{"id":2535,"date":"2014-01-15T22:42:24","date_gmt":"2014-01-15T22:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thunderbird.tv\/2014\/01\/15\/paul-haggis-developing-lords-of-opium-tv-drama-for-canadas-bell-media\/"},"modified":"2014-01-15T22:42:24","modified_gmt":"2014-01-15T22:42:24","slug":"paul-haggis-developing-lords-of-opium-tv-drama-for-canadas-bell-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thunderbird.tv\/2014\/01\/15\/paul-haggis-developing-lords-of-opium-tv-drama-for-canadas-bell-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Haggis Developing ‘Lords of Opium’ TV Drama for Canada’s Bell Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

Etan Vlessing \/ The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/p>\n

The Canadian broadcaster is also hot-housing one hours from “Stargate SG-1’s” Robert C. Cooper, “Miss Congeniality’s” Katie Ford and “Brothers & Sisters'” Stephen Tolkin.<\/p>\n

TORONTO – Crash<\/em> director Paul Haggis<\/strong> is developing Lords of Opium,<\/em> a historical drama about China’s late 19th century opium trade, for Canadian broadcaster Bell Media.<\/p>\n

\n
The project from Darius Films, which Haggis will executive produce, is one of 29 dramas in development at the top-rated Canadian broadcaster.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The slate includes Private Practice<\/em> producer\/writer Steve Blackman<\/strong> developing Mighty Quinns<\/em>, about a family of con artists turned crime solvers, from Lark Productions, and Flashpoint <\/em>creators Mark Ellis<\/strong> and Stephanie Morgenstern <\/strong>at work on Salamander,<\/em> a detective drama based on a Belgian series.<\/p>\n

Flashpoint<\/em> producers Anne Marie La Traverse<\/strong> and Bill Mustos <\/strong>each have separate untitled projects parked with Bell Media.<\/p>\n

Flashpoint<\/em> ran for five seasons on CBS and ION in the U.S. market, a successful run that sparked the current trend of Canadian dramas landing on U.S. network schedules as cheap acquisitions, especially for summer schedules.<\/p>\n

The show’s writer, Aubrey Nealon<\/strong>, is also working with ICF Films to develop Unravel,<\/em> a police drama, while another Flashpoint <\/em>writer, Adam Barken<\/strong>, and Lost Girl’<\/em>s Emily Andras <\/strong>are attached to Smoke & Mirrors<\/em>, about an illusionist in Niagara Falls who also works as a private detective.<\/p>\n

Bell Media, which runs the CTV network and a string of specialty channels, has also tapped Miss Congeniality’<\/em>s Katie Ford<\/strong> to develop Ice<\/em>, a drama about a suburban woman who turns to diamond thefts after a bitter divorce, with Incendo as the producer.<\/p>\n

The Canadian broadcaster in recent years has developed a host of homegrown dramas like NBC’s Saving Hope<\/em>, BBC America’s Orphan Black<\/em> and ABC’s Motive<\/em>, series that were sold internationally after being developed in-house.<\/p>\n

That track record has allowed original series from Bell Media to be routinely pitched and acquired in the U.S. and by broadcasters worldwide.<\/p>\n

The current drama pipeline includes Orphan Black’<\/em>s Chris Roberts <\/strong>at work on the police drama Apex<\/em>, and Brothers & Sisters’<\/em> Stephen Tolkin <\/strong>developing Uncommon Youth<\/em>, a four-parter set in Italy and the U.S. based on the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty III,<\/strong> the grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Lost Girl’<\/em>s Jeremy Boxen<\/strong> and Entertainment One have also parked Modified,<\/em> a drama about a detective and a beleaguered partner, with Bell Media.<\/p>\n

Other police dramas being hot-housed by there include Sonar Entertainment teaming up with Double Nickel Entertainment and Mark Verheiden <\/strong>(Battlestar Galactica<\/em>) on Tranquility,<\/em> a sci-fi series about a troubled ex-cop with a new gig on a moon colony.<\/p>\n

“We’re proud to be in a position to work with some of the best and most seasoned creative talent in the business, respected not only in Canada, but all over the world,” Corrie Coe,<\/strong> senior vp of independent production at Bell Media, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Also in development are two Thunderbird Films dramas from Stargate SG-1 <\/em>creative: Robert C. Cooper<\/strong> is behind Soul Hunter,<\/em> a supernatural drama, and AKA,<\/em> a serialized drama about a woman with a perfect life and a dark secret from Paul Mullie <\/strong>and Joseph Mallozzi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Revenge <\/em>writer Salvatore Stabile <\/strong>is developing Criminal Justice Society,<\/em> a drama about a brilliant criminology professor who works with her students to solve deadly crimes, with Sienna Films.<\/p>\n

Bell Media has in all 71 series in development, including comedies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Etan Vlessing \/ The Hollywood Reporter The Canadian broadcaster is also hot-housing one hours from “Stargate SG-1’s” Robert C. Cooper, “Miss Congeniality’s” Katie Ford and “Brothers & Sisters’” Stephen Tolkin. TORONTO – Crash director Paul Haggis is developing Lords of Opium, a historical drama about China’s late 19th century opium trade, for Canadian broadcaster Bell … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPaul Haggis Developing 'Lords of Opium' TV Drama for Canada's Bell Media - Thunderbird Entertainment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thunderbird.tv\/2014\/01\/15\/paul-haggis-developing-lords-of-opium-tv-drama-for-canadas-bell-media\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Paul Haggis Developing 'Lords of Opium' TV Drama for Canada's Bell Media - Thunderbird Entertainment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Etan Vlessing \/ The Hollywood Reporter The Canadian broadcaster is also hot-housing one hours from “Stargate SG-1’s” Robert C. 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