London/Singapore-based international content investment studio 108 Media will finance, co-develop, and produce the upcoming premium live-action supernatural-action returning series NIGHTSHADE with co-showrunners Simon Uttley and Neil Marshall, who will be directing the pilot.
Sprung from the deep genre wellspring of the Marshall-Uttley writing partnership, the world of NIGHTSHADE is set in a bustling 18th century English port city visited by a diverse manner of international traders, rogues, and vagabonds. We meet our heroine – the half English and half Indian outcast Lizzie Monroe who transforms herself into a defiant masked outlaw avenger – Nightshade – to rescue her brother James from the treacherous underworld realm of The Veil, where werewolves, demons, warlocks, and evil creatures beyond our imagination reside, after he is slain by a monstrous satanic cult run by powerfully sinister men in politics, religion, and industry. During their treacherous journey back to one another, the Monroes will discover that the supernatural forces arrayed against them represent merely the vanguard of a far greater threat and that they are caught in the opening salvos of a war between humanity and the forces of darkness.
Having helmed some of the most iconic genre touchpoints in films (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Hellboy) and television (Games of Thrones, Westworld, Timeless, Hannibal, Lost in Space, Constantine) as a writer-director in the past two decades, the Emmy-nominated Neil Marshall notes – “Make no mistake about it, this will be a Neil Marshall show through and through. When it’s scary, and it will be, often, then it will be very scary. When it’s necessary to be violent, it will be violent. Every punch will land hard and break bones, and every sword thrust will cut and sting.”
Co-showrunner Simon Uttley, who conceptualised the world-building with Marshall and will co-write the series adds – “We could not be more excited to bring the story of Nightshade to the screen with our partners at 108 Media. This is a character and a world we’ve dreamed of exploring. Nightshade is adventure, heroism, horror, action, mystery, and mythology – and we cannot wait for audiences to see what we have in store for you all.”
Joining Neil Marshall and Simon Uttley as executive producers will be 108 Media’s Abhi Rastogi, Justin Deimen, and Rod Smith.
Justin Deimen, President (108 Media) says – “Utterly chuffed to bits to be producing such visceral thrill ride from the prolific mind of Neil Marshall leading the charge. Audiences know what quality and imagery to expect from him as one of the most complete genre maestros working today. We’re looking forward to expanding 108 Media’s creative and financing mandates across more genre offerings with strategic co-production deals across key territories.”
108 Media recently struck a co-financing deal with BritBox International on INSPECTOR SINGH (3 x 60’) that goes into production in Jan 2023. With this continued focus on investing into IP acquisition and development alongside the company’s drive towards consolidating key infrastructures around the media space, 108 Media has assembled a global team of executives across creative development, financing, and a deep and wide distribution network in local and international markets via its subsidiaries acquired in 2022.
Rod Smith, VP, Scripted Entertainment (108 Media) adds – “I am very excited to be working with our creative team on this dynamic and exciting new series. Neil’s vision for this is breath-taking; and we look forward to unleashing this fast and furious adventure series and fresh mythology into the world.”
As part of its integrated expansion, 108 Media is now one of the fastest growing media and content companies internationally having recently acquired the formerly AIM-listed DCD Rights and its subsidiaries; invested in Singapore-based animation IP specialists Robot Playground Media and secured a majority stake in one of Asia’s top scripted production companies Revolution Media, with more acquisitions to be announced as 2022 closes out.