Brit musician Stormzy has joined the cast of BBC One drama Noughts + Crosses, Mammoth Screen’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s dystopian young adult book series currently being filmed in South Africa. The popular grime artist will play newspaper editor Kolawale, a character created for the series. Jack Rowan (Peaky Blinders) stars with newcomer Masali Baduza, Helen Baxendale, Paterson Joseph and Ian Hart. The show charts the story of first love in a dangerous, alternate world where racism divides society. Exec producers on the show include Participant and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
Anthony Kimble, who recently left Cineflix Rights after five years as SVP acquisitions and co-productions North America, has formally launched new content outfit Fugitive. Kimble will be at next week’s Series Mania, where he will be repping projects including Uncanny Valley: The Truth About Thinking Machines, a six-hour hybrid event series about A.I. combining non-fiction from Jigsaw Productions producer Alex Gibney and fiction from science fiction author Cory Doctorow. Also on the slate will be Yolanda Ramke’s (Cargo) The Line, an eight-hour returnable, female-driven thriller set in World War II, which Kimble will also executive produce.
UK TV distributor Cineflix Rights has acquired Icelandic scripted series The Minister from Icelandic production outfit Sagafilm. The eight-part political drama stars Trapped and Fantastic Beasts actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. The show centers on Benedikt Ríkhardsson (Ólafsson), who takes a unique approach to politics, surfing a wave of popular discontent with the establishment that earns him the support of Icelanders, leading him to become Chair of the Independence Party and the country’s Prime Minister. However, Benedikt is suffering from an underlying bipolar disorder. Julien Leroux, SVP, Global Scripted Co-Productions, Cineflix Media, who brokered the deal said, “The Minister sits alongside the best Nordic dramas of the past few years and reflects the new world of populism. It has a taut plot which follows the rise of a populist, but flawed, politician and how his team deals with the impact of his behaviour on the traditional political system and their ability to govern.”
