Press.disney.co.uk
The British Hulu Original series is created and written by Kate Cortesi and produced byElement Pictures and Sinestra
LONDON, UK (26 August): Disney+ has greenlit romantic comedy-drama “Mad Love”(working title), produced by Element Pictures, a Fremantle company, (“Normal People”) and Sinestra. The Hulu Original scripted series (6x45’) is created and written by acclaimed playwright, Kate Cortesi, and follows Maddy Caruso, a British wedding planner for an eclectic list of clients in the stunning Italian countryside. Everyone wants Maddy for their events. She makes the impossible possible and can read her demanding clients like a book. If only her personal life was that simple…
Back home in London, Maddy did something unforgivable with the first man she’s ever had feelings for. She bolted to Italy in shame, leaving behind her entire life, including her sister and best friend, Evie. But Maddy can't run away forever, and her past comes crashing into her new Italian life in the most chaotic way imaginable.
Kate Cortesi, Creator and Writer, said: “What a dream to bring Mad Love (w/t) to life with this team that is truly the best in the business. I can’t believe my good fortune to be working with Element, Sinestra, Fremantle, and Disney+, who have understood and supported the vision from the very beginning. And I can’t wait to introduce the world to Maddy Caruso, our wedding planner extraordinaire who is equal parts witty, wise, and wretched. Watching Maddy hurdle toward self-actualization through a string of self-destructive choices is a ride I hope will be funny, sad, and occasionally worrisome—but ultimately a celebration of how true community catches us when we fall and helps us grow up. This one is for the free spirits, the poor decision-makers, and the unapologetic lovers of life."
Christopher Aird, Executive Producer and Head of TV, Element Pictures said: “In Mad Love (w/t), Kate has created a wonderfully warm and attractive world you want to spend time in. Element are thrilled to be working with Sinestra to bring Kate’s authored, comedic and characterful writing to the screen. We fell in love with Kate’s characters instantly and we think the audience will too.”
Michael Parets, Executive Producer, Sinestra said: “Kate Cortesi has X-Ray vision. She sees characters for who they are, not just who they want to be. It has been so much fun to see her apply her superpowers to the world of Mad Love (w/t), where she has crafted a messy, honest and incredibly fun playground for love and heartbreak alongside our brilliant partners at Element and Disney+.
Lee Mason, VP, Scripted, Disney+ EMEA, said: “Kate Cortesi’s writing is incisive, authentic and uproariously funny, and we’re thrilled to bring her refreshingly honest take on the romantic comedy-drama to Disney+. Together with the brilliant teams at Element and Sinestra, Mad Love is exactly the kind of bold, distinctive storytelling we want to champion as we continue to grow our UK Originals slate.”
“Mad Love” (w/t) was commissioned by Angela Jain, Head of Content, Disney+ EMEA, and Lee Mason, VP, Scripted, Disney+ EMEA. It will be executive produced by Kate Cortesi; Christopher Aird, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures; Michael Parets and Johan Renck for Sinestra; and Hilary Martin for Fremantle.
“Mad Love” (w/t) is the latest UK Original commission for Disney+, joining brand-new comedy drama “Dad” from the award-winning independent entertainment company A24, alongside critically acclaimed scripted titles including the International Emmy® and BAFTA® award-winning “Rivals”.
Disney+ is available from £5.99 per month - with no hidden costs and the ability to cancel anytime. There's something for everyone to watch, with a lifetime of great stories and a constantly growing library of blockbuster movies, brand new originals and exclusive hit shows, alongside live sports throughout the year. From Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Hulu, FX and ESPN, Disney+ spans everything from documentaries to critically acclaimed drama, comedy to classic animation, and general entertainment. Customers can enjoy titles from the second season of International Emmy® and BAFTA® Award winning series, “Rivals”, the award-winning comedy series “Only Murders in the Building”, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ box office smash “Zootropolis 2” and 20th Century Studios’ “Send Help”.
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ABOUT KATE CORTESI
Kate Cortesi is the Princess Grace Award-winning playwright of Great Kills, Ten Grand (Woolly Mammoth Theatre World Premiere, February 2027), Daylight, A Patron of the Arts, Love (Sky Cooper New American Play Prize), and Is Edward Snowden Single? (7 BroadwayWorld nominations including “Best New Play”), among others. Cortesi's plays have been performed across the U.S. and internationally, including in translation, and are published by Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service. Among her projects for screens big and small is an adaptation of her play Great Kills as a feature film to be directed by Annabelle Attanasio. Katecortesi.com
Kate Cortesi is represented by CAA and Untitled.
