Former executives from HBO Europe, Johnathan Young, and Ioanina Pavel, have established a new production company named May One. Their goal is to create top-notch TV dramas in Romania that cater to both local and international viewers.
These industry veterans have a track record of working on successful HBO projects in Eastern Europe, including the critically acclaimed Polish series “Wataha (The Pack),” the Romanian-German thriller “Hackerville,” and HBO Max’s Cold War espionage series “Spy/Master,” which made its debut at the Berlin Film Festival recently.
Johnathan Young, who previously served as VP of Original Production at HBO Europe, supervised the network’s lineup of original series in the region. Meanwhile, Ioanina Pavel started her career at HBO Romania as a development executive, contributing to series like the gangster drama “Umbre” and “Hackerville” before moving on to produce various shows ranging from romantic dramas to spy thrillers.
May One is set to operate from Bucharest and aims to develop, produce, and co-produce high-quality series shot in Romania. They plan to collaborate with both local and international talents for their projects.
Their first project, “Subteran,” a crime drama commissioned by Netflix, is currently in production. The series, co-produced with “Spy/Master” producer Tudor Reu of Mobra Films, follows the story of a mother in IT who becomes an undercover agent fighting against a criminal group in Bucharest.
Johnathan Young expresses his enthusiasm for the creative environment in Romania, noting that it offers a captivating setting for television storytelling. He envisions May One as a platform for local talents to showcase their creativity and collaborate on engaging dramas that offer a fresh perspective to global audiences.
Ioanina Pavel highlights Romania’s unique vision and creative talent, emphasizing their goal to create genre-defining shows with universal appeal. Their ambition is to elevate Romanian ideas and landscapes to create compelling and distinctive content for viewers worldwide.
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For more details on the launch of the Romanian TV company by former HBO Europe executives, read the full article here.