The Apartment, Fandango & Blue Morning team to adapt Massini’s ‘The Lehman Trilogy’

L-R: Florian Zeller, Lorenzo Mieli, Domenico Procacci & Andrea Scrosati

Oscar-winning filmmaker Florian Zeller has teamed with Fremantle-owned The Apartment Pictures and Fandango on a TV series adaptation of playwright Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy.

Zeller will direct, write and co-produce the project under his newly formed Blue Morning Pictures banner, alongside Apartment Pictures’ Lorenzo Mieli and Fandango’s Domenico Procacci.

Massini’s epic drama charts the history of one of the global financial institutions that helped spark the 2008 recession. The original production inspired Sam Mendes to stage an English-language version of Massini’s five-hour play. Adapted by Ben Power, the production won five Tony Awards earlier this year, including prizes for Sam Mendes’ direction and for the lead performance of Simon Russell Beale.

This TV series adaptation is Zeller’s first project since launching Blue Morning with France’s Mediawan and former CAA exec Federica Sainte-Rose last week.

It comes on the heels of his latest feature film, The Son, starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby, which premiered at the 79th Venice Film Festival.

Mieli and Procacci, meanwhile, previously worked together on the adaptation of My Brilliant Friend, based on the Elena Ferrante novels.

Federica Sainte-Rose and Lorenzo De Maio of De Maio Entertainment were “instrumental” in bringing the partnership together and will executive produce.

“I am delighted to be working with Lorenzo Mieli and Domenico Procacci to help bring this epic story to life. The Lehman Trilogy is a fascinating tale of family and power which spans decades in an ever changing social and political landscape in America. I could not dream of a richer canvas on which to work and so grateful to everyone who made this a reality,” said Zeller.

Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle group COO and Continental Europe CEO, added: “Working with an incredible talent such as Florian Zeller is at the heart of Fremantle mission. As a group we are thrilled about this project and really look forward to seeing it come to life.”