Vertigo ties with Hollywood Gang on foreign legion drama

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Vertigo Films (Britannia, Bulletproof, Bronson, Monsters) has partnered with Hollywood Gang Productions (300, Immortals, Start Up) to develop Army of Strangers (8×45’) for television.

British writer and director, Matthew Parkhill (Deep State, Rogue) has been confirmed to write the action series. Parkhill’s drama will “take the audience on an insightful yet adrenaline-filled ride into the very human experiences of the men who decide to join the mysterious French Foreign Legion.”

The show revolves around a band of new recruits, from a variety of countries and backgrounds, as they join the Legion and end up undertaking a dangerous mission in Yemen. Bending narrative across the past, present and future, the show follows a splintered group of soldiers as they navigate war but also their choices and mistakes, exploring their past and charting their way to a second chance. “The show will transcend its genre and take us deep into the psyche of those who make the life changing decision of joining and the many reasons and consequences for this choice.”

Allan Niblo is executive producing and Nathalie Peter-Contesse is overseeing development for Vertigo Films. Gianni Nunnari is executive producing for Hollywood Gang Productions. Matthew Parkhill is writing and showrunning and will also serve as an executive producer.

Allan Niblo, Co-Founder of Vertigo Films: “The French Foreign Legion is almost an urban legend, dangerous and fascinating at the same time – further compounded by the idea that once you sign up, they own your life. As one of the last forces to have a light shone on it, it’s the perfect subject to dramatize and bring to screen. We are throwing everything at it – revealing its legendary past, complex characters, and lethal reputation.”

Gianni Nunnari, Founder of Hollywood Gang Productions: “This series is layered; while exploring the complicated past and present of the French Foreign Legion as an institution, we also have the gift of so many rich characters with their own complicated journeys. We are very grateful to partner with Vertigo and Matthew in the ‘fight’ to bring this series to screen.”

Matthew Parkhill, writer: “The Legion is unlike any other army on earth, a band of misfits from all over the world – criminals, adventurers, romantics, the broken, the rejected, the disillusioned and the dispossessed.  All looking for one thing.  To escape.  A second chance.  To start again.  I’m excited to team up with Vertigo and Gianni on a show that takes a look at this truly unique and fascinating world, covering stories of honour and shame, of class, race, hope and hypocrisy, of unshakeable friendships and unlikely redemptions.  After what we’ve lived through the past few years, who isn’t cracked or splintered or broken in some way?   And that’s what this show will speak to.”