Hugh Bonneville Leads Viewers on a Grand Tour in Studiocanal’s ‘The Wonders of Europe’

“Downton Abbey” actor Hugh Bonneville takes the viewers on a grand tour of the architectural landmarks of Europe within the worldwide model of “The Wonders of Europe” (“L’Europe des Merveilles”), the brand new documentary sequence from Studiocanal.

Watching the Acropolis being constructed earlier than your very eyes or Versailles being enlarged by order of Louis XIV to change into probably the most lovely palaces on this planet with its 73-meter lengthy Corridor of Mirrors and luxurious gardens are simply a few the time journey journeys that Chengyu Prod.’s present takes you on.

Directed by Claire Benhaim, Angèle Berland, Christophe Widemann, Marine Suzzoni and Nicolas Bozino, the brand new high-end docu-series specializing in European cultural heritage and structure was unveiled at Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Biarritz, the worldwide market fully devoted to French TV applications.

“The Wonders of Europe” is enhanced by French composer Cascadeur’s authentic music and, for the worldwide model, Bonneville’s narration. For the French model, it’s André Dussollier who places his voice on the documentary’s service.

The primary season reveals the story of the individuals who constructed 4 European wonders, the Palace of Versailles, and the temples of the Acropolis, but in addition the Louvre in Paris, and the Alhambra in Granada.

At present within the making, season two can even embody 4 components: two on monuments in France and possibly one every in Germany and Italy. A 3rd season is already beneath dialogue.

“We select the monuments in full independence in keeping with two standards we had set: They should be among the many most visited locations on the continent and be consultant of architectural wonders or nice inventive moments,” Alix Lebrat, COO TV Sequence at Studiocanal, the worldwide distributor of “The Wonders of Europe,” tells Selection. “However due to the restrictions linked to COVID originally of the capturing, we needed to adapt the order of presentation of the monuments from one season to the following.”

“The Wonders of Europe” isn’t just one other documentary sequence. Telling European historical past via the prism of structure, it was made with the identical quantity of care as a movie. Every episode skilfully combines three key components: interviews with historians and specialists; non-dialogue fiction that embodies the historic figures linked to the development of the monuments; high-flying 3D modeling, illustrating the successive architectural modifications, made by Motionorama in collaboration with the historic specialists to make sure its accuracy.

“We had been formidable with this undertaking. The funds was very strong for being a docu-series,” Lebrat says. “A really sturdy manufacturing requirement was set from the begin to permit it to face out.”

The problem was met: The 52-minute entertaining episodes, displaying spectacular photographs of the monuments, by no means run lengthy. Every one additionally discloses many desirable little-known information in regards to the building of Europe’s world-famous monuments.

The non-dialogue fiction scenes, seen in 20%-25% of every episode, additionally contributes to creating the sequence full of life. “There was a large amount of labor when it comes to casting, costumes, make-up, scriptwriting and directing,” Lebrat says. “Fiction in documentaries could typically look a bit low cost in case you don’t put the means in it and that’s actually what we needed to keep away from.”

Once more, historic advisors had been current to make sure that each element and accent on set was correct, as is proven within the making-of.

“The Vivendi group is dedicated to producing and growing European content material that may journey the world and ‘The Wonders of Europe’ fits its mission,” says Lebrat.

Early suggestions in Biarritz could be very constructive. “We’re aiming at a variety of markets. The standard of manufacturing, storytelling and funding permit us to speak to platforms and conventional distributors used to this sort of format, in addition to public broadcasters,” he says.