Disney+ is collaborating with NPO on the Dutch adaptation of Wolven: het spel van list en bedrog, with the series set for broadcast on BNNVARA on NPO 1 and simultaneous streaming on NPO Start and Disney+.
Lucien Brouwer, member of the board of directors of NPO, commented, “With this, we are taking an important step in how we, as a public broadcaster, want to collaborate with commercial media parties. Disney is an established name, with stories we all grew up with, just as is the case for the rich programming of the public broadcaster. This is precisely why we believe strongly in this collaboration, in order to reach even more people in the Netherlands with our programs. That is and remains an important social mission. Wolven brings generations together and allows viewers to jointly enjoy gameplay, suspense, and unexpected twists. That unifying character, with young and old together around a single program, fits perfectly with our role.”
Karl Holmes, GM for Disney+ EMEA, added: “Wolven promises to be a great show, full of intrigue that constantly keeps you guessing. It is the kind of program that you want to watch together, so we are delighted to be able to bring this show to Disney+ viewers in the Netherlands. Together with NPO, we can help fantastic local shows reach a new and younger audience, while offering our customers more local stories to enjoy.”
Justine Huffmeijer, MD at SimpelZodiak, which is producing the adaptation, added, “Bringing Wolven to the Netherlands with NPO, and a first-of-its-kind agreement with Disney+, is a significant opportunity. This format offers an exciting, immersive viewing experience that will appeal to the Dutch audience, and producing from the established hub in France allows us to fully realize the cinematic scale.”
Disney+ has sealed a raft of Euro broadcaster alliances, including Atresmedia and RTVE in Spain, ITVX in the U.K., Rai in Italy, ARD and ZDF in Germany, and SIC in Portugal.
The Wolven format is represented by Dreamspark, with versions in France and Germany.
