Sky, ARD board $34m Berlin drama

Pay TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland has linked up with German pubcaster ARD to produce a new €25m (US$34m) drama based on Volker Kutscher’s crime novels.

Babylon Berlin is being adapted by director Tom Tykwer (Cloud Atlas, Perfume) and will be produced by German-based prodco X Filme, which is owned by Tykwer and producer Stefan Andt.

The series, which will comprise either eight or 10 episodes, is based on Kutscher’s detective novels set in 1920s Berlin.

ARD will contribute €9m while 21st Century Fox-owned Sky expects to invest around €4m in the series, with the remainder coming through international sales handled by Berlin distributor Beta Film.

21st Century Fox co-chief operating officer James Murdoch recently revealed similar plans to expand drama output at Sky Italia. UK-based sibling BSkyB has also moved heavily into scripted, inking coproduction pacts with HBO and NBC.

The UK satcaster is currently bidding to buy out 21st Century Fox’s interests in its sister operations in Germany and Italy, to bring all its European businesses together.