BBC Studios has announced a raft of international sales of Les Misérables, which is produced by Lookout Point and BBC Studios for BBC One and MASTERPIECE.
Victor Hugo’s 19th Century classic continues to resonate with audiences worldwide as buyers from Portugal to Taiwan snap up the star-studded series. Adapted by the award-winning writer Andrew Davies, Les Misérables is a bold, refreshing and modern take on one of the most famous and epic stories of all time.
The series will have its French premiere in Lille on Saturday 23rd March from 15:00 at the UGC cinema, as part of Series Mania’s International Panorama screenings. The producer of Les Misérables, Chris Carey, will be in attendance alongside Lookout Point’s Managing Director, Damian Keogh.
Sales for Les Misérables include Portugal (RTP2), Norway (NRK), Sweden (SVT), Finland (YLE), Iceland (RUV), Denmark (TV2), New Zealand (TVNZ), India (Zee Café), Spain (Telefonica), Taiwan (Catchplay), Estonia (ETV), Russia (Channel One and Kultura), Greece (Cosmote) and Latvia (LTV). MASTERPIECE is the co-production partner for the US. BBC First will premiere the series across Benelux, South Africa, Middle East, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Les Misérables will also be available to audiences travelling with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Qantas Airways.
Paul Dempsey, President, Global Markets, BBC Studios, said: “British producers have a well-earned reputation for turning classic literature into great television but Andrew Davies has rewritten the rules, crafting dramas that have stayed true to the original while speaking squarely to modern audiences. He’s done it again with Les Misérables and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for his two latest endeavours, Sanditon and A Suitable Boy.”
Damian Keogh, Managing Director, Lookout Point said: “We have always believed that Victor Hugo’s story is enduring and timeless. The alchemy of Andrew Davies’ scripts combined with Tom Shankland’s direction and the extraordinary cast performances have created an adaptation that feels genuinely accessible and relevant. So it is satisfying to see buyers across the world recognise that this is a series their audiences will love. We’re delighted that A Suitable Boy, our next adaptation with Andrew, is also shaping up to be an epic, sweeping saga with similarly broad appeal.”
Starring Dominic West (The Wire, The Affair) as Jean Valjean and David Oyelowo (Selma, A United Kingdom) as Javert, the landmark drama bolsters a stellar cast with Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply, Tolkien, Love, Rosie) in the role of Fantine, Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown, The Night Manager) as Madame Thénardier, Adeel Akhtar (The Night Manager, Murdered By My Father, Utopia) as Monsieur Thénardier, Josh O’Connor (The Crown, The Durrells, God’s Own Country, Ripper Street) as Marius, Ellie Bamber (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Nocturnal Animals) as Cosette, Erin Kellyman (Raised by Wolves, Uncle, The Coopers Vs The Rest) as Eponine, David Bradley (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter) as Monsieur Gillenormand and Derek Jacobi (Last Tango in Halifax, My Week with Marilyn, Murder on the Orient Express) as Bishop of Digne.
Les Misérables Executive Producers are Andrew Davies, Faith Penhale (War And Peace, Doctor Who) for Lookout Point, Bethan Jones for BBC Studios (War And Peace, Sherlock). David Oyelowo and Dominic West also executive produce. Mona Qureshi is executive producer for BBC One and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece. The series is also produced by Chris Carey (Apple Tree Yard) and directed by Tom Shankland (The Missing).
The Belgian co-producer is CZAR Film and TV, and the series is supported by Screen Flanders and Screen Brussels.