Cold War thriller 'Asal' Earns First Sales After Cannes World Premiere

Exclusive: First sales for 'Asal' began following its world premiere at Cannes. The dark comedy thriller has a Cold War drama pre-sold to BBC and ZDF. Australian streamer Stan and Sky has pre-bought it for New Zealand. Fifth Season is handling distribution and also presales with […]

EXCLUSIVE: The first sales for Asal began with the world premiere of this dark comedy trailer at Cannes.

Cold War drama for BBC and ZDF. Pre-ordered in New Zealand by Australian streamer Stan and Sky. Season 5 distributes the show and has also signed pre-sales with OSN+ for the Middle East and North Africa and Hot in Israel.

The deals follow a glittering showing for the series at MIPCOM in Cannes. The sunny setting on the Cote d'Azur was a far cry from the icy backdrop of East Berlin in the show's opening. The story of Martha, played by Ann Skelly (Guinness House), is a deep cover agent in 1982 Germany. He discovers a world of counter-espionage and finds himself in a cold war in the cold war. Related News: Content Promotion News Adds Four Monster Documentaries News ITV Buys Trailer for 'Galway Bay Murders' Starring Kate Mulgrew and Colm Meaney

Skelly, Sally Woodward Gentle, series executive producer at Sid Gentle Films, lead writer and EP Emma Moran, and Jennifer Ebel, EVP, television on Season 5, all spoke about the series ahead of the premiere. Watch on Deadline

Skelly appears alongside Nate Mann, Janice Nievener and Rory Kinnear in the series.

"It's really fun to see a character that's so sassy and bold and needy because I didn't really grow up with a lot of female characters like that," Skelly said. "She's incredibly ambitious and completely self-reliant and full of confidence, but not quite experienced, which I think is a really fun character to watch."

The character of Martha is one of the characters that appeared in the movie Killing Eve. Fiona Shaw played a character recently identified as Caroline Martens. However, the team behind Honey has been at pains to emphasize that while this is the same universe, it is not a prequel.

The series has elements of spy thriller, romance, comedy and drama, and Moran said that's what attracted him.

We're in a semi-totalitarian society [in the show] where you have to watch yourself, and desires have to be curbed. "With the love triangle that dominates the series, it was very satisfying to play with those two poles of 'I can't say I am, I can't do this,' but then the desire falls away."

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