ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Huanxi Media agree deal for futuristic thriller Snowpiercer

Published: Tue 21 May 2019

ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Huanxi Media agree deal for futuristic thriller Snowpiercer

Deal for mainland China rights on streaming service Huanxi.com

Announcement follows on from agreement for critically acclaimed drama Bodyguard

ITV Studios Global Entertainment has signed a formal agreement with Huanxi Media Group Limited for the exclusive broadcasting rights in mainland China for the forthcoming, highly anticipated production of post-apocalyptic sci-fi series Snowpiercer.

Snowpiercer, based on the acclaimed film of the same name from director Bong Joon Ho, is due to launch on TBS in the U.S. in Spring of 2020, with WarnerMedia announcing last week that it has ordered a second season prior to the first season premiere. It is produced by Tomorrow Studios - a joint venture between CEO Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios - along with CJ Entertainment who produced the original film, and stars Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) and Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs (Hamilton, Black-ish).

The deal, which includes both seasons, quickly follows the recent announcement that Huanxi Media has also secured the mainland China rights to award-winning terror thriller Bodyguard, created and written by Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty) and produced by World Productions, an ITV Studios company. Both Snowpiercer and Bodyguard will be available via its streaming service platform, huanxi.com, which provides viewers with both films and scripted television drama produced domestically and from abroad.

Ruth Berry, Managing Director, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, said: Snowpiercer is another hugely exciting drama on our global slate and we are delighted that, in joining Bodyguard on Huanxi.com, viewers in China will be able to enjoy the twists and turns of two of our biggest shows.

Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, Snowpiercer centres on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out in this riveting television adaptation.

The series is executive produced by Tomorrow Studios Marty Adelstein (Cowboy Bebop, Hanna, Prison Break) and Becky Clements (Good Behavior, Aquarius, Last Man Standing); showrunner Graeme Manson (Orphan Black), who wrote the first episode; director James Hawes (The Alienist, Black Mirror); Matthew O'Connor (Continuum, Tin Man); Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange), and the original films producers Bong Joon Ho, Miky Lee, Tae-sung Jeong, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi.

The deal with Huanxi Media was brokered on behalf of ITV Studios Global Entertainment by Hyeonza Hong, Senior Vice President Sales, Asia.

Via a deal with ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Netflix has licensed the international SVOD rights to the series outside of the U.S. and China.

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About ITV Studios Global Entertainment

ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) is one of the world's leading international TV distribution, home entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing businesses. ITVS GE distributes more than 45,000 hours of celebrated content across all genres from both its in-house production business, ITV Studios, and in collaboration with leading producers from around the world.

Part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK's largest commercial broadcaster, ITV Studios Global Entertainment has offices in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Los Angeles and Sydney.

About Huanxi Media

HUANXI Media is an innovative media company in China, focusing on investment and production of films, drama series, and operation of a subscription based online video platform. The company was founded by Mr. Dong Ping , Ning Hao , Xu Zheng and Steven Xiang in 2015, and listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE: 1003).

Ownership interests of a number of top Chinese movie directors in the company, closely aligns interests of the company with those of China's top movie directors, which allows HUANXI to have the right to produce high-quality movies and drama series for internet media platforms.

Under its arrangement with these top-tier directors, HUANXI has the exclusive rights to invest and produce films by China's most prominent directors for multiple years. HUANXI's directors include Ning Hao, Xu Zheng, Peter Chan, Wong Kar Wai, Zhang Yibai, Gu Changwei, Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke. HUANXI's goal is to become the most important producer of high-quality contents for cinematic release as well as media distribution platforms in China.

Huanxi.com and its APP provide viewers with commercial-free, easy-to-use, and high-quality contents, and offer great user experience of cinematic audio-visual enjoyment across multiple devices (PC, mobile, and TV).

LINK:	https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-studios-global-ente...
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