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An Accidental Soldier set to travel

ABC telemovie An Accidental Soldier looks set to be sold to multiple territories after London-based DCD Rights acquired the international distribution rights.

DCD Rights will introduce the film to international buyers at the Mipcom market in Cannes which runs October 7-10. The firm has an impressive track record in selling Australian dramas and comedies including Rake, The Slap, Mr & Mrs Murder, The Straits, The Strange Calls and A Moody Christmas.

Directed by Rachel Ward and produced by Goalpost Pictures and Taylor Media, An Accidental Soldier starred Dan Spielman, Marie Brunel, Bryan Brown and Julia Zemiro.

Set during WW1 and scripted by Blake Ayshford and based on the book Silent Parts by John Charalambous, it’s the tale of a romance between a young Australian baker who deserted the front line and a grieving French woman who risks her life by sheltering him from the authorities.

Meanwhile, the third season of Rake has been acquired by DirectTV’s Audience Network in the US and Sundance Channel Global for Latin America, Benelux, Baltics and Eastern Europe. Both broadcasters aired the first two series produced by Essential Media & Entertainment and Blow By Blow.

Richard Roxburgh returns as Cleaver Greene, along with Matt Day, Danielle Cormack, Russell Dykstra, Caroline Brazier, Adrienne Pickering, Kate Box, Damien Garvey, Robyn Malcolm, and Steve Le Marquand. Guest stars include Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby), Magda Szubanski, Dan Wyllie, Bruce Spence, Aden Young and Genevieve Lemon.

The US remake features Greg Kinnear as womanising criminal defence lawyer Keegan Deane, with Miranda Otto as his ex-wife, Ian Colletti as their son and Bojana Novakovic as Keegan’s favourite prostitute and de-facto love interest.

The US series is produced by Fedora Entertainment and Essential Media & Entertainment Pty Ltd. in association with Sony Pictures Television for the Fox network.

No Australian broadcaster has yet bought the US show which, due to a holdback agreement with the ABC, can’t be aired here before the third series is screened.