Atalaya Productions Options Scottish Thriller

London and US based Independent production company, Atalaya Productions, has optioned the rights to the award winning thriller, The Cutting Room, by bestselling Scottish author, Louise Welsh.

Welsh’s debut novel, The Cutting Room won several awards including the Saltire Society First Book Award, the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey Memorial Dagger Award, and the BBC Underground Award.

The novel centers around an auctioneer who journeys into the Glasgow underworld to uncover a bizarre mystery.

Giovanni Orlando, managing director and CEO of Atalaya said: “Louise Welsh has created one of the most captivating and unusual characters in recent modern fiction with this story’s unique protagonist. The world in which he operates is nearly as seductive as he is. At first you’re afraid to enter it, but once you do, it’s impossible not to continue, no matter how strange it gets. We cannot wait to bring this story to the small screen.”

Atalaya and partners have since brought British writer, Poppy Cogan (Red Rose, Chloe) to the project, who will pen the adaptation of The Cutting Room into a returning series.

Click to read the original article here from Televisual.com


Atalaya Productions to Develop The Harvey Girls

Atalaya Productions, with offices in Santa Fe and London, has partnered with Red Arrow Studios and Seven Stories to develop The Harvey Girls, a female-led series based on the historical phenomenon of the Harvey Girls in early 1900’s America.

Liz Lake (Riviera, Call the Midwife) will write the screenplay for the project, based on research from the non-fiction book The Harvey Girls: Women Who Opened the West by Lesley Poling Kempes. Giovanni Orlando, Partner and CEO, Atalaya Productions commented: “Since first hearing about this fascinating but largely unknown group of women, I’ve continued to be intrigued by their many diverse and compelling stories, some of which are encapsulated in the interviews and anecdotes in Lesley Poling-Kempes’ book. I’m delighted to have been able to transmit my enthusiasm to the talented teams at Seven Stories and Red Arrow Studios International. It’s a real pleasure to now be working with them on this project to bring these incredible stories to the screen. It is our intention to shoot all or part of the series in New Mexico.”

Harvey Houses was a chain of high-class hotels and restaurants for travelers along the Santa Fe Railroad, engineered by British-born Fred Harvey. The drama will follow the young women who worked and lived full time in these establishments – drawn by the opportunity to escape and earn good pay. Set across the 1920s and 1930s, Harvey Girls will explore the resonant themes of identity, sexuality, sisterhood and female independence as they embark on a voyage into the unknown and seize their chance to live the American Dream. Orlando, alongside Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bridget Jones’s Baby), Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie, Red Riding, Indian Summers) and Colleen Woodcock (Creative Director) will executive produce for Seven Stories along with Carlo Dusi for Red Arrow Studios International.

Carlo Dusi, EVP Commercial Strategy, Scripted at Red Arrow Studios International said: “It’s fantastic to be working with Atalaya, Seven Stories and the hugely talented Liz Lake on Harvey Girls – a show that explores a little known slice of US history while still managing to feel timely. It’s exactly the sort of bold and ambitious drama we like to support at Red Arrow, and we are looking forward to working with this best-in-class talent to create a compelling, globally appealing series.”

Colleen Woodcock, Creative Director, Seven Stories, added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Atalaya and Red Arrow on this irresistible story of complex, bold young women remaking their destinies, and very privileged to be working with Liz Lake, who deftly blends the darker elements of their stories with a fresh sense of mischief and surprise.”

About Red Arrow Studios International
Red Arrow Studios International is a world-leading TV distributor of scripted formats and factual shows from a global network of in-house production companies, outstanding third-party producer and digital content partners. With offices in Munich, London and Los Angeles. Red Arrow co-produces and finances global entertainment and distributes acclaimed content to over 200 territories worldwide.

About Atalaya Productions
Originally created to bring to the screen non-fictional stories with content that would resonate with audiences for its strong contemporary references, Atalaya has since ventured into the development and production of fictional material. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the company has an international presence in London where it is developing with UK and European partners, a number of multi season-series. The high quality of Atalaya’s projects currently in development, has attracted co-production partnership and Studio partnerships on both sides of the Atlantic with the likes of Scott Free, Propagate, Seven Stores, Red Arrow Studios International, A&E and Fremantle.

About Seven Stories
Seven Stories is a scripted drama production company launched in September 2015 by award-winning directors, writers and producers Anand Tucker and Sharon Maguire with the backing of All3Media. Based in London, the company is developing and producing bold, high-end, distinctive drama for the global market.

Click to read the original article here from RedArrowStudios.com


Starlings, Atalaya Prep Stan Lee Drama

US-based Starlings Television and Atalaya Productions are moving ahead with the development of Restless, a new supernatural drama series from Spiderman and X-Men co-creator Stan Lee.

Restless centres on a Native American homicide detective who inherits mystical powers from his shaman ancestors and partners with the psychic descendent of a druid princess from Interpol to catch criminals and fight supernatural foes.

The series will be written by David Greenwalt (Grimm, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and James Dalessandro (1906), with Greenwalt serving as showrunner. Lee’s POW! Entertainment is also onboard the project.

The series will be exec produced by Starlings Television president Chris Philip, POW! president Gill Champion, Giovanni Orlando, Larry Jacobson and Karine Martin. Oscar winner Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans) is attached to play the protagonist’s grandfather and co-executive produce.

Restless is one of Stan Lee’s most unique and compelling creations that highlights the Native American cultures’ long journey of spiritual awareness amidst the presence of good and evil,” said Philip. “We have a great team around this project that will deliver tremendous quality which would make Stan proud.”

Champion added: “Restless is one of the projects Stan was determined to see made into a series and the foundation of a new superhero franchise. This story continues propelling his legacy and his deep-rooted desire to bring diversity to the forefront.”

Click to read the original article here from C21Media


Stan Lee’s Pow! Entertainment Preps ‘Restless’, TV Series About Native American Homicide Cop – Comic-Con

The late Stan Lee’s Pow! Entertainment is getting Restless. The company is teaming with Starlings Television and Atalaya Productions to develop a TV series about a Native American homicide detective.

Lee created the character, begins to inherit the mystical powers of his American Indian ancestors after his father’s death. Oscar winner Wes Studi will play the protagonist’s grandfather.

Grimm alum David Greenwalt is set as showrunner and will write the series with James Dalessandro (1906). Chris Philip, Pow! Entertainment president Gill Champion, Giovanni Orlando, Larry Jacobson and Karine Martin are the executive producers.

Restless centers on homicide detective Adam Chaco. When his estranged father dies, Adam begins to inherit the mystical powers of his American Indian ancestors, particularly his grandfather Mohe (Studi), a powerful, revered shaman. Adam is forced to come to terms with a heritage he has long sought to escape, while facing down supernatural criminals he could never have imagined.

The detective is aided by Interpol Special Investigator Bridghid Everly, a high-spirited descendent of a Druid Princess who also possesses extraordinary physical and psychic abilities. Adam and Bridghid must track down a series of supernatural foes being “raised” from ancient cultures intent on bringing chaos to the world. If they survive, they will form the world’s most unique crime-fighting duo.

“Restless is one of Stan Lee’s most unique and compelling creations that highlights the Native American cultures’ long journey of spiritual awareness amidst the presence of good and evil,” said Philip, who announced the project at Comic-Con. “We have a great team around this project that will deliver tremendous quality which would make Stan proud.”

Click to read the original article here from Deadline.com