US studio gains first-look at slate of Israeli firm behind Homeland and The Baker and The Beauty
Keshet International has struck a multi-year, first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television that will see the US studio remaking the Israeli group’s scripted shows.
SPT will have exclusive first-look rights to develop and produce English-language adaptations of KI titles in partnership with Peter Traugott’s US-based Keshet Studios, which will also work with SPT to develop original scripted series.
Several projects from KI’s existing catalogue have already been lined up for US remakes, with Save the Date the first project announced.
The comedy debuted on Keshet 12 in Israel earlier this year and follows wedding planner Dassy, who finds herself innundated with suitors from her past and present after her grandmother’s love spell backfires.
It was originally produced by Tel Aviv-based Tedy Productions with Reisdor and was created by Ori Gross, Yoav Tsafir, Tmira Yardeni, Tamara Salem, and Tamar Marom. A second season has already been ordered.
The US version is in development and has Dana Fox (Wicked) - who recently signed an overall deal with SPT - attached as showrunner.
Katherine Pope, president of SPT Studios, said: ”We’re thrilled to partner with Avi [Nir], Keren [Shahar], Peter, and their teams, who consistently deliver top-tier global content, and we’re especially excited to have the incredible Dana Fox join our first project with them.”
Keren Shahar, chief exec at Keshet International, added: “As like-minded independent companies, we share a creative vision and a genuine passion for developing ideas that resonate with audiences worldwide. Partnering with Katherine and the talented team at Sony feels like the perfect fit and a natural next step for Keshet Studios.”
Keshet International has worked on shows including NBC’s La Brea, which was developed and produced with Sony and Universal Television, and was also behind Prisoners of War, which got remade in the US as Homeland for HBO.
It also produced The Baker and The Beauty, which ran on Israel’s Keshet 12 for three seasons before being remade for ABC, while a local version has also been produced for TF1 in France.
US-based Keshet Studios was launched in 2014 and has been behind Echo 3 on Apple TV, Our Boys on HBO, and A Small Light with ABC Signature for National Geographic and Disney+.
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