Foxtel Group down under takes ecological drama The Swarm from ZDF Studios

In The Swarm, humankind faces an unknown enemy with swarm intelligence

Australian pay TV operator Foxtel Group has acquired German ecological thriller The Swarm from distributor ZDF Studios.

Produced by Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones), The Swarm (8×45′) is based on Frank Schätzing’s international bestseller of the same name and follows the struggle of humanity against an unknown enemy that lives in the depths of the sea.

When the reckless treatment of the oceans threatens the natural habitat of this mysterious collective, it strikes back.

Directed by Barbara Eder (Barbarians), Luke Watson (Ripper Street) and Philipp Stölzl (The Physician), it stars Alexander Karim (The Lawyer), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch (Babylon Berlin, The Crown), Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Takuya Kimura (2046, I Come With the Rain).

Foxtel Group will launch the series on its pay TV service and streamer Binge later this month, joining the likes of The CW in the US, Sky in the UK and Movistar+ in Spain in taking the show.

The Swarm is produced by Schwarm TV Productions, a joint venture between Intaglio Films and ndF, for ZDF in Germany, France Télévisions, Rai Fiction in Italy, Viaplay Group, Hulu Japan, ORF in Austria and SRF in Switzerland. It is a coproduction with Bravado Fiction and Beside Production in co-operation with ATHOS KG, and is being jointly distributed by ZDF Studios and Beta Film.