ITV hooks Peter Pan drama

ITV has commissioned a new drama version of JM Barrie’s novel Peter Pan, starring British singer Paloma Faith as Tinker Bell and The Devil Wears Prada’s Stanley Tucci as Captain Hook.

Steve November

The two-hour show, titled Peter & Wendy, is billed as a “reimagining” of the much-loved novel and opens in modern-day Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Peter & Wendy will be produced by Headline Pictures (Quartet, The Invisible Woman) and scripted by Bafta winner Adrian Hodges (My Week with Marilyn, The Musketeers).

ITV’s director of drama Steve November and controller Victoria Fea commissioned the programme, which will be produced by Headline Pictures’ Christian Baute and Stewart Mackinnon and directed by Bafta winner Diarmuid Lawrence.

Peter & Wendy is being made in partnership with London-based Catalyst Global Media, the film and TV financing and production company run by co-founder and CEO Charlotte Walls. It will be distributed globally by Red Arrow International.

Peter & Wendy is currently in production, with filming taking place over six weeks in Luxembourg, London and Dorset. CGI special effects will be used to create the fictional world of Neverland.

Juliette Films, Lip Sync Productions and the Luxembourg Film Fund are also on board the production.

Meanwhile, the UK commercial broadcaster has greenlit eight-part drama Jericho, which goes into production this month.

Set in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1870s, the ITV Studios drama will focus upon the shantytown of Jericho, home to a community that will live, thrive and die in the shadow of the viaduct they’ve been brought together to build.

Jericho is created and written by Steve Thompson (Sherlock, Doctor Who) and exec produced by ITV Studios director of drama Kate Bartlett. Bafta-nominated director Paul Whittington will direct the series, with Lisa Osborne producing.

Commissioned by November and Fea, Jericho will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

In related news, female-skewing channel ITVBe has commissioned Keshet UK’s new dating format When Do You Get Off? to air later this year.

Keshet Productions UK is already in pre-production on the 10×60’ series that sees singles dating potential suitors at their workplace.

The original format was created by Keshet Productions UK’s development team and will be exec produced by its head of UK Formats, Kevin Mundye, and head of development, Simon Shalgosky.