Hooq adds BBC Studios shows, orders original

Hooq’s slate includes Wolf Hall, starring Mark Rylance

Asian SVoD service Hooq has picked up over 200 hours of scripted programming from BBC Studios, including psychological crime thriller Luther.

The deal will also provide subscribers in India with access to shows including Maigret, a rendition of Georges Simenon’s bestselling crime stories set in 1950s Paris. The show is produced by UK-based Ealing Studios and Maigret Productions, a Peter Fraser Dunlop Group company.

Also on the slate is period drama Wolf Hall, from All3Media’s Company Pictures and Playground Entertainment, in association with BBC Studios.

Jennifer Batty, chief content officer at Hooq, said: “We are always looking out for new content to entertain our subscribers and we are very excited to share with our Indian subscribers these award-winning and highly rated dramas from BBC Studios.”

In related news, the SVoD service has announced the winner of its fledgling initiative designed to unearth new film talent in the region.

Indian comedy drama Bhak was picked out from more than 500 submissions to Hooq’s Filmmakers Guild programme. The scheme invites directors, producers and screenwriters to submit scripts and treatments for TV series.

Bhak, which has been ordered to series by Hooq, follows the adventures of two ambitious young filmmakers who, after being pushed around by Bollywood, decide to take matters into their own hands. It is written and directed by Arjun Chatterjee and Shreyom Ghosh from Indian prodco Big3 Media.

Hooq’s initiative, which returns for a second time this year, is part of the company’s growth strategy in Asia, which Bithos revealed to C21 earlier this year.

Hooq, available in Singapore, Thailand, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, is targeting Malaysia and Vietnam as it attempts to expand its reach in the region.

The service is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros and Singapore Telecommunications, and operates across India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.