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Iron Belly to set sail to Australia

BBC America & HBO Canada are developing a drama on a floating prison sailing from Ireland to Australia.

2014-06-11_0116BBC America and HBO Canada are developing Iron Belly, a 19th Century drama depicting a floating prison sailing from Ireland to Australia.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

What starts as a simple – but brutal – journey across the sea becomes a study of humanity above and below the decks. Follow Captain Byron Gibbons, a relentlessly ambitious empire-builder and Cormac O’Brien, a naive Irish rebel convict who sheds his idealism to become the most dangerous man on board, as they travel to the land down under.

The project comes from  Los Angeles-based Electus Studios co-producing with LA and Toronto-based Darius Films.

“We are thrilled to work with Darius Films, BBC America and HBO Canada to bring Iron Belly to audiences around the world as the show’s unique mix of history, action and drama, will resonate brilliantly with global viewers,” says John Pollak, President of Electus International. “Our goal at Electus Studios is to deliver content that is unique in tone and unsurpassed in quality, always captivating viewers and leaving them craving for more.”

Jonathan Sobol (A Beginner’s Guide to Endings, The Art of the Steal) created the series, along with Jeremy Boxen, who has written for Lost Girl and End Game.

An Australian broadcaster is yet to be announced.

BBC is also producing Banished, by UK writer  Jimmy McGovern, loosely inspired by events in the 18th century when Britain established a penal colony on the other side of the world. 

2 Responses

  1. I would have thought a prison ship would be far too small a setting for an ongoing series, especially given the level of confinement for the prisoners aboard-every movie/mini series or series I’ve seen over the decades that’s featured transportation has also featured significant storyline off the ship before, during or after.

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