Produced in Romania and Hungary, the new HBO Max Original series “Spy/Master” is a spy drama series set at the height of the Cold War and starring British Independent Film Award-nominated actor Alec Secăreanu (God’s Own Country, “RUXX”).
The 6×50 series, which won the HBO National Screenwriting Competition in Romania, is one of the final productions for the streaming service from Central and Eastern Europe.
as such diverse It was first reported in July, that parent company Warner Bros. Discovery will no longer produce originals for HBO Max in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland), Central Europe, the Netherlands and Turkey, and will also remove some content from its platform in order to unlock licensing deals elsewhere.
An HBO Max spokesperson confirmed to diverse that the streaming device still had several CEE products in the pipeline that were commissioned prior to the Warner Bros. announcement. Discovery announced the shift in its programming strategy for Europe. As with other local HBO Max originals, “Spy/Master” will be available for licensing in regions where the streaming service has not yet been launched.
“The Spy/Teacher” covers a week in the life of the fictional Viktor Giudiano (Secăreanu), the right-hand man and closest advisor to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauتشيescu. However, Godeanu has a secret: he’s also a double agent and must escape Romania and Ceaușescu before his cover is exposed.
With only one shot to survive, he uses a diplomatic trip to Germany as a springboard to the United States. With the help of a Stasi secret agent and a former flame, played by Svenja Jung from “Deutschland89”, and a CIA agent, played by Parker Sawyers (“Southside With You”), Godeanu must elude the KGB and his country’s ghosts. (Anna Olaru and Laureniu Bănescu), fully aware that his defection puts his family at home in mortal danger.
The series is produced by Proton Cinema and Mobra Films. HBO Max Producer Ioannina Pavel said in a statement, “We couldn’t be more excited to tell this story of the schism, which straddles both sides of the Iron Curtain and has attracted exceptional talent both internationally and Romanian. Despite its events in the past, we hope this show is authentic. For today’s viewers – whether they are interested in politics or just fancy a smart, elegant and entertaining ride.”
Jonathan Young, Vice President of Live Broadcasting Editor of Programming and Original Commissioning at CEE, added: “‘Spy/Master’ is our most international series to date. With predominantly English dialogue, this is an aptly ‘East meets West’ production of content to Talent to setting. While the genre is familiar, the characters and dilemmas are unexpected and fresh. We have a great team drawn to the project by the way the story sheds light on a topic that seems as fresh today as ever.”
“The Spy/Masters” is written by Adina Sadiano and Kirsten Peters and directed by Christopher Smith (“Temple,” “Alex Ryder”), with cinematography by Ben Wheeler BSC (The Tourist, “Baby”) and Adam Fellins HCA (“Hier,” “Battle: Freestyle”). Anthony Root and Jonathan Young are executive producers of HBO Max. Ioannina Pavel is the creative producer for HBO Max. Viktória Petrányi and Judit Sós are producers of Proton Cinema and Tudor Reu is the producer of Mobra Films.
[ad_2]
