International : Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service from PCCW Media Group, has teamed up with Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) to produce the latest international adaptation of the global phenomenon Pretty Little Liars. Localized in Bahasa and filmed in Bali, the series follows a group of four estranged undergrads whose group had fallen apart when their former leader went missing. The girls come back together in the face of danger, when they begin receiving messages from a mysterious figure known as “A”, who threatens to expose their darkest secrets.
Viu’s strategy is to produce compelling regional content with international production quality. In line with this, it will take Pretty Little Liars, which ran for seven seasons on ABC Family/Freeform in the United States and garnered 36 Teen Choice Awards during its run, and adapt it for Southeast Asia. This follows Viu’s success with the Viu Original, Endemol Shine’s The Bridge, which was also an adaptation set in Southeast Asia.
Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group, said, “We engage local audiences by creating and adapting stories that have strong relevance. Pretty Little Liars is a proven show that resonates with younger viewers with similar profiles to our Viu audience, and we are pleased to begin our journey with WBITVP and bring it to our audience and platform. In line with our strategy to invest in creating content assets, in 2019 we will have a mix of Viu Original productions and will work with international partners on local adaptations that resonate with audiences in Asia.”
Andrew Zein, Senior Vice President, Creative, Format Development and Sales, WBITVP, said, “Viu is one of the market leaders in local storytelling, and we are excited to partner with them in transforming Pretty Little Liars into a Southeast Asian show that builds on the original, yet is also uniquely its own story, entertaining millions of people.”
The series is expected to begin airing late this year. Keeping with the tradition of multi-market, globally appealing shows, Pretty Little Liars is an Indonesia and Malaysia Viu co-production and will be available in all 17 of Viu’s worldwide markets simultaneously. Set in the fictional town of Amerta, the series will be filmed entirely on site in Indonesia’s crown jewel of Bali, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Emil Heradi (The Night Bus, Sagarmatha).
The cast represents the true diversity and talent of the region, headlined by Anya Geraldine as Hanna, Eyka Farhana as Ema, Valerie Thomas as Sabrina, Shindy Huang as Aria, and Yuki Kato as Alissa, as the famed lead quintet.
