EXCLUSIVE: UFA has lit a fire under Who’s Burning Now. The drama is being worked up by Fremantle-backed German prodco after the folklore tale was part of the Writer’s Pitch at fledgling German industry event Seriesly last September. UFA, which has made shows including Maxton Hall and Deutschland 83, has now optioned it, meaning it moves to a new and bigger stage.
A character-driven supernatural drama – also billed as a folklore love story – Who’s Burning Now was inspired by European witchcraft legends. The stakes are high in the show, as the synopsis reveals: When a German-Swiss teenager discovers her roots combine both witch and witch hunter, she’s thrust into a secret war of magic, folklore, and forbidden love, which could either break a centuries-old curse or burn her world to ash.
The series was created by Marshall Maihofer Demirovic, Maria Neheimer and Wero Rodowicz. Head writer on the series will be Mariama Djité. UFA’s Sophie von der Leyen is on point for the German label. We hear the plan is for a mix of established and breakout on-screen talent. No casting news yet, or a confirmed network or streamer home for the show, but we’ll update as pieces fall into place.
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UFA optioning Who’s Burning Now in the wake of the Seriesly Writer’s Pitch is a sign the event, in a seriously congested calendar, is becoming a proving ground for new projects. The German drama biz faces a raft of challenges after several of the big commissioners pulled back, so anything that shines a light on early-stage projects will be a shot in the arm for the country’s budding writers and producers.