HBO Europe reunites Burning Bush team for drama

HBO Europe has greenlit Wasteland, its latest drama commission, which will come from the same stable as another of its scripted originals, Burning Bush.

Wasteland (Pustina locally) will be penned by Burning Bush writer Stepan Hulik and made by the production companies behind that series, Nutprodukce and Etamp.

The eight-part one-hour series will be set in a Czech mining village on the verge of extinction. Sitting on huge reserves of coal, foreign mining interests plan to acquire the village, remove its population and their homes and establish a new mining complex.

Czech commercials director Ivan Zacharias and Alice Nellis (Ene Bene) will direct share directing duties. Filming is underway on the series, which is being shot in the Czech Republic and will premiere on HBO Europe next autumn.

The show is the latest original out of HBO Europe, which is ramping up its drama offering across its central and eastern European footprint of channels.

“We are proud and excited to be producing this major original piece from one of the most talented young screenwriters in our region,” said Antony Root, executive VP programming and production for HBO Europe.

He added: “Pustina tells a story that goes to the heart of the economic and social changes facing communities in the new Europe. We believe both the story and its themes will resonate strongly with our audiences.”