Cast For UK Remake Of French Hit ‘Call My Agent!’ Includes Jack Davenport, Lydia Leonard, Jim Broadbent & More
According to reports today, there is a UK remake of the French smash hit dramedy ‘Call My Agent!‘ about to begin filming, with an impressive cast lined up for the leading roles.
For those of you who haven’t found the original French series on Netflix yet, ‘Call My Agent!’ (‘Dix Pour Cent’ – original French title) is set in a Parisian talent agency where the staff find themselves scrambling to keep their clients happy and keep the company afloat following the sudden death of its founder. The series has become something of a worldwide hit when Netflix picked up the first 4 Seasons for the streaming service. There is currently a 5th Season in development alongside a movie, and a potential US remake.
According to Deadline, who broke the news, the UK version comes from Bron Studios and Headline Pictures, and is being written by BAFTA-winner John Morton (‘W1A’). The cast is set to include Tony-nominated actress Lydia Leonard (‘Gentleman Jack’, ‘Absentia’) as Alexa, in a role loosely based on Camille Cottin’s character Andréa Martel; Jack Davenport (‘Coupling’, ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’) as Jonathan, in a role loosely based on character Mathias Barneville; Maggie Steed (‘Chewing Gum’, ‘EastEnders’, ‘Stella’) as Stella; Prasanna Puwanarajah (‘Defending the Guilty’, ‘Patrick Melrose’) plays Dan; and newcomers Harry Trevaldwyn (‘The King’) will be Ollie, with Hiftu Quasem (‘Killing Eve’) as Misha.
In addition to those characters, Tim McInnerny (‘Game of Thrones’, ‘The Serpent’, ‘Blackadder’), Fola Evans-Akingbola (‘Siren’, ‘Death in Paradise’), Rebecca Humphries (‘Trigonometry’, ‘The Crown’), newcomer Eleanor Arnaud (‘Nu’), and legendary Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent (‘Moulin Rouge!’, ‘Iris’) are all set to take as-yet-unspecified roles. With this being a show about the world of celebrity agents, it helps if they have some additional famous faces, so a collection of A-list Brit and U.S. guest stars are also being lined up for spots on the series.
The UK version is set to “retain the essence” of the French series, however, it will have some new plotlines, and be translated with a more “British sensibility”. It will also have a greater focus on transatlantic industry relationships and include nods to Brit obsessions such as the class system. If you’ve seen Morton’s ‘W1A’ or ‘Twenty Twelve’, you will have some idea as to what the style and tone of this version will be.
“There is a whimsical nature to John’s writing and an authenticity to his characters that is sure to resonate with audiences around the world,” comments President of Bron Television David Davoli. “It is because of John’s writing that we have attracted such strong talent in front of and behind the camera. We are thrilled to be working with Headline Pictures and the fantastic crews in the UK to breathe life into a wonderful show.”
Morton will write and direct the first two episodes of the series. He is joined by Bryce Hart, who is also associate producer, Ella Road, Cat Clarke, Abigail Wilson and Keith Akushie, with Tom Williams acting as story editor. Jessica Swale, Sam Leifer, and M.J. Delaney are attached to direct later episodes with Baz Irvine on board as director of photography, Candida Otton on board as production designer and Rachel Freck casting.
The series is exec produced by David Davoli, Samantha Thomas, Steven Thibault and Aaron L. Gilbert, for Bron Studios, Christian Baute, Frank Calderon and Laurence Lenica for Headline Pictures, and David Tanner from Turbine Studios. Sarah Curtis is producer and Ben Rimmer is co-producer, with Bron’s Emma Fleischer on as supervising producer.
‘Call My Agent!‘ (UK) begins filming in central London next week, and will be in production until September 2021. There is currently no broadcaster announced for the 8-episode series, but we’ll let you know when we hear more.
