Wonder Project bolsters int’l slate with trio of shows from UK, Ireland

Leonard & Hungry Paul stars Alex Lawther (left) and Laurie Kynaston

US-based studio and streaming platform Wonder Project has acquired Irish-British comedy drama Leonard & Hungry Paul as part of a slate of international scripted content.

Coproduced by Avalon and Subotica for BBC Northern Ireland and Irish pubcaster RTÉ, the six-part series will be branded as a Wonder Project original in the US.

Narrated by Julia Roberts and based on the novel of the same name, Leonard & Hungry Paul stars Alex Lawther (Black Mirror) and Laurie Kynaston (Fool Me Once) as two friends who drift through life playing board games until a series of unexpected events changes both their outlooks.

Wonder Project has also secured the US rights to 3×60′ relationship drama You & Me, produced by ITV Studios label Happy Prince for original commissioner ITVX. Starring Harry Lawtey (Magpie Murders) and Jessica Barden (Pieces of Her), the series explores love, loss and the possibility of finding happiness again after tragedy. It will debut on August 6.

Rounding out the slate is six-part comedy series Rewarding, a new original co-commission from Wonder Project and BBC Northern Ireland. It’s produced by Conker Pictures, part of Banijay UK, with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Banijay Rights is handling international distribution.

Rewarding follows the messy lives of support workers and their disabled and neurodivergent clients. The comedy was originally developed as a short pilot episode as part of BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen’s Green Lit scheme, an initiative designed to showcase emerging creative talent across Northern Ireland.

LA- and Austin-based Wonder Project said the three projects highlight the company’s strategy to build a pipeline of premium international scripted series, which it plans to achieve with a flexible model comprising original commissions, finished tape and exclusive US launches.

Tristen Tuckfield, head of content acquisition at Wonder Project, said: “The UK and Ireland have an incredible track record of developing distinctive voices and building shows that travel internationally without losing what makes them unique. That’s exactly what we’re interested in – stories that are deeply rooted in a specific world but broadly relatable because of the people and relationships at their centre.”