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Matchbox Pictures sells The Straits across Europe

An Australian production company has sold the rights to one of its series across Eastern and Western Europe.

Matchbox Pictures struck the deal with AMC/Sundance Channel Global which will see the Tropical gangster story aired across Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, France, Benelux as well as selected territories in Asia.

Helen Panckhurst, producer at Matchbox Pictures said: “We’re delighted to be receiving significant international interest in The Straits and that the ABC has given us the opportunity to develop such distinctive contemporary Australian drama series.”

The deal was struck through NBCU International, who bought into Matchbox Pictures last year.

Also purchased in the deal was for Matchbox Pictures‘ other stand out series The Slap to air in Benelux on the Sundance Channel, which is in addition to previously secured rights for Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Asia.

Locally, The Straits struggled to secure the audience for ABC1 that last year’s The Slap did. The Slap was often the ABC’s number one show on a Thursday night. The Straits, aired at the same time slot averaged around 550,000.

Earlier this week Matchbox Pictures announced Rachel Griffiths and Anthony LaPaglia would star in the telemovie Underground about Julian Assange’s youth as a computer hacker.

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