ABOUT ELEMENT PICTURES
Element Pictures is an award-winning film and television drama production company led by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, with offices in Dublin and London. In May 2022, Fremantle acquired a majority stake in the company.
Over 25 years, Element Pictures has built an international reputation for bold, distinctive storytelling and long-term collaborations with some of the most celebrated filmmakers and writers working today. To date, Element Pictures’ productions have been nominated for 30 Academy Awards® (winning 6), 38 BAFTAs (winning 15) and 21 Golden Globes® (winning 4).
Element Pictures recently received acclaim for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia (Focus Features) which received four Academy Award® nominations including best picture; Harry Lighton’s Pillion (BBC Film/BFI/Cornerstone), winner of Best Screenplay in Un Certain Regard at The Cannes Film Festival; and Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow (BBC Film/BFI/MUBI/Match Factory), which received a Special Mention for the Caméra D’Or at Cannes. Past television credits include the critically acclaimed adaptations of Sally Rooney’s Normal People and Conversations with Friends, both directed by Lenny Abrahamson.
Current television projects in production include You Are Here (BBC/Starz), from author David Nicholls based on his novel of the same name, starring Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen; The Rachel Incident (Channel 4/NBCUniversal), Caroline O’Donoghue’s adaptation of her own bestselling novel, starring Máiréad Tyers, Ellis Howard, Sarah Greene and Daniel Ings; Nightsleeper Season 2 (BBC), written by Nick Leather; and Close to Home (Channel 4/NI Screen/Screen Ireland/Fremantle), an adaptation of Michael Magee’s critically acclaimed novel.
Current feature productions include Tomas Alfredson’s Seance On A Wet Afternoon (Film4/Fremantle), written by Jack Thorne, starring Rachel Weisz and Matthew Macfadyen; John Crowley’s Walk the Blue Fields (Netflix), written by Conor McPherson, starring Emily Blunt and Andrew Scott; Lenny Abrahamson’s untitled film project (FILM4) starring Tom Burke and Eve Hewson; and The Lost Children of Tuam (BBC/Screen Ireland/MK2), directed by Frank Berry, written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and starring Monica Dolan which received its World Premiere at Galway Film Fleadh and will receive its North American premiere at TorontoInternational Film Festival in September ahead of an autumn release across Ireland and the UK.
ABOUT SINESTRA
Sinestra is a Brooklyn-based film and television production company founded by Emmy-winning director Johan Renck and producer Michael Parets. Built as a home for ambitious, original storytelling, Sinestra develops and produces work across film, television, and beyond. Renck is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker whose work includes the Emmy-winning HBO/Sky limited series Chernobyl, as well as The Last Panthers, Breaking Bad, and the upcoming Netflix series Assassin’s Creed. Sinestra's last feature film Spaceman, which Renck directed and Parets produced, starred Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
ABOUT FREMANTLE
Fremantle is a leading global creator, producer and distributor of some of the world’s most successful content across Entertainment, Drama & Film, and Documentaries.
Amplifying local stories on a global scale, Fremantle produces and delivers premium, multi-genre IP across the 28 territories it has a presence in. Fremantle is a proudly independent group of content creators, and home to some of the biggest entertainment formats, compelling international dramas, award-winning films and high-quality documentaries.
From Got Talent to My Brilliant Friend, Family Feud to Poor Things, Mussolini: Son of the Century to It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, Too Hot To Handle to Big Mood, Maxton Hall to Idols, and Maria to The Zelensky Story, our focus is simple – Fremantle creates and delivers irresistible entertainment.
Fremantle also represents world-leading digital and branded entertainment, with more than 550 million fans and 390 billion views for its standout content across all platforms. Fremantle’s Global Channels unit consists of more than 20 FAST channels worldwide, including BUZZR, Rig TV, and Baywatch.
Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, streaming, content and digital, itself a division of the international media, services, and education company Bertelsmann.
For more information, please visit www.fremantle.com, follow Fremantle on Twitter @FremantleHQ and Instagram @fremantle or visit Fremantle’s LinkedIn page.
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