, edits by The day of the fox, Rebus and winner of the Booker Prize The narrow road to the deep north were all revealed by major manufacturers.

There is no network attached to the Candlish adaptations yet, but the company will launch the projects soon and is likely to seek investment from outside UK shores.

A number of international partnerships are being added as Red Planet looks for revenue elsewhere and supports Asacha by providing funding for further development, while Red Planet also has access to labels in other European territories owned by the acquired French-headquartered company.

“We don’t just want the UK as our default anchor,” Jones added. “It becomes very difficult to do a show with only domestic budgets, so you have to pre-sell, co-produce or find other ways to raise money. Where in the past we may have been a bit limited in terms of cost, Asacha helps us with development.”

Red Planet operates in areas such as Canada, Poland, Morocco and France, although Campbell stressed that the UK “remains a focus”.

The couple also revealed to Deadline that they have acquired the rights the dark pine trees, a contemporary Nordic noir series about a deaf bisexual detective and who we work with Black orphan Showrunners Aubrey Nealon and Amber Alexander on a major adaptation that will get the green light in Canada.

Both projects are proof that Red Planet’s reach is more diverse than BBC One’s recurring drama would suggest death in paradise the Caribbean-set hit which attracts millions of viewers every week and has recorded almost 100 episodes, with a spin-off commissioned by BBC/BritBox International, Beyond Paradise, now underway with Kris Marshall.

“There’s always a risk of being caught in a booth, and you don’t want to be known as just the cozy crime company,” Jones added. “What we like to say is that we produce dramas that people like to watch. dead in paradise have sold in 230 territories, but I think it’s fair to say that the projects we offer are very diverse.

Red Planet is also in talks with the major streamers and Jones said: “There are a lot of projects that will find their way to these buyers.”

“You have to get the right package [to the SVoDs]”, he added. “You can get a book and an author on a terrestrial broadcaster, but that’s not really enough for an SVOD.”

Elsewhere, Red Planet founder Jordan, one of the UK’s best-known screenwriters, is leading the company’s push into the MENA region.

Jordan is behind Shahid’s VIP drama result and working with former collaborator Pete Smith, who now runs MBC Studios in Saudi Arabia.

“Tony feels that he always has to do what no one else is doing,” explains Campbell. “He wants to push new boundaries and get to places early. And he is hugely influential.”

The company’s team has also been expanded to include experienced managers Mullens and Caroline Skinner.