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Paramount+ unveils Canadian slate

June 13, 2023

Paramount+ has announced a Canadian content strategy in development, commissioned features and acquired programming. Announced at the BANFF World Media Festival, the slate includes a roster of acclaimed Canadian series and features, including a Paramount+ Original documentary and four new development projects in partnership with some of the best and most diverse creators in the country.

“Paramount+ is known for content that is entertaining. Our strategy includes partnering with the most exciting creators in the country, like we did with this first slate of projects,” said Katrina Kowalski, Vice President, Content, Paramount+ and Pluto TV Canada. “Storytelling captures viewers’ hearts and minds, and Paramount+ in Canada is proud to be working with local partners who are just as passionate as we are.”

”We are proud of today’s announcement which is the result of thoughtful dialog with the Canadian production community.  Paramount Streaming has a robust team of Canadians working directly on the business; we know this is the key to our success in the market, and we are proud to give the Canadian creative community an opportunity to shine both at home and around the world,” added Doug Smith, SVP Streaming & Content Licensing, Canada, Paramount Global. 

Paramount+ Canadian Series in Development

HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY

A scripted comedy about the scandal behind the scandal that brought the “world’s fastest man” from hero to zero in 9.79 seconds.  From writer Anthony Q Farrell (The Office U.S.) and award-winning producers New Metric Media (Letterkenny).

LEN & CUB

Based on a true story, this limited six-part series dramatizes the secret relationship of two young men in rural 20th-century New Brunswick whose story came to light when a box of photos was recently discovered in an estate sale. From writer Lynne Kamm and producers Muse Entertainment and Elliot Page’s Page Boy Productions.

CARPE DEMON

A one-hour genre series, based on the best-selling book series by Julie Kenner, about a frazzled suburban mom with a loving husband, two kids and one massive secret: she used to be a Demon Hunter. Out of practice and overwhelmed, she has no choice but to get back in the game when her supernatural past comes calling from award-winning showrunner Emily Andras (Wynonna Earp, Lost Girl) and producers December Films, Cineflix Studios, Gina Marcheschi and Jon Brown.

THEY DRIVE AT NIGHT

A dark comedy genre series about two best friends, a vampire and a werewolf, on a road trip across Canada. Written by Emmy Award winner Craig Wallace (Murdoch Mysteries, Todd & The Book of Pure Evil) and producers Black Birds Entertainment.

Paramount+ Original Documentary

500 DAYS IN THE WILD – Paramount+ Original

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Dianne Whelan (This Land, 40 Days at Basecamp) recorded a solo self-recorded journey travelling across Canada in 2015. She began her trek feeling disillusioned with the state of the world, but six years and 28,000 km later she arrived back in Victoria, BC, feeling wiser, more hopeful, in love and with a passion to share her remarkable journey. Produced by Betsy Carson with Executive Producers Christine Haebler and Dianne Whelan for Rebel Sisters Productions and distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.

Produced in Association with Paramount+

THE BOY IN THE WOODS

The remarkable true-life survival story of a Jewish boy hiding and being hunted in the forests of Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. Based on the memoir The Boy In The Woods by Maxwell Smart. The film is produced by Lumanity Productions and JoBro Productions and distributed by Photon Films.

Paramount+ Canadian Acquisitions

Recently, Paramount+ invested in marketing and publicity for acquired Canadian content such as the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Documentary Anything For Fame and the CSA nominated Never Seen Again from Efran Films.

Paramount+ has also acquired Canadian feature films Midnight At The Paradise from LevelFILM currently slated for 2023, along with All The Lost Ones, Café Daughter, Orah and Who’s Yer Father? for 2024.

From Vortex, Paramount+ has acquired the romantic comedy feature The End Of Sex.

By the end of this year, Paramount+ will have acquired hundreds of hours of Canadian content from numerous partners including those noted above as well as Elevation Pictures, Mongrel Media, Sphere Films and Blue Ant Media. A selection of those titles currently streaming on the service include Paramount+ Original seriesNever Seen Again and FBI: True as well as Paw Patrol and movies Away from Her (available July 1st), Aline, Kayak to Klemtu and Paw Patrol: The Movie.

The Paramount owned streamer’s expanded Canadian content offering complements the company’s existing Canadian content lineup on its FAST service in the market, Pluto TV.  Currently Pluto TV offers 45 dedicated Canadian channels spanning different genres. On July 1st three additional channels will join the Pluto TV family. Truly Canadian, which will highlight Canadian-produced scripted series such as Little Mosque on the Prairie, Edgemont and Arctic Air and Pluto TV Documentaries which will include NFB documentaries and films that have been featured at Hot Docs such as Canadian-produced When Jews Were Funny by Alan Zweig and Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap: Every Song Tells a Story. On July 1, Pluto TV will also launch The Red Green Show Channel.

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