News round-up: ITVX & Stan pick up ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’; Laura Franses joins S4C Digital; Urban Myth to adapt ‘The Hike’

Orphan Black: Echoes

ITVX & Stan pick up ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’

UK streamer ITVX and Stan in Australia are among a slew of broadcasters and platforms to pick up sci-fi drama Orphan Black: Echoes following deals with distributor Boat Rocker.

Now Studio has also picked up the show for Hong Kong and Macau, as has TVNZ in New Zealand, NPO in the Netherlands, OCS in France and NBCU for Syfy in Spain, Portugal, African territories, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia.

Starring Krysten Ritter and Keeley Hawes, the 10-part series is a spin-off from Orphan Black that follows a group of women as embark on a journey to unravel the mystery of their identity and uncover a story of love and betrayal.

Laura Franses

Laura Franses joins S4C Digital

S4C Digital Media in Wales has appointed Laura Franses as advisor to the Commercial Growth Fund.

The fund launches next month as part of Welsh broadcaster S4C’s commercial strategy and will provide funding in exchange for equity to Welsh companies which have high growth potential and are aligned with S4C’s aims.

Franses has previously held executive roles at Channel 4, ITV, Nutopia and Zodiak. She set up and ran the Channel Four Growth Fund, resulting in a portfolio of 13 investments of which seven companies sold, including Eleven Films, Whisper Films, True North and Voltage.

She joins most recently from ITV where she worked on the launch of the digital platform ITVX.

Lucy Clarke

Urban Myth to adapt ‘The Hike’

Urban Myth Films have acquired the rights to adapt the Lucy Clarke thriller novel The Hike.

The book follows friends Maggie, Helena, Liz and Joni as they leave behind their everyday lives to hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild. But there’s a darker side to the wilderness – and waiting on the trail is someone who’d do anything to stop the group walking away alive. Roanne Bardsley will adapt the novel for the screen.

Clarke’s previous novel, No Escape, was adapted into a seven-episode series for Paramount+, while an adaptation of her book The Castaways is also headed to the service.