Gal Gadot will produce a U.S. adaptation of the Israeli crime drama “Queens” for Endemol Shine, the company announced on Tuesday.
The most-watched series of 2018 for the Israeli network HOT, “Queens” follows the women of the Malka family who must band together after all the Malka men are murdered by a rival crime syndicate. Thrust into a life that they did not choose or necessarily want, the women realize they can finally control their own destinies and respond to each other and the world around them as complete individuals, all while trying to stay alive.
Gadot and Jaron Varsano will executive produce the drama via their Pilot Wave banner. Endemol Shine North America and Endemol Shine Israel will produce.
“We are so excited to celebrate these women through the ‘Queens’ story. These complex characters are captivating, delightfully funny and emotional. It is rare to find content that conveys characters in such a truthful way, while mirroring society. We are looking forward to bringing their story to the world and working with the Endemol Shine team on this project,” Gadot and Varsano said in a joint statement.
HOT’s Nadav Hanin, Mirit Toovi and Guy Levy, Endemol Shine Israel’s Amir Ganor, Gal Zaid, Ruth Zaid, as well as Endemol Shine North America’s Sharon Levy and Lisa Fahrenholt will also serve as executive producers.
“‘Queens’ is a complex piece about being female in our day in age, and all that goes with that from a family, career and relationship perspective,” Endemol Shine North America’s Levy said. “Watching these women make bold decisions, hilarious mistakes and learn to lean on one another set against a thriller backdrop, gives this show such a unique spirit that we all fell in love with it immediately. It’s gratifying to see a series that treats women with a deft complexity, showcasing that our differences are the strengths that unite us.”
“Queens is a brilliant story of female empowerment, with comic undertones and larger-than-life, eccentric women at its heart,” Zaid said. “HOT nurtured this show and laid excellent groundwork to ensure its success and I’m absolutely thrilled to evolve the dramatic characters for the U.S. version with Gal, Jaron and the talented team at Endemol Shine North America.”