EXCLUSIVE: Following its international debut at Series Mania, gritty Belgian drama series Putain has landed homes in Spain and Portugal.
Panenka has shopped the show to streamer Filmin in both territories, and is close to several other deals.
This comes after Putain launched in French-speaking Belgium on Proximys Pickx and ahead of its debut on BeTV on June 12. The series premiered on Belgian streamer Streamz and on Videoland in the Netherlands last December.
“We’re so proud that Filmin will bring this captivating series to Spanish and Portuguese audiences this fall,” said Jaume Ripoll Vaker, CCO & co-founder of Filmin. “The cinematography, the music, the themes of family relations and growing up in a city. It all resonated deeply with us too.”
In Belgium, it has become a breakout hit, according to Streamz CEO Bart De Groote. “The series was an instant phenomenon upon its national release, becoming ‘the talk of the town’ in Belgium,” he said. “It achieved the best opening weekend for a Streamz Original in 2024 and received outstanding reviews across Belgian media, consistently earning top ratings. We’re looking forward to what the series will accomplish next.”
Besides its success locally, Putain received a Special Mention at Series Mania from the Panorama jury, with the Lille festival describing it as, “A powerful story about friendship and teenage grit. Fucking great actors, fucking great directing, fucking great series.”
The show is a raw, multi-lingual and multi-racial look at inner-city Brussels, starring Liam Jacqmin, Liesa Van der Aa (The Day), Felix Heremans (Venice contender Holly), Hind, Victoria Djamusala, Laura Darnovsky, Roda Fawaz (1985), and Pierre Boeraeve.
The show follows the life Gigi Gigi and his friends Rania, Snokkie, Yves and Zola. When Gigi finds out his mother, Anaïs, is dating her ex, Fabrice, who was not only her former love but also a past partner in drug addiction, he presents her with an ultimatum: her son or her lover. She fails to answer and he leaves home, embarking on an unexpected new chapter.
Panenka produced the show for Streamz and has international sales rights, with support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) of the Flemish Minister for Media. Support from the economic fund Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels and the Belgian Tax Shelter program of the Federal Government.
“Following a successful launch in Belgium and Netherlands, I look forward to Putain finding its way to Spain, Portugal and other territories we’re currently in talks with,” said Kristoffel Mertens, producer at Panenka. “The team is incredibly happy that the series will now further travel internationally and will continue to move audiences outside abroad.”
