Menu
Paris, London, 29 November 2021.
Following their successful collaboration on Around the World in 80 Days, the much-anticipated high-end, international coproduction based on the iconic novel by Jules Verne, Slim Film + Television (Simon Crawford Collins) and Federation Entertainment (Pascal Breton, Lionel Uzan) announced today that they are already in advanced development on a follow up to Around the World in 80 Days and also on another ambitious adaptation of their next Jules Verne classic: Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Both series will, once again, be produced by Simon Crawford Collins for Slim Film + Television and Lionel Uzan for Federation, with Ashley Pharoah (Around the World in 80 Days, Life on Mars, The Living and the Dead) showrunning the adaptations.
Around the World in 80 Days season 2 will see the next chapter in Verne’s timeless classic as Phileas Fogg and his team take another perilous challenge to traverse the globe.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth follows Professor Lidenbrock, an adventurous geology professor who chances upon a manuscript in which a 16th-century explorer claims to have found a route to the earth’s core. The Professor leads a life-threatening expedition that will unearth secrets about the origins of humanity and its future.
Crawford Collins said “We have loved working on the sequel to Around the World in 80 Days and now we are excited to also bring Ashley’s trademark blend of humour and emotion to Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Ashley has developed an ensemble of exciting new and updated characters to bring a fresh and modern take to another of Jules Verne’s beloved novels.”
Lionel Uzan said “We couldn’t be more excited to embark on this thrilling new adventure with Slim and keep exploring Jules Verne’s deeply compelling and trailblazing legacy together. Working hand-in-hand on Around the World in 80 Days has been an inspiring experience for us all, and fresh-off this first globe-trotting odyssey together, it only seemed natural that our next journey would bring us to the innermost depths of our planet and its many secrets through this ever-more relevant story.”
Slim Film + Television and Federation have collaborated on the much-anticipated series Around the World in 80 Days, 8 x 52’, starring David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma and Leonie Benesch in the leading roles, which is due to launch soon on France Télévisions, ZDF, RAI (the European Alliance), as well as on Masterpiece PBS, RTBF and BBC.
**ENDS**
For further information:
Press contact / Federation Entertainment
Valérie Tailland : +33 (0)6 82 57 06 09 / valerie.tailland@fedent.com
Press contact/Slim Film + Television
Christina Joyce, XXIV Communications : christina.joyce@xxivcomms.com
About Slim Film + Television
Slim Film + Television is a truly independent, specialist drama production company based in the heart of London and committed to making the very best dramas for the UK and international market.
Under the guidance of MD Simon Crawford Collins, the company works with some of the most exciting writers in the UK, and beyond, to produce hugely entertaining, adventurous and emotional dramas that simply have great characters at their core.
Simon was previously joint Managing Director at Kudos where he produced some of the most era-defining dramas of recent years including Spooks, Hustle and Ashes to Ashes. Slim Film + Television aims to continue the tradition of making platform-defining television that lives long in the audiences’ memory.
Slim’s returning family drama Mystic for CBBC and TVNZ launched to great critical acclaim in 2020 and returns for a second series launching in winter 2021/22. Filming on the third series will start in January 2022 in New Zealand.
Slim recently announced the management buyback of all its shares and is now a completely independent company.
About Federation Entertainment:
Led by Pascal Breton and Lionel Uzan, Federation heralds a new breed of independent European studios, focusing on the creation, production, financing and distribution of high-quality original productions for the global marketplace. Federation Entertainment works with the best worldwide talents and partners in the industry to create a strong distribution portfolio as well as an array of premium international productions. Only eight years after its creation, the production and distribution studio based in Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Madrid, London, Berlin and Tel-Aviv boasts 130 full time employees, a number which continues to grow monthly.
Active in the drama, kids & family, documentary and light entertainment space, Federation works with all platforms and major broadcasters in the market. Its rich portfolio includes major award-winning and international successes such as the cult spy series The Bureau (50 X 52’), the financial thriller Bad Banks (12 x 52’), the Netflix original hit series Baby (now 3 seasons), Find Me In Paris (78 X 26′), the premium live action hit for teens, Mister8, (8 X 45’), Best series & Best actor awards at CanneSeries 2021, In Treatment, the adaptation of cult format BeTipul by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache for ARTE, Around the World in 80 Days starring David Tennant, produced for the European Alliance (France Televisions, ZDF, Rai), PBS Masterpiece and BBC; as well as Varane, Destin de Champion (Amazon Prime-Video), to name a few.Par
