YouTube Red Nears Deal For Drama From Studio Behind ‘The Crown’ (Report)

Though YouTube Red is not yet available in Europe, the company is reportedly close to signing a deal for a high-end drama from Left Bank Pictures, the British film and TV production company behind Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series The Crown.

YouTube has not yet inked the deal but is reportedly in talks for Origin — an hourlong sci-fi drama comprising 10 total episodes, according to Screen Daily. Origin was created and written by Mika Watkins (Sky 1’s Stan Lee’s Lucky Man). The series was originally developed by Left Bank for the state-owned China International Television Corp. (CITVC) as part of a larger deal between the two companies.

Left Bank, which was founded by noted media exec Andy Harries in 2007 and acquired by Sony Pictures Television

in 2012, also produced the Amazon sci-fi series Oasis — making it the first British studio to produce an original show for the platform.

While the plot details of Origin still look to be under wraps, an hourlong drama would mark a noted departure from YouTube Red’s standard fare, which generally features short-form series featuring digital influencers with a bit of a younger bent. And though Origin would mark the first-ever U.K.-produced drama for Red, the service did air a tour movie last year called Dan & Phil’s Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire, which was produced by London-based Princess Productions.