Winner of the audience award and prize for best creation at this year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival, six-part drama “The Seed” mixes Scandi-noir, ecological concerns and corridors-of-power intrigue into a tense geopolitical thriller that turns around the most elemental of concerns.
“Beneath all the thriller convention we explore this question of who feeds the world,” says show creator Christian Jeltsch. “Because whoever feeds the world has a hold on political power, and today only three companies supply us all.”
The seeds (ahem) of the idea were planted years ago, when Jeltsch read about mercenaries destroying a seed vault in Aleppo and connected the idea to the very real Svalbard Global Seed Vault just off the North Pole. The wheels began turning, the seeds took to sprouting, and soon the show-writer had a narrative full of international intrigue that begins when a young German activist goes missing on the Norwegian northern archipelago.
“Beneath all the thriller convention we explore this question of who feeds the world,” says show creator Christian Jeltsch. “Because whoever feeds the world has a hold on political power, and today only three companies supply us all.”
The seeds (ahem) of the idea were planted years ago, when Jeltsch read about mercenaries destroying a seed vault in Aleppo and connected the idea to the very real Svalbard Global Seed Vault just off the North Pole. The wheels began turning, the seeds took to sprouting, and soon the show-writer had a narrative full of international intrigue that begins when a young German activist goes missing on the Norwegian northern archipelago.
- 6/21/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Leonine Studios has taken worldwide rights to German-Norwegian thriller series The Seed (working title), which is set around the explosive takeover of a seed company and comes from Chameleon writer Christian Jeltsch.
The Germany-based producer-distributor joins its subsidiary Odeon Fiction, alongside co-commissioners German broadcaster Ard Degeto and Norway’s Nrk and Czech producer Mia Film on the production, which began shooting on May 10 at spectacular original locations in Spitsbergen (Norway), Munich (Germany) and Prague (Czech Republic). The service producer in Spitsbergen is PolarX As.
Jeltsch, who is writing upcoming Sky Deutschland corporate lobbying mystery drama Chameleon and works on Ard procedural Tatort, is creator and head writer of the English-language series. He wrote the screenplays with Axel Hellstenius and Alexander Dierbach (Line of Separation) is directing.
Westworld‘s Ingrid Bolsø Berdal Heino Ferch stars opposite Heino Ferch.
The drama uses the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen as the backdrop to the six-part thriller. The vault acts as an insurance policy and backup facility for crops globally by providing storage for seed duplicates storied in gene banks around the world.
The Seed follows German detective Max (Ferch) and Norwegian policewoman Thea (Bolsø Berdal), who set out to find Max’s missing nephew Victor (Jonathan Berlin) in Spitsbergen. It soon becomes apparent his disappearance may be connected to the takeover of a seed company that is causing controversy in Brussels. As they plunge deeper into webs of intrigue and political interests they find their own lives in danger too.
Rainer Bock, Seumas Sargent, Erik Madsen and Friederike Becht round out the international cast.
“With The Seed, we would like to draw attention to an important global issue because it is about the struggle for food,” Ard Degeto Senior Vice President of Drama Christoph Pellander told Deadline. “With a top cast in front of and behind the camera, this is an exciting German-Norwegian co-production that will not only reach the German audience but also attract international attention.“
Pellander is overseeing the drama for Ard Degeto along with Head of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Sebastian Lückel, with Elisabeth Tangen doing the same for Nrk. The producers are Odeon Fiction’s Britta Meyermann (Spy City) and Mischa Hofmann and the Director of Photography is Ian Blumers. FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Creative Europe Media of the European Union, the German Motion Picture Fund and the Czech Tax Incentive are supporting the production.
Babylon Berlin commissioner Ard Degeto and Nrk have been two of the most active co-producers of European drama this year. Last month, Deadline revealed Nrk had ordered a drama about Leonard Cohen’s relationship with muse Marianne Ihlen from the UK’s Buccaneer Media, Oslo-based Redpoint Productions and Canada’s Connect3 Media, for example.
Ard Degeto is working on several new dramas, including mystery thriller series Oderbruch, which is co-produced by Syrreal Entertainment and CBS Studios. Others such as Scandinavian series Blackwater, co-produced with Sweden’s Svt, ITV Studios-owned Apple Tree Productions and Filmpool Nord) are in post-production.
The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of German public broadcaster Ard, commissioning and producing more than 100 productions of feature films, TV movies and series each year. It also acquires programs, with all of its content going out on the Das Erste (Ardi) channel and streaming platform Mediathek.
The Germany-based producer-distributor joins its subsidiary Odeon Fiction, alongside co-commissioners German broadcaster Ard Degeto and Norway’s Nrk and Czech producer Mia Film on the production, which began shooting on May 10 at spectacular original locations in Spitsbergen (Norway), Munich (Germany) and Prague (Czech Republic). The service producer in Spitsbergen is PolarX As.
Jeltsch, who is writing upcoming Sky Deutschland corporate lobbying mystery drama Chameleon and works on Ard procedural Tatort, is creator and head writer of the English-language series. He wrote the screenplays with Axel Hellstenius and Alexander Dierbach (Line of Separation) is directing.
Westworld‘s Ingrid Bolsø Berdal Heino Ferch stars opposite Heino Ferch.
The drama uses the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen as the backdrop to the six-part thriller. The vault acts as an insurance policy and backup facility for crops globally by providing storage for seed duplicates storied in gene banks around the world.
