Chinese streaming service iQiyi has acquired BBC dramas Rellik and The Miniaturist from UK-based distributor All3Media International.
Produced by Two Brothers Pictures for BBC1 and Cinemax, Rellik (pictured) is a 6×60-minute crime thriller that follows the hunt for a serial killer by telling the story in reverse. The series has also been sold to HBO Asia and Germany’s TeleMunchen.
The Miniaturist is a 3×60-minute period thriller co-produced by UK-based The Forge and US broadcaster PBS’s Masterpiece strand, in association with All3Media and UK-based Lemaise Pictures. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy (X-Men: The New Mutants) and Romola Garai (The Hour), it revolves around a house in Amsterdam that hides dangerous secrets behind a lavish exterior.
The deal marks the first time that All3Media has sold drama series to China, although the company’s factual entertainment content is already popular in the territory: “We’re very pleased to conclude this significant new deal with iQiyi, representing our first drama acquisition by a Chinese platform,” said All3Media International’s Asia Pacific sales manager Kit Yow.
“The agreement highlights the success of our ongoing strategy to forge closer relationships with local broadcasters and expand the reach of our catalogue through our Singapore-based regional sales office.”