Los Angeles-based film and TV studio Happy Accidents is teaming up with New Zealand-based Kevin & Co on The Sanctuarya new comedy series about an eccentric American billionaire living in hiding in Australia, The Hollywood journalist can reveal exclusively.
Developed with Warner Bros. Discovery NZ, the eight-part series follows Hunter, a US tech billionaire who sells an innocuous app, only to discover that the buyer is a Russian-affiliated private military company looking to exploit his technology as weapon. Terrified, he hides in New Zealand and finds himself caught between the FBI, Russian assassins and New Zealand's most passionate environmentalists.
“Hunter decides to turn his luxury island retreat into a Department of Conservation (DOC) bird sanctuary,” reads a plot synopsis. “But as his private paradise is invaded by birds and bird lovers alike, he discovers that being a billionaire on the run is not all it's cracked up to be.”
The series is created by Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore, a writing and performing duo who also use their musical comedy alter ego, Two Hearts. Happy Accidents will introduce the show to international buyers at the MIPCOM global TV market in Cannes later this month.
Ginny and Georgia Executive producer Holly A. Hines and former MPCA COO Eric Jarboe launched Happy Accidents earlier this year with the goal of working with international partners to produce and distribute a broad range of film and television content.
Daniel's acting credits include The Brokenwood Mysteries AND Winand appears regularly on comedy shows 7 days, you paid attention?, and was the champion of the second season of Taskmaster New Zealand. Moore's credits as a writer and producer include series such as Guy Mont-Spelling Bee (New Zealand and Australia), Taskmaster NZ, Taskmaster Australia AND 7 days. He directed segments of Funny girls AND New Zealand todayand has two screenplays in development with the NZ Film Commission.
“The Sanctuary It's the kind of big, emotional, heartfelt comedy that we know will have broad international appeal,” said Holly A. Hines and Eric Jarboe, co-founders and co-CEOs of Happy Accidents. “With Laura and Joseph we have two of the best comedy writers around and we are thrilled to bring their first international series to life.”
“Their ideas, vision and humor are evident in all episodes. And in Kevin & Co we have the perfect co-production partners whose ambitions match ours in bringing brilliant shows to the global market.”