EXCLUSIVE: After its comedian crime caper The Massive Fuck Up performed in competitors at Canneseries this week, Brussels-based producer Jonnydepony has landed one other drama fee from Belgian platform Streamz.
Boho is a lightweight comedy-drama from author Abbie Boutkabout that follows a trio of 30-something pals as they navigate life in Borgerhout, an eclectic and culturally-rich space of Antwerp in Belgium. “It’s like Soho, however in Antwerp,” stated Jonnydepony CEO and co-founder Helen Perquy in an interview with Deadline.
Abbie Boutkabout is the creator and Philippe De Schepper, who leads Banijay Benelux-backed Jonnydepony with content material financier and exec producer Perquy, would be the showrunner. Boutkabout, De Schepper and Zita Theunynck are the writers, and Olympia Allaert is the director. The present obtained script and manufacturing assist from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, and Perquy revealed all heads of division on the manufacturing are feminine.
Ikram Aoulad (Arcadia), Serine Ayari (Exen) and hip-hop artist Miss Angel, who has appeared within the native model of Dancing with the Stars, are within the lead roles. They play three pals grappling the on a regular basis strain of life and trendy maturity, from cultural expectations round careers, marriages and households to their often-conflicting pursuit of their very own goals and happiness.
Every week, they collect for ‘Fuzzy Fridays’, a chaotic however comforting ritual of ‘nightshop’ wine and dangerous weed. There they vent and supply inspiration for the musical one among them is decided to make about their lives.
“Whereas Boho is a distinctly Flemish story, capturing the heat and concrete vibe of Borgerhout, the themes and characters are universally relatable – this might be in any European metropolis,” stated Perquy. “Abbie Boutkabout has created a bond between the three characters that’s uncooked, humorous and genuine. With dance and music woven into the narrative construction, the collection not solely gives drama, however an atmospheric temper all through.
Canneseries & Extra Future Initiatives
Jonnydepony is coming off a powerful week at Canneseries, the place crime caper The Massive Fuck Up had its world premiere out of competitors. The present – starring the likes of Willem De Schryver, Tom Vermeir, Tibo Vandenborre and Lien Joosten – is ready within the Nineteen Eighties and based mostly on a real story of a rogue group of Belgium’s former nationwide police service, the Gendarmarie. Led by a CIA operative, the unit trades chasing criminals for a lifetime of crime, resulting in chaos.
“It’s a enjoyable, dramatic story that actually occurred, which makes the absurdity actually clear,” stated Perquy. “It’s additionally fairly American in type – darkish, humorous and vibrant with a younger important character. The viewers goes to seek out it a very enjoyable watch – it’s actually a loopy story.”
Perquy added that the frosting of relations between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the European Union helped to contextualize the Nineteen Eighties Chilly Warfare-era setting of The Massive Fuck Up. “Again then, the People needed the Europeans to spend extra on protection, which is definitely taking place now,” she stated.
The Streamz and Prime Video Netherlands present, which launches later this 12 months, comes from De Schepper and Bas Adriaensen, with Perquy at present procuring it on to patrons as she considers a number of gross sales agent gives. Although Banijay has a big stake in Jonnydepony, the France-based firm doesn’t instantly get to promote the Brussels-based producer’s exhibits.
“The enterprise is troublesome in the mean time, particularly for non-English-language drama, and whereas I used to be pitching it, all people thought it was a cop present, nevertheless it’s by no means,” stated Perquy. “I didn’t need to promote it for too little, so we determined to make it first and see what viewers feels. It’s a selected world, and with the American hyperlink and the tensions on the earth proper now, you’ll be able to actually relate. There are gross sales brokers thinking about promoting it, after all, however we’re hoping to promote it to sure territories after Canneseries.”
Perquy revealed the writing staff behind The Massive Fuck Up are subsequent turning their hand to a drama collection a couple of farming household struggling to make ends meet underneath the strain of environmental laws and on a regular basis life. “The household is cussed and dysfunctional, striving to outlive,” stated Perquy. The factor about farmers in Flanders – and in all places else – is they simply do it their approach.”
The venture remains to be at writing section, with De Schepper hooked up to be showrunner. Whereas the subject is markedly totally different from the dramedy interval vibes of The Massive Fuck Up, Perquy stated: “The writers have been very versatile and that may be a necessity on this enterprise.”
Exec producer and financing professional Perquy co-owns Jonnydepony, which was shaped in 2015, with De Schepper. She joined following a spell at Belgian pubcaster VRT advising its scripted division and after engaged on exhibits reminiscent of Veerle Baetens and Malin-Sarah Gozin’s Tabula Rasa. The corporate stays lean, with a workers of three. Laura Brewaeys, Head of Manufacturing & Finance, is the opposite supervisor.
Perquy stated: “I needed to hitch an organization that actually has a way of strategic enterprise – I could have studied literature, however I do the enterprise, and that’s precisely what Jonnydepony does: We’re in improvement on three titles, we’re in post-production on The Massive Fuck Up and we’ll shoot a brand new collection in three weeks.”
Banijay, which is now Europe’s largest studio for scripted, purchased into the enterprise in 2022, backing the creative-led strategy De Schepper had developed. Mediawan and Newen Join (now Studio TF1) are understood to have additionally been within the hunt, finally Jonnydepony’s administration felt closest to the Peaky Blinders and Asterix Le Fight des Chef‘s firm.
“Lots of people name themselves showrunners within the Flemish world, however only a few are actual showrunners – that means you perceive finances, planning, scheduling, writing and the whole lot else,” stated Perquy. “Philippe is an actual showrunner who went to America, learn all of the books on it, after which took the very best ones, learn them once more and outlined what that meant for him.
“He says a showrunner creates a present, shoots a present and is in post-production. That’s the solely approach you’ll be able to survive for those who’re actually centered on working at this tempo.”
Belgian exhibits had been a theme at this week’s Canneseries, with two performed out of competitors and Lifeless Finish and Easy methods to Kill Your Sister in competition for the primary competitors, however Perquy situation a phrase of warning for the long run.
“The viewers loves creativity however we live in a time the place individuals are very danger averse, and that kills the business,” she stated. “Producers are those who ought to be probably the most risk-averse, as a result of we’re mainly bankrupt [most of the time]. The fervour is there to make exhibits with good and expertise folks.
“Fortunately, Canneseries picked unique, artistic titles, however VRT and the business stations are usually not represented. It was all Streamz, and I’m undecided they may proceed to take dangers – I hope they do. I’m not saying the whole lot needs to be area of interest – Bridgerton and The Strolling Lifeless had been screened at Canneseries, and I’m completely in favor of that, as Jonnydepony doesn’t do area of interest – however a minimum of we attempt to be artistic.”
