EXCLUSIVE: CBC/Radio-Canada has boarded the upcoming Spellbound, a live-action tween drama from the team behind Find Me in Paris.
The Canadian national network has acquired local rights to the show from Federation Kids & Family and ZDF Studios, which are jointly distributing worldwide.
Hulu, Germany’s ZDF and France Télévisions are already attached as co-production partners, with Federation-owned Cottonwood Media producing in association with Opéra National de Paris and ZDF Studios. The same partners, bar France Télévisions, teamed for sci-fi kids dramedy Find Me in Paris between 2018 and 2020.
Filming on the 26-part Spellbound, which has a budget of €15.3M ($16.6M), has now wrapped ahead of a debut later this year. CBC’s English-language streamer CBC Gem will launch it later this year, before French-language service ICI TOU.TV runs it during the 2023/24 broadcast season.
The show follows Cece Parker Jones (Hailey Romain), a vivacious teenager who relocates to Paris from a small town in the U.S. to study at the Paris Opera Ballet School. But things turn upside down when she discovers a book of family spells in the back room of her Aunt Ginger’s apothecary and unwittingly summons her nemesis.
Cast also includes Margherita Barbieri, Abigail O’Regan, Etienne Moana, Sam Darius, Zac Gabriel Werb, Raven Dauda (The Umbrella Academy, Star Trek: Discovery), Malou Beauvoir (Perception), Rik Young (Beowolf, Find Me in Paris), Cameron James-King (Tuesday, His Dark Materials), Gomolémo Tsagaé, Imogen Mackie Walker and Charles Baker.
The show comes from Jill Girling and Lori Mather, who also created Find Me in Paris. Executive producer Renaud Mathieu and one of the directors, Robert Burke, also worked on the previous show. Alexander Jacob (Theodora, Hollyoaks) is series lead director, with Anne Bradley another director. Cottonwood’s Zoé Carrera Allaix, Cécile Lauritano and David Michel.
“The team at CBC Kids is excited to see Spellbound come to life,” said Marie McCann, Senior Director, Children’s Content, CBC. “The dancers are electric against the stunning mise en scène and we think kids will really enjoy this fun and fresh take on magic.”
Simon Dupuis, Senior Director, Acquisitions & Speciality Channels, Radio-Canada, added: “Cottonwood Media has established an enviable reputation for producing the massive international teen drama hit Find Me in Paris. We believe that kids will be attracted to Spellbound as much as were reading the pitch. It has all the ingredients to become another success.”
“We are delighted to have closed this deal with CBC/Radio-Canada as we ramp up international sales over the coming months,” said Monica Levy, Co-Chief of Distribution, Federation Kids & Family. “In respect of this specific deal, it’s also an added bonus that our lead actress Hailey Romain is Canadian herself.”
The co-founders of Cottonwood — David Michel, Cécile Lauritano and Zoé Carrera Allaix — added: “We are working with some amazing broadcast partners on this big budget series, and we always look out for that ‘special’ something when it comes to seeking out new international talent for our productions in a bid to find the right individuals to bring our characters to life whilst reciprocally nurturing their skills – and we are confident some of these amazing new actors will soon have viewers under their spell.”