THE FAMOUS FIVE ARE BACK!

FILMING BEGINS ON A BRAND NEW SERIES OF THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL BBC DRAMA

Joining the core cast are Maria Pedraza, Amir Wilson, James Wilby, Rita Tushingham, Jonathan Aris, Jamie Andrew Cutler and Jemima Rooper

A Moonage Pictures and byNWR co-production for the BBC and THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO

 

BBC, Moonage Pictures (The Gentlemen) and Nicolas Winding Refn today announce filming has begun on a brand-new series of The Famous Five for the BBC in the UK, in co-production with THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO which also holds the distribution rights for the series in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.

The 2 x 90min series is created for television and executive produced by NICOLAS WINDING REFN (byNWR) & MATTHEW READ (Moonage Pictures) and follows on from the highly successful first series which aired on the BBC. The premiere, The Curse of Kirrin Island, was CBBC’s number one rated episode in 2023.

Diaana Babnicova returns as George, alongside Elliott Rose as Julian, Kit Rakusen as Dick and Flora Jacoby Richardson as Anne. Making up the fifth member of The Famous Five and the gang’s faithful furry friend, is Kip, the Bearded Collie Cross playing Timmy the dog.

With Jack Gleeson, James Lance, Ann Akinjirin also reprising their roles, they are joined by new cast members, including Spanish actress Maria Pedraza (Money Heist, Elite), Amir Wilson (His Dark Materials), James Wilby (Poldark), Rita Tushingham (A Taste of Honey), Jemima Rooper (Geek Girl), Jonathan Aris (Sherlock) and Jamie Andrew Cutler (The Hurricane Heist). Rooper starred as George in the 1990s Famous Five TV series and now takes on the role of Angela Clutterbuck, a guest staying at a mysterious hotel.

The Famous Five is based on Enid Blyton’s iconic stories and follows the daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets. Series two takes our heroes into strange and challenging waters as they face life during wartime – and the hazards of growing up.

The new series sees our fearless young heroes encounter a host of new problems. Julian is under strict instructions to be a responsible older brother and keep his siblings safe whilst George is committed to seeking out the best and biggest adventures against Julian’s advice.

Dick is trying to be brave as the threat of war gets closer, and Anne’s formidable self-assurance is growing by the day. And Timmy? Timmy is deeply perturbed by the dwindling availability of sausages in Kirrin Cottage.

James Lance says: “’I am delighted to be back playing Uncle Quentin in The Famous Five. This series is a gem. It is a privilege to be working with our wonderful cast with the sweetest co-star, dear Kip who plays Timmy the dog as we follow him on these magical adventures.”

Matthew Read, Moonage Pictures says, “Thanks to the hugely positive audience response and international success of the first three films, Moonage Pictures is delighted to be going on further adventures with The Famous Five. It’s been a real joy bringing these new stories to life with my good friend Nicolas Winding Refn and our wonderful cast and crew. We are so happy that Guy Andrews and Tom Bidwell have come on board to write these two new stories, encapsulating the thrill and excitement of the beloved books for a modern audience.”

Nicolas Winding Refn, creator and executive producer, says: “The excitement I feel for the return of The Famous Five fills my inner child with pure content. It is an adventure to manifest the youthful fantasies of my imagination and watch these characters, essentially my lifelong friends, continue to blossom and evolve. This second season is sure to inspire and elicit unadulterated elation!”

Patricia Hidalgo, Director BBC Children’s and Education, says: “The glorious first series of The Famous Five brought families together to enjoy these timeless British stories which are so loved around the world. Homegrown stories, that resonate across generations and across frontiers, are a key part of our strategy and it’s such a joy to see the return of the young adventurers as they take on daring new mysteries.”

Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO of THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO: “We are thrilled by the success of the first season and excited to embark on this new journey with such a talented team for the upcoming season. ‘The Famous Five’ is a cornerstone for THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO, delivering a top-tier adaptation of a beloved youth literature classic that resonates deeply with today’s audiences. This collaboration has not only solidified our partnership with the esteemed BBC Studios but also strengthened our commitment to producing high-quality English-language content.”

The series was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Children’s Commissioning 7+ and the commissioning editor for the BBC is Amy Buscombe. Laura Fdez. Espeso will be an Executive Producer for THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO and Karen Lawler is the Executive Producer for Hachette.

Film one ‘Mystery at the Prospect Hotel’ will be directed by Asim Abbasi and Tom Vaughan will direct film two ‘Big Trouble on Billycock Hill’ and produced by Moonage Pictures and byNWR Originals for the BBC and THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO. BBC Studios, who have a minority stake in Moonage, are distributing the series internationally outside Spain, Portugal and Latin America, where they have architected a deal with THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO Distribution. Executive Producers are Nicolas Winding Refn, Matthew Read, Will Gould, Frith Tiplady, Asim Abbasi, Tom Vaughan and Laura Fdez. Espeso. The series is produced by Sophie MacClancy and ‘Big Trouble on Billycock Hill’ is produced by Matthew Wilson.

