FremantleMedia has sold upcoming BBC One “pre-apocalyptic” crime drama Hard Sun to German public broadcaster ZDF.
Written by Luther creator Neil Cross, the six-part series stars Jim Sturgess (One Day, 21) and Agyness Deyn (Sunset Song) as detectives Robert Hicks and Elaine Renko who, whilst investigating what appears to be the routine death of a computer hacker in London, stumble upon proof that the world is facing certain destruction in just five years.
A terrifying reality that the government urgently wants to keep under wraps. Hicks and Renko find themselves being pursued by ruthless Security Service operatives who are willing to kill in order to keep the secret silent. The pair will have to use all of their ingenuity to protect themselves and those they love.
Standing on different ends of the social and moral spectrum, Charlie Hicks is a family man and a great, committed policeman. He’s also profoundly corrupt. Elaine Renko by contrast is a loner; difficult and damaged. She is also utterly incorruptible.
As the two detectives become champions in the fight to expose the truth behind the ‘Hard Sun’, Hicks and Renko must somehow learn to work together… if they’re going to survive until the end of the world.
“With fantastic scripts from Neil Cross, a fascinating pair of investigators and Euston Films’ vision, Hard Sun represents the very best of premium European crime drama and is set to be a thrilling watch for German audiences.” said FremantleMedia International’s Maximilian Bolenius.
“We’re very excited to have ZDF on board and look forward to launching the series with our German partners in 2018.”
“Hard Sun is an exceptional programme. When we read the pilot we knew that this would be something special.” said Susanne Mueller, Executive Director of Feature Films and International Series at ZDF.
“The scripts from Luther-creator Neil Cross are compelling, thrilling and ambitious and have all the ingredients for a fantastic show.
“The casting of Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess as leads is congenial since they embody Renko and Hicks beautifully. We are happy to be on board and present this series as one of our highlights in early 2018.”
