The global distribution rights to Greek teenage drama series Milky Way have been picked up by US production company Fifth Season.
Written and directed by Vasilis Kekatos, who won the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for his short film The Distance Between Us and the Sky, the eight-part series is a coming-of-age story focusing on an unwanted pregnancy.
The drama was compared to HBO’s Euphoria when it competed at Series Mania, the first Greek show to ever do so.
Milky Way is produced by Foss Productions in association with Play2Place and in co-production with Greek broadcaster Mega TV, and is set to premiere in Greece today on Mega and Vodafone TV on Demand.
Episode three will premiere on November 10 at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which runs from November 2 – 12.
Variety‘s synopsis of Milky Way says it is set in a remote mountain town and follows high school senior Maria, who falls pregnant with her long-time boyfriend Tasos, and thus her dream of becoming a dancer is halted.
Now her parents expect her and Tasos to marry, which will isolate her from her friends, but the arrival of Joe, a newcomer from Athens, sparks a special bond.
Maria faces constant twists and adventures, questioning societal expectations.
She embarks on transformative journey and must choose between sticking to or rebelling against norms.
Fifth Season’s SVP of scripted television strategy, Arvand Khosravi says Milky Way is further proof of why Greek storytelling has been celebrated worldwide and for millennia.
“The incredibly talented writer-director Vasilis Kekatos reminds us why Greek storytelling has transcended borders and withstood the test of time for thousands of years,” he said.
“Milky Way offers a thought-provoking exploration of societal norms and personal choice that will resonate with viewers the world over.
“Audiences will be captivated by these performances and the visual poetry of this coming-of-age story.”
When the series was still in development, director Kekatos told Variety he hopes the show will address what he views as a shortfall in “youthful and daring content” in Greek television.
“I would like our series to change that. From now on, I would like people my age, or even younger, people with ground-breaking ideas, to get the green light to fulfil their vision.”
“I would like the industry to trust the new generation, the new one that comes with the momentum to change what we knew. Because the audience has proven to be there. Open to all proposals, willing to listen, to see, to feel.”