MEDIA RELEASE: Cineflix Rights signs deal with Australia’s Stan for upcoming RTÉ and BBC series The Walsh Sisters

First look image unveiled for six-part comedy drama, inspired by novels of international bestselling author, Marian Keyes

Cineflix Rights has announced a deal with Stan to become the Australian home for eagerly anticipated comedy drama series The Walsh Sisters, commissioned by RTÉ in association with the BBC, and based on the novels by bestselling author Marian Keyes.

The first series of the Walsh Sisters revolves around characters from the novels including blockbusters Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There and features a chaotic, dysfunctional but deeply loveable family of five sisters, their mother and bemused father. Set in their Dublin hometown, the series follows the lives of Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their late 20s and 30s. This is a sisterhood full of in-jokes, hand-me-down resentments and more than a few old wounds. But their DNA, history and shared love of power ballads keep the Walsh sisters together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood.

Headlining the cast are Louisa Harland (Derry Girls, Renegade Nell, Love/Hate) as the troubled Anna Walsh and rising talent Caroline Menton (Oddity) taking on the role of sister Rachel, one of Marian’s most loved characters. Danielle Galligan (House of Guinness, Spilt Milk, Shadow and Bone) plays oldest sister Claire and BAFTA-nominated Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary, My Lady Jane, Belfast) plays Helen. The final Walsh sister, Maggie, is played by stage, screen and screenwriting talent Stefanie Preissner (How to Adult). Aidan Quinn (This is my Father, Legends of the Fall, Song for a Raggy Boy) stars as Jack ‘Daddy’ Walsh alongside his screen wife Carrie Crowley (An Cailín Ciúin, Hope Street, Smother), as eccentric Mammy.

Greg Johnson, EVP, Americas and Asia Pacific, Cineflix Rights said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Stan to bring The Walsh Sisters to Australian fans. Marian’s novels have millions of readers all over the world and we’re looking forward to more deals shortly as we roll the series out internationally to buyers.”

Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said: “Marian Keyes’ books are adored all over the world, and we’re delighted to partner with RTÉ, BBC and Cineflix Rights as we bring The Walsh Sisters to Australian audiences. With Ian Fitzgibbon at the helm, alongside such a talented cast, we’re confident the series will capture Marian’s sharp wit and her heartwarming characters that have captivated readers for decades, and we look forward to introducing her storytelling to a whole new audience through this adaptation.”

Marian Keyes added: “I’m so thrilled that The Walsh Sisters will air on Stan in Australia! Australian readers have always been huge supporters of my novels, in particular those about the Walsh Sisters and there’s such a treat in store for you!  It’s impossible to overstate how thrilled I am with this production. Stefanie Preissners’ scripts alchemised the vibe of my novels into a new and compelling thing. And the cast! Individually and collectively the five young women playing the sisters astonished me. Each separately embodies the characters in my head, right down to tiny aspects of their body language; collectively their chemistry is magnificent – their warm, bickery engagement feels just like a family.  The rest of the cast is equally tremendous – Mammy and Daddy Walsh are beautiful together.

“This probably sounds like a strange thing to say but even if I wasn’t involved in this, I’d be dying to see it. I’m so grateful to all the individuals who worked so hard to make this beautiful series and I’m very excited for Australian viewers to see the finished product.”

The Walsh Sisters is adapted by Stefanie Preissner (Solpadeine is My Boyfriend, Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope), with Kefi Chadwick (Rivals, Death in Paradise) writing two episodes. It is directed by Ian Fitzgibbon (Hullraisers, Moone Boy), and the producer is Patrick O’Donoghue (The Tourist, Brooklyn, The Wonder). It is produced by Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Pictures for RTÉ in association with the BBC, Screen Ireland and Cineflix Rights. The executive producers are Dixie Linder and Nick Marston for Cuba Pictures, David McLoughlin for Metropolitan Pictures, David Crean Dermot Horan for RTÉ, James Durie and Tom Misselbrook for Cineflix Rights, Stefanie Preissner, Marian Keyes, and Tony Baines. Cineflix Rights is the exclusive worldwide distribution partner.

The deal with Stan was brokered by Chris Bluett, SVP Sales, Asia Pacific, Cineflix Rights.

Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There are published by Penguin Michael Joseph/Penguin Random House Australia

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