‘Thunder Point’ Heats Up as Fremantle, Bell Media and ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Showrunner Bring Robyn Carr’s Next Series to the Global Market: ‘It’s “Friday Night

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By Ellise Shafer

Ellise Shafer

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‘Thunder Point’ Gains Momentum as Fremantle, Bell Media and ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Showrunner Bring Robyn Carr’s Next Series to the Global Market: ‘It’s “Friday Night Lights” Meets “Virgin River”’ (EXCLUSIVE) 3 hours ago

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Following the tremendous success of Canadian romantic drama series “Sullivan’s Crossing” — which was recently picked up for a fifth season — Fremantle, Bell Media and Reel World Management recognized they had discovered a unique collaboration.

“Within the first year of ‘Sullivan’s Crossing,’ you’re kind of dating,” Michela Di Mondo, Fremantle’s executive vice president of distribution for Canada, tells Variety. “And early on, we realized that we were in marriage territory, so we knew that there was a willingness to look at the next project.”

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A follow-up was essentially a given, especially considering that “Sullivan’s” sold in over 180 territories for Fremantle and became CTV’s top original drama as well as The CW’s highest-rated scripted series in the U.S. Additionally, showrunner and executive producer Roma Roth — who had collaborated closely with New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr on adapting “Sullivan’s” and “Virgin River” for television — had already secured the rights for her nine-novel “Thunder Point” saga.

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“This will be my third collaboration with Robyn Carr,” Roth says, who will executive produce “Thunder Point” alongside Reel World’s Christopher E. Perry in association with Fremantle and CTV. “It’s been a wonderful relationship. She supports my creative vision and in return the success of my shows has helped expand her global audience. It’s a win/win scenario for both of us. I was equally as fortunate to partner with Bell Media and Fremantle — two companies that recognized my potential and offered me the support and freedom I needed to develop a hit series.”

According to the book series’ logline, “Thunder Point” centers on Hank Cooper — a handsome yet rugged veteran who is briefly introduced in the “Virgin River” book “Sunrise Point” — who arrives in a coastal town after learning he’s inherited an old friend’s beachfront property. When Hank decides to stay, he discovers that the fate of this small community rests in his hands.

Although “Thunder Point” remains true to the romance Carr is known for, the story also incorporates sports and mystery elements. “It’s the story of a small coastal town that’s very involved in their local high school sports, both the social and competitive world,” Carr says. “It’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ meets ‘Virgin River.’”

Earlier this month, the 10-episode series was officially announced at Bell Media’s upfronts, which drew unprecedented attention following the smash-hit hockey romance series “Heated Rivalry,” an original for its streaming service Crave. On the heels of the Bell announcement, Di Mondo says she’s “never had so much proactive reach-out before, ever.”

“Following the phenomenal success of ’Sullivan’s Crossing,’ we knew we had to reunite this exceptional creative team to bring ‘Thunder Point’ to life,” says Carlyn Klebuc, general manager of original programming for Bell Media. “Collaborating with our outstanding partners at Fremantle and the immensely talented Roma Roth to adapt another of Robyn Carr’s beloved worlds is a winning formula for CTV and Crave.”

Fremantle is managing international sales on the series, and Di Mondo says other partners are eager to join sooner rather than later. “The idea is when you come in early — and that’s why these conversations are happening early — you shape it,” she says. “You’re part of the dialogue of casting, of leaning into this story or this character.”

Although the team is approaching “Thunder Point” with the prerequisites for success, Di Mondo notes it was also crucial that they weren’t simply repeating the same formula. This “point of difference,” as she calls it, stems from the mystery element of the series.

“What will be a really nice addition is this mystery component to it, because the environment will be a big factor to that mystery,” she teases. “‘Thunder Point,’ for us, combines everything buyers are looking for. It’s beloved IP, it’s premium production value, it’s mystery, it’s romance, it’s world audiences. It’s something you want to return to again and again.”

Currently, Di Mondo says the team is delving into the books and determining the storytelling direction, but casting buzz is already emerging. “People are already giving me casting [ideas], like, ‘I want the lead to be X,'” she says. “Two of them I was like, yes please! We’re excited to have those conversations in the global market.”

Above all, the ongoing success of “Sullivan’s Crossing” and the enthusiasm surrounding “Thunder Point” highlight the significant moment Canadian drama is experiencing on a global scale.

“I’ll never forget being in a meeting and someone’s like, ‘Ugh, Canada’s here.’ And now it’s a little like, ‘Canada’s here!'” Di Mondo says. “We’re just as equally relevant as the U.K. and U.S. — it’s not a stigma. We’re gonna be a little bit unabashedly proud now, and just lean in. We’re leaning in on the romance, we’re leaning in on the location, we’re leaning in on the mystery. This is the fun part of having a track record of proven success.”

(Pictured above, from left to right: Michela Di Mondo, Roma Roth, Robyn Carr and Carlyn Klebuc)

Bell Media,

Fremantle,

Heated Rivalry,

Thunder Point

‘Thunder Point’ Heats Up as Fremantle, Bell Media and ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Showrunner Bring Robyn Carr’s Next Series to the Global Market: ‘It’s “Friday Night Lights” Meets “Virgin River”’ (EXCLUSIVE)