China’s Tencent picks up Amazon series “The Collection”

PanARMENIAN.Net - China’s internet giant Tencent has acquired rights to fashion-world drama “The Collection”, created by “Ugly Betty” showrunner Oliver Goldstick and co-produced by Amazon Studios, Variety said.

The eight-episode series, represented by BBC Worldwide, is set in the world of French haute couture after World War II. It features Tom Riley (“Da Vinci’s Demons,” “Kill Your Friends”), Mamie Gummer (“The Good Wife,” “Ricki and the Flash”), Richard Coyle (“Crossbones,” “Life of Crime,” “Going Postal”) and Alix Poisson (“Disparue,” “3xManon,” “Parents mode d’emploi”).

“The Collection” tells the story of “an illustrious Paris fashion house emerging from the dark days of the Occupation. This gripping family saga, centered on two very different brothers, exposes the grit behind the glamour and the treachery beneath the trappings of this empire, and all who work there,” according to a statement.

From January, the show will air exclusively on Tencent’s QQ platform, available to more than 830 million active QQ accounts. Tencent also has the distribution rights for the series in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

Tencent co-produces “Planet Earth II” with BBC Worldwide. The nature documentary show has been very popular in China, with 28 million views for its first four episodes in just four weeks. Tencent had previously acquired BBC series “Doctor Who” and “Orphan Black.”

“The Collection” is a Lookout Point and Artis Pictures Production, co-produced with Amazon Studios, Federation Entertainment, MFP and Masterpiece, with the participation of France Televisions and BBC Worldwide in association with Tencent Distribution.