The Seed follows German detective Max (Ferch) and Norwegian policewoman Thea (Bolsø Berdal), who set out to find Max’s missing nephew Victor (Jonathan Berlin) in Spitsbergen. It soon becomes apparent his disappearance may be connected to the takeover of a seed company that is causing controversy in Brussels. As they plunge deeper into webs of intrigue and political interests they find their own lives in danger too.
Rainer Bock, Seumas Sargent, Erik Madsen and Friederike Becht round out the international cast.
“With The Seed, we would like to draw attention to an important global issue because it is about the struggle for food,” Ard Degeto Senior Vice President of Drama Christoph Pellander told Deadline. “With a top cast in front of and behind the camera, this is an exciting German-Norwegian co-production that will not only reach the German audience but also attract international attention.“
Pellander is overseeing the drama for Ard Degeto along with Head of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Sebastian Lückel, with Elisabeth Tangen doing the same for Nrk. The producers are Odeon Fiction’s Britta Meyermann (Spy City) and Mischa Hofmann and the Director of Photography is Ian Blumers. FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Creative Europe Media of the European Union, the German Motion Picture Fund and the Czech Tax Incentive are supporting the production.
Babylon Berlin commissioner Ard Degeto and Nrk have been two of the most active co-producers of European drama this year. Last month, Deadline revealed Nrk had ordered a drama about Leonard Cohen’s relationship with muse Marianne Ihlen from the UK’s Buccaneer Media, Oslo-based Redpoint Productions and Canada’s Connect3 Media, for example.
Ard Degeto is working on several new dramas, including mystery thriller series Oderbruch, which is co-produced by Syrreal Entertainment and CBS Studios. Others such as Scandinavian series Blackwater, co-produced with Sweden’s Svt, ITV Studios-owned Apple Tree Productions and Filmpool Nord) are in post-production.
The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of German public broadcaster Ard, commissioning and producing more than 100 productions of feature films, TV movies and series each year. It also acquires programs, with all of its content going out on the Das Erste (Ardi) channel and streaming platform Mediathek.
- 5/24/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
WWII Action Film Begins In Helsinki
Principal photography has begun on Immortal, the World War II action film from Rare Exports director Jalmari Helander, in which a man goes to war against the Nazi army in the Finnish wilderness. Starring are Jorma Tommila (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale), Aksel Hennie (The Martian), Jack Doolan (The Hatton Garden Job) and Onni Tommila (Big Game). Filming will take place in Lapland and Helsinki, Finland. Petri Jokiranta and Subzero Film Entertainment produce. Executive producers are Mike Goodridge, Gregory Ouanhon and Antonio Salas. As previously announced, Stage 6 Films acquired worldwide rights, excluding the Nordics, which will be handled by Nordisk Film. Pic is backed by the Finnish Film Foundation, Business Finland – Audiovisual Production Incentive and MTV Cmore.
Sony Pictures & EbonyLife Writers Initiative
EbonyLife and Sony Pictures Television are launching Alo, a program for writers of African heritage. The word ‘Alo’ is from the...
Principal photography has begun on Immortal, the World War II action film from Rare Exports director Jalmari Helander, in which a man goes to war against the Nazi army in the Finnish wilderness. Starring are Jorma Tommila (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale), Aksel Hennie (The Martian), Jack Doolan (The Hatton Garden Job) and Onni Tommila (Big Game). Filming will take place in Lapland and Helsinki, Finland. Petri Jokiranta and Subzero Film Entertainment produce. Executive producers are Mike Goodridge, Gregory Ouanhon and Antonio Salas. As previously announced, Stage 6 Films acquired worldwide rights, excluding the Nordics, which will be handled by Nordisk Film. Pic is backed by the Finnish Film Foundation, Business Finland – Audiovisual Production Incentive and MTV Cmore.
Sony Pictures & EbonyLife Writers Initiative
EbonyLife and Sony Pictures Television are launching Alo, a program for writers of African heritage. The word ‘Alo’ is from the...
- 9/21/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Commissions
Sky Deutschland has revealed plans for three new original series, which are part of a wider slate of 60 German and international series that will air in 2022.
“Autobahn,” a 10-part series, will follow a pair of police officer brothers as they keep their cool while chasing suspects at high speed. Shot across Bavaria, the series is from producer Action Concept in association with Sky Studios. The lead writers are Sven Frauenhoff and Andreas Brune. The producers are Heiko Schmidt, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
Set in the year 2036, “Tender Hearts” turns on Mila who orders a humanoid love robot from an advanced tech firm. The eight part series is produced by Odeon Film in association with Sky Studios with Eva Lia Reinegger set to write, with Pola Beck as director. Executive producers are Katja Herzog, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
“Chameleon,” an eight part series, is set in the murky...
Sky Deutschland has revealed plans for three new original series, which are part of a wider slate of 60 German and international series that will air in 2022.
“Autobahn,” a 10-part series, will follow a pair of police officer brothers as they keep their cool while chasing suspects at high speed. Shot across Bavaria, the series is from producer Action Concept in association with Sky Studios. The lead writers are Sven Frauenhoff and Andreas Brune. The producers are Heiko Schmidt, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
Set in the year 2036, “Tender Hearts” turns on Mila who orders a humanoid love robot from an advanced tech firm. The eight part series is produced by Odeon Film in association with Sky Studios with Eva Lia Reinegger set to write, with Pola Beck as director. Executive producers are Katja Herzog, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
“Chameleon,” an eight part series, is set in the murky...
- 9/20/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.