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After the massive success of Canadian romantic drama series “Sullivan’s Crossing” — which was recently renewed for a fifth season — Fremantle, Bell Media and Reel World Management knew they’d found a rare partnership.
“Within the first year of ‘Sullivan’s Crossing,’ you’re kind of dating,” Michela Di Mondo, Fremantle’s executive vice president of distribution for Canada, tells Variety. “And early on, we realized that we were in marriage territory, so we knew that there was a willingness to look at the next project.”
A follow-up was kind of a no-brainer, especially factoring in that “Sullivan’s” sold in over 180 territories for Fremantle and became CTV’s No. 1 original drama as well as The CW’s top-rated scripted series in the U.S. Plus, showrunner and executive producer Roma Roth — who had worked closely with New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr on adapting “Sullivan’s” and “Virgin River” for the screen — had already acquired the rights for her nine-novel “Thunder Point” saga.
“This will be my third collaboration with Robyn Carr,” Roth says, who will executive produce “Thunder Point” alongside Reel World’s Christopher E. Perry in association with Fremantle and CTV. “It’s been a wonderful relationship. She supports my creative vision and in return the success of my shows has helped expand her global audience. It’s a win/win scenario for both of us. I was equally as fortunate to partner with Bell Media and Fremantle — two companies that recognized my potential and offered me the support and freedom I needed to develop a hit series.”
According to the book series’ logline, “Thunder Point” follows Hank Cooper — a handsome but rugged veteran who is briefly introduced in the “Virgin River” book “Sunrise Point” — who arrives to a coastal town after learning he’s been left an old friend’s beachfront property. When Hank decides to stick around, he finds that the destiny of this small community rests in his hands.
Although “Thunder Point” stays true to the romance Carr is known for, the story also has sports and mystery elements. “It’s the story of a small coastal town that’s very involved in their local high school sports, both the social and competitive world,” Carr says. “It’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ meets ‘Virgin River.'”
Earlier this month, the 10-episode series was officially announced at Bell Media’s upfronts, which drew an unprecedented amount of attention after smash-hit hockey romance series “Heated Rivalry,” an original for its streaming service Crave. On the heels of the Bell announcement, Di Mondo says she’s “never had so much proactive reach-out before, ever.”
“Following the phenomenal success of ’Sullivan’s Crossing,’ we knew we had to reunite this exceptional creative team to bring ‘Thunder Point’ to life,” says Carlyn Klebuc, general manager of original programming for Bell Media. “Collaborating with our outstanding partners at Fremantle and the immensely talented Roma Roth to adapt another of Robyn Carr’s beloved worlds is a winning formula for CTV and Crave.”
Fremantle is handling international sales on the series, and Di Mondo says other partners are eager to get on board sooner rather than later. “The idea is when you come in early — and that’s why these conversations are happening early — you shape it,” she says. “You’re part of the dialogue of casting, of leaning into this story or this character.”
Although the team is coming into “Thunder Point” with the prerequisites for success, Di Mondo says it was also important that they weren’t just doing the same thing over again. This “point of difference,” as she calls it, comes with the mystery aspect to the series.
“What will be a really nice addition is this mystery component to it, because the environment will be a big factor to that mystery,” she teases. “‘Thunder Point,’ for us, combines everything buyers are looking for. It’s beloved IP, it’s premium production value, it’s mystery, it’s romance, it’s world audiences. It’s something you want to return to again and again.”
Right now, Di Mondo says the team is diving into the books and figuring out the storytelling, but casting buzz is already starting. “People are already giving me casting [ideas], like, ‘I want the lead to be X,'” she says. “Two of them I was like, yes please! We’re excited to have those conversations in the global market.”
More than anything, the continued success of “Sullivan’s Crossing” and excitement around “Thunder Point” underlines the huge moment Canadian drama is having right now on a global scale.
“I’ll never forget being in a meeting and someone’s like, ‘Ugh, Canada’s here.’ And now it’s a little like, ‘Canada’s here!'” Di Mondo says. “We’re just as equally relevant as the U.K. and U.S. — it’s not a stigma. We’re gonna be a little bit unabashedly proud now, and just lean in. We’re leaning in on the romance, we’re leaning in on the location, we’re leaning in on the mystery. This is the fun part of having a track record of proven success.”
(Pictured above, from left to right: Michela Di Mondo, Roma Roth, Robyn Carr and Carlyn Klebuc)
