Joyrider, Firefly set up first copro

Former HBO Europe producer and showrunner Gábor Krigler has teamed up with Ivana Miković, the ex-chief operating officer at Serbian public broadcaster Radio Televizija Srbije (RTS), to coproduce an offbeat comedy drama.

Gabor Krigler

Krigler, who launched development and production indie Joyrider in Budapest last year, is working with Miković’s Firefly Productions on Frust (6×50′), with production expected to start in 2021.

The show tells the story of a struggling young writer who accidentally kills a drug pusher who is terrorising his neighbourhood. Overnight he becomes an anonymous social media superstar, but, deciding to continue his revenge crusade, suffers growing frustration as he cannot reveal his identity to an adoring public.

It was created by Srdjan Vuletic, a Bosnian writer whose first feature premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and who will work with story editor Eszter Angyalosy of Joyrider and Firefly’s content leader Boban Jetvic on the show.

Executive producer Krigler said: “With its universal themes, riveting characters, intricate storylines and unique sense of humour, coupled with the classy production values Firefly is known for, Frust is destined to break through internationally.”

Ivana Miković

Firefly MD and co-founder Miković, who prior to launching Firefly worked in news production for BBC News in Serbia and more recently was COO of pubcaster RTS, described Frust as a “first-of-its-kind” project in South-East Europe.

“The combination of Joyrider’s creativity and our acclaimed production facilities, unique in the region, will establish us both as a serious player for international drama production for audiences in Serbia and beyond,” said Miković.

A distribution deal and additional coproduction partners will be announced in due course, the producers said. It marks the first international copro for Joyrider, which Krigler set up after seven years with HBO Europe.