EXCLUSIVE: The Assassin‘s upcoming second season is already making a killing, with a host of international buyers now attached.
Season 2 of the Prime Video series, which counts Australia’s Stan and Germany’s ZDF as co-producers, has been acquired by several networks and streamers who ran Season 1. We revealed news of the recommission back in February after reporting it was in development in November last year.
They are namely Canada’s Bell Media, which will bring the new series to Crave and CTV Drama Channel; NBCUniversal LatAm, which has taken pan-territory rights for Universal+; NPO (the Netherlands); SVT (Sweden); TV2 (Norway); DR (Denmark); Cosmote (Greece); VRT (Flemish Belgium); Hot (Israel) and to Sky Free in New Zealand.
The deals come soon after YLE (Finland), Pickbox (the Balkans), RTBF Auvio (Flemish Belgium), SIA Tet (Latvia), LRT (Lithuania), Freedom Media (Kazakhstan) and Canal+ (Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia) acquired rights to the first season.
Set on an idyllic and remote Greek island, Season 1 followed retired assassin Julie (Keeley Hawes) and her estranged son Edward (Freddie Highmore), as they were forced to work together in a fight for survival amid questions around Edward’s paternity and Julie’s dangerous past.
The second series, currently in post-production, picks up after Edward and Julie have returned from a disastrous trip to Berlin, where they find themselves estranged once again following a mysterious fall-out no one is willing to discuss. Julie has returned her old ways as an assassin, whilst navigating an equally perilous dating scene, while Edward’s honeymoon with Kayla (Shalom Brune-Franklin) doesn’t go quite as planned. He’s then forced to reunite with Julie to take on Spain’s corrupt underworld.
The Assassin Season 2 comes from All3Media-owned Two Brothers Pictures and was made for for Prime Video in the UK, ZDF and Stan in association with All3Media International. Two Brothers founders Harry and Jack Williams are the writers and creators of the six-part season, and both also serve as executive producers along with with Sarah Hammond, Alex Mercer and Daisy Mount. Hawes and Highmore also serve as executive producers, with John Griffin the producer with Terry McDonough – another executive producer – directing episodes 1-3 and Sarah O’Gorman directing episodes 4-6. Jessica Mescall serves as casting director. Halo Pictures is the service company in Malta, where the show was shot.
Italian Global Series award
The news comes as Lisa Mulcahy, who directed Season 1 of The Assassin, is honored at the Italian Global Series Festival in Italy. The event is being held this week and will honor the likes of Natasha Lyonne and Richard Gadd.
All3Media International, which has sales rights to The Assassin, is attend the Italian Global Series Festival with Potboiler’s espionage thriller Secret Service, which stars Gemma Arterton. The show will have its Italian premiere on 5 July, where it will screen as part of the festival’s International Drama Competition.
Leave a Reply