Scott Free, Tandem enter Labyrinth

Scott Free, the prodco owned by Ridley and Tony Scott, plans to turn the best-selling novel Labyrinth into a four-hour TV series together with Germany’s Tandem Communications.

Scott Free UK and Tandem will adapt Kate Mosse’s adventure thriller, which has been published in 38 different languages, with the help of Adrian Hodges (Primeval, Rome, The Last King).

Shooting is due to begin in the south of France in autumn 2011, with delivery scheduled for spring 2012.

It’s the latest collaboration between Scott Free and Tandem since their adaptation of Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth and the pair is also working on a production of Follett’s follow-up World Without End.

Labrynth swept through the bestseller charts in 2005, the first major success for English author Mosse. It follows the story of two heroines separated by more than 800 years whose stories intertwine.

Ridley Scott, who set up his film and television prodco with brother Tony in 1995, said: “Labyrinth’s story affords us the opportunity to create exciting drama that will thrill and delight the book’s readers worldwide and the viewers, who’ll be discovering it for the first time.”

Tim Halkin, partner and managing director with Tandem Communications, added: “It’s the entire package that makes this perfect for event television programming.

“Kate Mosse’s book brings a worldwide awareness and built-in fan-base along with an amazing concept. Adrian Hodges is a hugely accomplished screenwriter, who understands how to pull an audience in from the first scene.”

Mosse said: “A new chapter of Labyrinth is about to begin. The characters I first dreamed about twenty-one years ago, are now setting out on a new journey.”