HBO Europe to remake Aussie crime comedy

HBO Europe has acquired production rights to Australian crime comedy Small Time Gangster and is planning a Romanian remake.

Umbre will go into production in early June ahead of a launch on HBO Romania in 2015.

The 8x45mins series represents the third local production HBO has created for its Romanian service. HBO acquired the rights from DRG Formats, the formats distribution unit of MTG-owned vendor DRG.

HBO is producing alongside Multimedia Est, a Romanian prodco that producer Dragos Vilcu launched more than two decades ago. Wayne Henry is executive producer for HBO, while Aurelian Nica is producer. Carmen Harabagiu executive produces for HBO Romania.

Bogdan Mirica will pen the localised screenplay, and lead director is Igor Cobileanski. The plot, billed as a black comedy, will follow a Bucharest taxi driver who doubles as a collector for a mobster.

In Australia, Boilermaker Burrbery Entertainment created Small Time Gangster for the now-defunct Movie Extra, which was part of Austar’s Movie Network Channels succeeded by Foxtel Movies in January 2013.

Multicultural broadcaster SBS aired the series last year.