HBO Max Takes U.S. Rights To Stephen Graham-Fronted ITV Crime Drama ‘White House Farm’

HBO Max has picked the U.S. rights to British crime drama White House Farm starring The Irishman’s Stephen Graham and Black ’47’s Freddie Fox.

The WarnerMedia-owned streaming service will air the six-part series in the States next year after striking a deal with All3Media International.

It is the latest British title snapped up by the streamer, following deals with BBC Studios for Doctor Who as well as Ricky Gervais’ The Office, Top Gear, Luther,  The Honorable Woman, Pure, Trigonometry, Stath Lets Flats, Home and Ghosts.

The show, which is produced by Catherine The Great producer New Pictures, sees Graham, who also starred in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, plays DCI ‘Taff’ Jones and Fox plays Jeremy Bamber. The factual drama that tells the story of when members of the same family were murdered at an Essex farmhouse. Mark Addy, Gemma Whelan, Mark Stanley, Alexa Davies, Cressida Bonas, Alfie Allen, Amanda Burton and Nicholas Farrell also star.

The series will explore the family tragedy and the contested accounts of the events that took place at White House Farm. Based on extensive research, interviews and published accounts including, ‘The Murders at White House Farm’ by Carol Ann Lee with additional material from ‘In Search of The Rainbow’s End’ by Colin Caffell, husband of Sheila and father to Daniel and Nicholas Caffell.

Essex Police initially believed that Sheila, who had mental health problems, had murdered her own family before turning the gun on herself. But Detective Sergeant Stan Jones had doubts about the murder-suicide theory, and about Sheila’s brother Jeremy Bamber, who first called the police to the farm. Eventually it was Jeremy Bamber who was charged and convicted of the murders of his own parents, sister and nephews. Bamber is currently serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He is one of the few prisoners in the UK subject to a whole-life order. Bamber still maintains his innocence.

White House Farm is written by Kris Mrksa (The Slap) and Giula Sandler (7 Days of Us) and directed by Paul Whittington (Little Boy Blue). The series is executive produced by Willow Grylls, Charlie Pattinson, Elaine Pyke and Kris Mrksa and produced by Lee Thomas.

Elsewhere, Canal+ has picked up the rights in France, and French-speaking territories in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, DirecTV has secured the drama for Latin America and deals have been done with Sky in New Zealand, BBC Studios in Australia, DR (Denmark), NPO (Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), and NRK (Norway).

Louise Pedersen, CEO at All3Media International, said, “In White House Farm, Willow Grylls and the New Pictures team have produced a compelling true crime drama that takes an in-depth look at what happened on one fateful night. It focuses on not only the crime itself and the subsequent police investigation but also the devastating emotional impact of the tragedy, all informed by extensive research and interviews with those closest to the case.  Crime stories have a global resonance and we are delighted that a number of major international broadcasters including HBO Max and Canal+ will be airing the series.”