The web series will be produced across the UK and Asia.
According to a source, it is estimated that the first season of the web series will cost $100 million, almost similar to the scale of critically-acclaimed big-scale web series such as The Crown and Game of Thrones.
The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company tells the story of how the East India Company based in a small London office took over the entire Indian sub-continent which constituted more than one-fourth of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the time.
The web series will be directed by legendary British director Stephen Frears known for films such as My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
“This is the most contemporary of themes: A ruthless businessman and his corporation seizing power, a group of oligarchs taking over a chunk of the world, asset-stripping, looting, manipulating the stock market, destroying whole economies for their profit. The East India Company stealing India in the 18th century, ” said director Stephen Frears.This will be the first big-scale collaboration of Indian production with an international production house in creating a web series adaptation.The funding of the series is likely to be done by a global streaming platform.
“Stephen’s range as a filmmaker is simply unmatched. He has directed some of the most beloved films of the last four decades. To have him come on board to helm this project is an absolute dream come true, ” said producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, founder of Roy Kapur Films.
“Collaborating with our production partners at WIIP has been an incredibly enriching experience. This is a story that demanded scale, depth, and ambition, and I am proud that we have brought an extraordinary team together to bring it to life for a global audience, ” he added.
