‘The Rising’: Sky Studios’ Debut In-House Production Handed Rare Agency To Murdered Female Lead, Says EP Julian Stevens
deadline.comSky Studios’ first ever full in-house production, The Rising, combines the murder of a young woman, Neve, with a whodunnit story that she leads from beyond the grave.
Its Executive Producer Julian Stevens said giving her “agency” to propel the story allowed the drama to sensitively combine themes of violence against women and the afterlife.The eight-part series, based on Belgian drama Beau Sejour, launches on mainstream channel Sky Max in the UK on Friday (April 22).
It follows Neve (Clara Rugaard) as she comes to terms with her own murder and becomes determined to get justice for the killing using newly acquired supernatural powers.There has been much debate around depictions of violence against women in TV dramas in the UK, including in BBC dramas Line of Duty and The Fall, the latter of which Stevens worked on.
However, by making Neve “active and propulsive,” The Rising “hopefully brings something fresh to a story about her murder,” Stevens told Deadline in an exclusive interview. “We didn’t want the story to begin and end with her killing – she needed agency.
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