Less than a week after announcing Tony and Dan Gilroy‘s “Monsieur de Paris,” Gaumont Intl. Television, the L.A.-based production and distribution arm of the French major, is set to join forces with yet another high-profile filmmaker, Wolfgang Petersen (“Troy”), on cinematic epic drama “King David.”
The one-hour series will chronicle the rise, fall and eventual redemption of a young shepherd who fought the despotic King Saul and became king of his people.
“King David” will be introduced to buyers at Mipcom, the Cannes-set TV confab, which kicks off Oct.7.
Like “Monsieur de Paris,” “King David” underscores GIT’s rising status as a leading purveyor of top-notched drama series made for international auds, as well as its aim at producing a wide range of skeins, from genre to periods and epics. With “King David,” GIT may also be looking to tap into the success of recent epic dramas, “The Bible” and “The Vikings.”
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“I’m thrilled to be able to bring one of the oldest, greatest epic stories to life in television, where the story can truly breathe,” stated Petersen. “Many people think of David’s legacy in terms of ‘David & Goliath’, but that’s only the very beginning of his journey. From there, David emerges as one of the most complex, ambitious, conflicted and deeply human figures in world history, as well as one of its greatest icons.”
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Petersen is on board to direct and exec produce. Ron Parker (“Hatfields & McCoys”) has been tapped to write and exec produce along with Petersen. Roger Young (“Rome”) will serve as producing director and exec produce with Kimberly Miller.
Launched two years ago by Gaumont vice CEO Christophe Riandee and helmed by GIT CEO Katie O’Connell, a former NBC high-ranking exec, the Los Angeles banner already boasts a strong track record: Both “Hannibal” and “Hemlock Grove” were greenlit without going into pilot production, and have been reupped for a second season by NBC and Netflix, respectively. The studio has recently staffed up its L.A. office with such well-seasoned execs as Carol Trussell, Adam Fishbach and Sam Semon.
The announcement was unveiled today by O’Connell.
Petersen, Parker and Young are repped by Paradigm.
GIT’s development slate boasts several other shows, notably Nicolas Winding Refn‘s “Barabella.”