EXCLUSIVE: Allen Leech (Downton Abbey, Bohemian Rhapsody) and India Mullen (Normal People, Brassic) will lead the cast of an Irish drama series for AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and local broadcaster Virgin Media Television, we’ve learned.
The pair will topline six-part drama The Vanishing Triangle, which goes into production later this year with a U.S.-UK-Ireland production set-up, and Eccho Rights attached as international distributor. The show is inspired on true events that shook Ireland in the 1990s, when several women disappeared. While the characters and events in the series are fictional, the producers have spoken to several of the real life victims’ families, and hope the show will keep their stories in the Irish public’s mind. The show title is regularly used in the Irish media to refer to the events, which began with the disappearance of American woman Annie McCarrick in 1993 and spiralled to involve many similar cases.
Mullen will star as reporter Lisa Wallace, working in the face of prejudice and police incompetence to investigate the mysterious murder of her own mother nearly 20 years earlier. Leech (Downton Abbey, Bohemian Rhapsody) plays David Burke, a detective helping with her case, but whose struggles with his sexuality are a constant burden.
Ireland’s Park Films, the U.S.’s Paper Plane Productions and the UK’s 87 Films are attached. Sundance Now has U.S. and Canada rights and Virgin Media takes Ireland. European distributor Eccho, recently acquired by Night Train Media, will handle international distribution in all other territories and is a co-producer.
Notably, Your Honor and Tehran producer Alon Aranya is executive producer for Paper Plane, alongside AnneMarie Naughton (The Canal, The Fading Light) and Ana Habajec (Son, Midsummer Fire) for Park Films, Patrick Irwin (The Fall) for Mrs Scarlett and the Duke co-producer 87 Films and Adam Barth and Lucy Roberts for Eccho Rights. Park Films co-founder Ivan Kavanagh (Son, The Canal) is the series writer creator, and is co-writing alongside Sally Tatchell (The Bay, London Kills, Waterloo Road) and Rachel Anthony (Lucky Man, Mistresses, Ransom). Rebecca Johnson (Honeytrap, Top Girl) is the director.
The series is the latest international co-production for Sundance Now. Last month, we revealed it had boarded Sky comedy-drama The Lovers. Its parent, AMC Networks, has already found success in Ireland this year, with IFC recently giving the green light to comedy-drama SisterS, which is also for public broadcaster RTÉ.
Shannon Cooper, Vice President of Programming at Sundance Now said: “The Vanishing Triangle is an expertly crafted, character driven thriller with the exact international appeal the Sundance Now audience craves. We’re pleased to join Virgin Media Television and Eccho Rights on this exciting journey.”
Bill Malone, Director of Content at Ireland’s Virgin Media Television, said: “Supporting and developing great Irish drama and programming of international scale and quality has been a tentpole of Virgin Media Television’s strategy. The Vanishing Triangle, in partnership with AMCN’s Sundance Now in the U.S., marks another significant milestone for Virgin Media Television’s drama ambitions and comes on the back of international success and recognition for programmes such as Blood, Holding and Finding Jack Charlton.”
“Gathering together so many strong international partners to bring this incredibly powerful story to screen has been a real joy, and we can’t wait to see the results as we move into production over the coming months,” added Barth, Director of Co-productions, Acquisitions, and Development at Eccho Rights.
Allen is represented by Untitled Entertainment, United Agents and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan, while Mullen is represented by Hamilton Hodell and Authentic Management.
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