Dynamic, Hasak adapt ZDF drama for US

German drama Tempel is being adapted into an English-language series for the US, after a deal between ZDF, Dynamic Television and showrunner Adi Hasak.

Adi Hasak

Hasak, whose credits include NBC’s Shades of Blue and Kevin Costner movie 3 Days To Kill, has written the pilot script and a series bible for the upcoming 8×60’ drama.

LA-based Dynamic will produce and handle worldwide distribution for the series. Daniel March and Klaus Zimmerman of Dynamic will serve as exec producers. Hasak is producing under his Adi TV Studios banner.

Tempel tells the story of an ex-con working as an elderly care giver. However, family problems drag him back into the underground world of cage-fighting. It debuted on the German pubcaster in 2016.

“In searching for a straight-to-series model, I’ve increasingly found myself partnering with distribution companies that have realised that, rather than wait for shows to present themselves at screenings, they must become proactive and develop their own series,” said Hasak.

JJ Wienkers will serve in a producer capacity and will co-write scripts with Hasak. German writer-director Michael Wenning will serve as executive producer. 

March, who is Dynamic managing partner, described TEmpel as “a deeply emotional character-driven drama and a reflection of the real-world consequences of gentrification seen through the eyes of the often unseen victims.”

As well as creating Shades of Blue on NBC, Hasak also adapted Norwegian drama Eyewitness for USA Network.