"The fact that The Saints is our first international project is an incredible recognition of our abilities in the world market, and I am very honoured to collaborate with Lionsgate and Fox Nation on this project", said Ivana Miković, operational director of Firefly Productions.
The series is created by Matti Leshem and directed by Elizabeth Chomko. It was developed by Martin Scorsese for Lionsgate Alternative Television and its screenplay was written by Kent Jones.
The eight one-hour episodes series will explore the stories of extraordinary men and women who risked everything to embody the noblest and most complex essence of the human race: faith. Each episode will focus on Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene, Moses the Black, Sebastian and Maximillian Kolbe.
"Almost all my life I have lived with the stories of the saints, thinking about their words and deeds, imagining the worlds they lived in, the choices they faced, the examples they set. These are the stories of eight very different men and women. Each of them lived in completely different historical periods, and all followed the path of love that is revealed to them and to us in the words of Jesus in the Gospels. I look forward to this project being underway and to working with so many reliable and talented collaborators," said Martin Scorsese in a statement.
Acclaimed Serbian production designer Miljen Kreka Kljaković (Delicatessen, Underground), will revive the atmosphere of four historical stories.
"I had the great honour of working with the legendary Kreka on Barry Levinson's The Survivor. He invited me to Belgrade, I came, fell in love with the city and promised him that I would return to film here. It's a great pleasure to be with Kreka again and it's an honour to work with Ivana Miković and all the talented people in Firefly production," said creator and executive producer Mati Lešem.
The international team is already in Belgrade, but no official information about the shooting dates has been revealed so far.
The first part of the series will premiere on 16 November 2024 on Fox Nation, while the second will be released in May 2025.
Firefly Studios is a complex of premium film and TV studios with complete supporting services, the only one of its kind in the region. It consists of three studios: two of 2000 square metres and 15 metres high, and one of 760 square metres and 12 metres high. It is unique in the region in terms of accompanying facilities, which include: a swimming pool for underwater filming measuring 10x15 metres and 3.5 metres deep, a space for building decor on four hectares and 4,500 square metres of auxiliary rooms, necessary for the film industry. The complex is located in Pančevo, half an hour drive from the centre of the Serbian capital.
