Julian Fellowes' Drama Titanic Green Lit

ITV Studios Global Entertainment, ITV Studios, Lookout Point, Global TV and ABC Television Network, has confirmed that the major television project Titanic, written by Julian Fellowes, has now been green lit for production.
Distributor ITV Studios Global Entertainment, along with co-production and finance company Lookout Point, has secured broadcast partners in America (ABC), Australia (Channel Seven), Canada (Global), Ireland (TV3), New Zealand (TVNZ), Portugal (SIC), Sweden (SVT) and UK (ITV1).
The television broadcast is scheduled to coincide with the centenary of the tragic event and will simulcast on Global and ABC followed closely by premieres in all other territories.
The epic drama is being produced as a 2 x 90 minute and 4 x 1 hour mini series and will start filming in Hungary this Spring.
Maria Kyriacou, Managing Director at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, commented: "The fantastic pedigree of the production talent behind this major series has generated huge interest from our global broadcast clients and we are very pleased to announce these new partners today.
"Providing a vividly different experience of the ship's last hours alongside a definitive snapshot of what was a unique and uncertain moment in history - Titanic promises to be the must-see original drama for this landmark centenary anniversary and gripping primetime content for audiences around the world."
Barbara Williams, SVP, Content, Shaw Media (Global), said: "Despite its legendary fate, on the whole, the Titanic remains a mystery to most, which explains the public's never ending fascination. From the vision of one of the industry's finest writers, we're able to delve a little deeper into the grey areas by way of the characters and their unique perspectives. This is an amazing collaboration with our Canadian producers and the international broadcasters, and a befitting tribute to this moment in history."
Quinn Taylor of ABC Network added: "The tragic tale of the Titanic has retained a powerful hold on people around the world for almost 100 years, and this new miniseries will offer a compelling take on this epic, tragic story. We look forward to bringing this remarkable series to our viewers."
Interweaving multi-arc action, mystery and romantic plot lines and featuring fictional and historical characters, Titanic will focus on different characters ranging from steerage passengers to upper class guests. Each point of view will culminate in a cliff hanger as the ship begins to founder, building to an explosive conclusion which draws together each of the stories. Viewers will be taken on a heart-wrenching journey through Titanic's last hours, as the drama reveals which of the characters they have come to know so well will survive… and who does not.
ITV Studios is partnered with Deep Indigo Productions and Lookout point in the UK, Sienna Films Inc in Canada and Hungary-based Mid Atlantic Films to produce this UK-Hungary-Canada co-production. Titanic is written by Julian Fellowes, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of ITV1's hit costume Downton Abbey as well as Gosford Park and The Young Victoria and produced by the multi-award winning Nigel Stafford-Clark (bleak House, Warriors, The Way We Live Now) and Chris Thompson (Love Actually, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency). The drama is executive produced by Lookout Point's Simon Vaughan (Ben Hur, Coco Channel, The Hot Zone (working title)) together with ITV's Kate Bartlett (Marchlands, Identity, Vera), Sienna Films' Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny (Diamonds, The Hot Zone (working title)) and Mid Atlantic Films' Howard Ellis and Adam Goodman (The Borgias, Pillars of The Earth) and David Collins of Samson Films, Ireland.
Executive Producer, Simon Vaughan of Lookout Point, commented: "We are delighted to be underway with the production. To produce a drama of this scale required us to bring together more than ten pre sale partners. This is also the first time in many year that major UK, US and Canadian networks have joined forces on a major mini series drama and we hope this will be the global broadcasting event of 2012."
(KMcA/GK)