Exclusive: Turkish drama The End to get US remake

Ghost Whisperer producer Sander/Moses Productions is to remake a Turkish drama for US audiences, TBI has learned – a deal described as the first of its kind.

Sander/Moses has acquired remake rights to psychological thriller The End, which comes from Turkish prodco Ay Yapim and broadcaster ATV.

The original tells the story of a wife living in Istanbul, whose life is turned upside down when her husband is involved in a plane crash. She later discovers he never boarded the plane and elects to find him, only to find herself caught in a mystery.

Turkish dramas have been extremely successful in the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe but Mia Engström, director of sales and acquisitions at the show’s distributor, Eccho Rights, said it was the first time a drama from the country would be remade for US audiences.

“Turkish drama is in huge demand across the world thanks to quality story telling and high production values. It is only natural that the genre has reached US shores. Sander/Moses Productions is the perfect partner for this series and has the experience and talent to make The End a hit in America,” she added.

Ian Sander, Sander/Moses’ principal, said: “It is not often you find a format which is unique, culturally relevant in every language and has universal appeal.”

It’s not the first time The End has broken international barriers. A deal last year saw it broadcast in Sweden on pubcaster SVT, the first time a Turkish drama had run in Western Europe. It was also acquired by Vietnamese satellite service K Plus.

Producer Ay Yapim is behind other internationally successful drama formats such as Ezel and is also part of Sparks Network, the formats alliance division of Sparks Eccho and sister unit of Eccho Rights.