Scripted

NENT Studios UK confirms The Dead Lands as its first drama acquisition since the recent incorporation and rebranding of DRG.

An eight-hour fantasy-action-adventure series, ‘The Dead Lands’ was produced by New Zealand’s GFC Films for TVNZ and AMC’s Shudder SVOD service and premiered on TVNZ to stellar ratings earlier this year. NENT Studios UK acquired the rights from GFC Films, who had reclaimed the rights from Kew Media Distribution.

Set in a mythical Aoteoroa-New Zealand, in a time before time, ‘The Dead Lands’ tells the story of Waka Nuku Rau (Te Kohe Tuhaka, ‘6 Days, ‘The New Legends of Monkey’), a dishonoured warrior who dies, but whose ancestors in the afterlife send him back to the world to find redemption and honour. There, in the world of the living, he is aided by Mehe (newcomer Darneen Christian), a determined young woman, and together they discover the world has been disrupted by forces not of the living. Someone, or something, is preventing the dead from entering the afterlife and now the dead are thrown back into their decaying bodies to hunt the living. Waka and Mehe go on a long and perilous journey to discover who created the rift between the world of the living and the world of the dead. But in the end, they find that they are part of a battle between the gods themselves for control of the earth.

Co-created by writer/creator Glenn Standring (‘6 Days, ‘Perfect Creature’) and executive producer/creator Matthew Metcalfe (‘My Talks with Dean Spanley’), ‘The Dead Lands’ TV series is not directly connected to the characters and story of the popular film of the same name, also written by Standring and produced by GFC Films. Instead, it represents an expansion of the mythical universe created with the film, with the storyline set sometime after the original events. The series also stars Vicky Haughton (‘Whale Rider’, ‘King Kong’), Calvin Tuteao (‘Once Were Warriors’, ‘Top of the Lake’) and Kirk Torrance (‘Wilde Ride’, ‘Filthy Rich’).

Dave Clarke, NENT Studios UK’s EVP of content says: “’The Dead Lands’ is a unique new series, combining brilliant action-adventure and mythical Maori culture with stunning locations and more than a touch of humour. It presents a totally fresh take on the popular ‘undead’ and ‘quest’ genres and, judging by its initial reviews, is destined to be an international hit, especially with young adult audiences. We are delighted to have acquired the rights and are excited to start talking to broadcasters and platforms worldwide.”