A Moonage Pictures and byNWR production, the first series of The Famous Five is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

 

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ABOUT BYNWR

Creator, Director, Writer, Producer, Nicolas Winding Refn, is known for the PUSHER trilogy (1996–2005), BLEEDER (1999), BRONSON (2008), VALHALLA RISING (2009), DRIVE (2011), ONLY GOD FORGIVES (2013), THE NEON DEMON (2016), and his television series Too Old to Die Young (2019). In 2021 he launched byNWR Productions, a multifaceted media platform and production company which creates original, stimulating and diverse content across an array of mediums including film, television, gaming, animation, music, art and beyond.  In 2022 byNWR released its neon-drenched noir series, Copenhagen Cowboy, on Netflix, which debuted at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. Most recently the company created an original adaptation of the beloved Enid Blyton young adult series, The Famous Five, in partnership with Moonage Pictures. byNWR Productions is spearheaded by Managing Director, Christina Bostofte Erritzøe, Creative Director, Mie Albæk Nielsen, Creative Producer, Kimberly Willming, and Studio Manager, Emilie Guldbrandsen.

 

ABOUT MOONAGE PICTURES

Moonage Pictures was founded by Will Gould, Matthew Read and Frith Tiplady in 2018 to create and produce original, unconventional, and inventive television and film for both the UK and international markets. Recent productions include The Gentlemen, the highly successful eight-part Guy Ritchie series for Netflix in association with Miramax starring Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito and Vinnie Jones. The series become a number 1 rated show for the streamer. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder starring Emma Myers (Wednesday) in the lead role of Pip Fitz-Amobi opposite newcomer Zain Iqbal as Ravi. Adapted from Holly Jackson’s hugely successful mystery thrillers by Poppy Cogan (Red Rose) and directed by Dolly Wells (Good Posture). The 6x45min series, launched earlier this year on BBC Three and iPlayer in the UK and Netflix where becoming a number 1 rated show for the streamer. The highly acclaimed limited series for Netflix Bodies, a crime procedural with a twist, based on the mind-bending graphic novel by Si Spencer, written by Paul Tomalin. Starring Stephen Graham, Shira Haas, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Amaka Okafor and Kyle Soller, it was directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner and Haolu Wang. The show was a number 1 rated show for the streamer. Obsession inspired by Josephine Hart’s novel Damage the limited series was produced in association with Gaumont UK for Netflix. Adapted by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Benji Walters it stars Richard Armitage, Charlie Murphy, Indira Varma and Rish Shah. Currently in post- production is the lavish adaption of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s classic novel The Leopard for Netflix Italy in partnership with Indiana Production, the six-episode epic stars Kim Rossi Stuart, Benedetta Porcaroli, Deva Cassel and Saul Nanni. The limited series is penned by Richard Warlow and Benji Walters with Tom Shankland as lead director.

2023 saw the launch of the 3x90min The Famous Five series, a loving tribute to Enid Blyton’s legendary 21-book series, for BBC1, CBBC and iPlayer. Created by Nicolas Winding Refn and Matthew Read, written by Matthew Read, Priya K. Dosanjh and Matthew Bouch, directed by Tim Kirkby, Asim Abbasi and Bill Eagles, and produced by Sophie MacClancy.In 2021 the company produced Emily Mortimer’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love starring Lily James and Dominic West for BBC One and Amazon.

BBC Studios has a minority investment in Moonage Pictures.

 

ABOUT THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO

THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO is GRUP MEDIAPRO’s content creation, production and distribution factory. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO integrates production houses with extensive experience, such as Globomedia, 100 Balas, El Terrat, Big Bang Media, K2000, Hostoil, Oficina Burman and Cimarrón, and produces content of all genres worldwide, including fiction series, films, entertainment shows, short formats and documentaries. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO empowers high-quality global projects, with great talents of recognized national and international prestige such as Paolo Sorrentino, Woody Allen, Isabel Coixet, Ran Tellem, Oliver Stone, Daniel Burman, Fernando León de Aranoa, Iván Escobar, Borja Cobeaga, Diego San José, Fernando González Molina, Berto Romero, Andreu Buenafuente, Clara Roquet, Coral Cruz, Marc Cistaré, Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Juan Carlos Aparicio and Lluís Arcarazo, among others. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO works with key global industry operators such as Max, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ViX, Paramount+, SkyShowtime, Movistar Plus+, Atresmedia and Mediaset, and its productions have won various international awards, including 2 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Daytime Emmy Awards and multiple Goya awards.

 

About BBC Studios

The main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd, BBC Studios generated revenues in the last year of £1.8 billion and a third consecutive year of profits of over £200 million. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including bbc.com and BritBox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide selection of public service and commercial broadcasters and platforms, both in the UK and across the globe.  Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who.

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