Fremantle Australia is entering a creative partnership with Fremantle-owned Israeli production company Abot Hameiri and Stephen Corvini’s Live Wires Productions to co-produce Prisoner X, a drama series based on the true story of Mossad recruit Ben Zygier.
The series follows Ben’s journey from suburban Melbourne to the Israeli Defence Force, before joining the world’s most feared intelligence agency.
Prisoner X is a passion-project for Live Wires’ Stephen Corvini, whose recent credits include the International Emmy Award-winning Safe Harbour, Hungry Ghosts, and Secret City 2 – Under the Eagle.
Screenwriter Giula Sandler is attached as lead writer. Her recent credits include White House Farm (New Pictures for ITV), Glitch (Matchbox Pictures for ABC), Bloom (Playmaker for Stan), the AWGIE nominated episode of ABC’s Grace Beside Me, A Place To Call Home, and the Blackfella/Werner series Ready for This for ABC. Giula co-script produced NBCU/Matchbox’s Nowhere Boys II which was nominated for an International Emmy as well as an AACTA award.
Executive producer Stephen Corvini said: “Prisoner X is a story without peer that I’ve been waiting to bring to the world for some time. Now with Fremantle and Abot Hameiri as production partners I know we’ll be able to tell this extraordinary story with the expertise, talent and support it requires, and above all humanity.”
Chris Oliver-Taylor, Fremantle CEO Asia Pacific, said: “We are thrilled to work with our friends Abot Hameiri and Stephen Corvini on this ground-breaking story. Coupled with Giula Sander writing and the man who broke the story in Australia, Trevor Bormann, as part of the development team, Prisoner X is a thrilling and nuanced character drama, and it’s the perfect project for an Australia-Israel co-production.”
No broadcaster is yet associated with the project.
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Top Photo: Stephen Corvini