The Player is going global.
Series producer and distributor Sony Pictures Television has lined up a slew of international sales for the NBC drama starring Philip Winchester and Wesley Snipes following its debut in the United States last week. Sony has yet to agree a UK deal for the series, though numerous broadcasters expressed interest following the LA Screenings last May.
The Player tells the story of a former military operative turned security expert who is drawn into a high-stakes game where an organization of wealthy individuals gamble on his ability to stop some of the biggest crimes imaginable from playing out. Can he take them down from the inside and get revenge for the death of his wife, or is it true what they say: The house always wins.
The hour-long drama hails from The Librarians creator John Rogers and features a cast that includes Philip Winchester (Strike Back), Wesley Snipes (Blade), Charity Wakefield (Wolf Hall) and Damon Gupton (Empire). Sony Pictures Television, Davis Entertainment and Kung Fu Monkey are producing, with John Rogers, John Davis, John Fox and director Bharat Nalluri.
All told, SPT has sold The Player to international broadcasters in some 105 territories including TF1 in France, RTL in Germany, AXN in Spain, Seven in Australia, NBCU in Latin America, RTL CBS Extreme in Southeast Asia, AXN across Central and Eastern Europe, D-Smart in Turkey, VRT in Belgium. OSN in the Middle East, TV Azteca in Mexico, Monte Carlo in Uruguay, WAPA in Puerto Rico, Colors Infinity in India, OCN in South Korea and TV ONE in New Zealand.
On the back of these already closed deal, Sony Pictures Television will also be taking The Player to MIPCOM, hoping to close further deals for the thriller on the ground in Cannes. SPT will also be shopping the U.S. version of Sky1’s Mad Dogs (which was picked up to series by Amazon earlier this year) and Crackle’s first original drama The Art Of More at MIPCOM next week.
