The CW is continuing its interest in international series.
The youth-skewing network has acquired Professionals, a loose remake of the Christian Slater-fronted action movie Soldiers of Fortune for Scandinavian SVOD service Viaplay.
The series, which was first revealed by Deadline in 2019, stars Smallville’s Welling as Vincent Corbo, a top-tier security operative, who is paid to protect the interests of rich and powerful clients by any means necessary – legal or not.
After a next-gen medical satellite explodes on launch, Corbo is hired by the rocket’s designer – billionaire futurist Peter Swann, played by Fraser, who suspects sabotage. Complicating Corbo’s new gig is his former paramour and now Swann’s fiancée, medical visionary Dr. Grace Davila, played by Wonder Woman’s Elena Anaya, who is racing to help stave off a global catastrophe. As Corbo and his team of veteran security professionals investigate the rocket disaster, they expose a lethal conspiracy of Swann’s corporate rivals, corrupt government officials, and a shadowy crime syndicate – all working to destroy Swann and take control of his tech empire. Worse, Corbo must also contend with a rogue Europol agent, played by Inglourious Basterds’ Ken Duken, who is hellbent on busting him for past sins.
The CW acquired the ten-part series from Rainmaker Content.
Watch on Deadline
Shot in Ireland and South Africam the series also stars Saïd Taghmaoui, Lisa Loven Kongsli, August Wittgenstein, Stevel Marc, Tanya Van Graan and Nic Rasenti.
The series was created by Jeff Most, who has produced features including The Crow and The Specialist, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Face/Off producer and writer Michael Colleary, who are co-showrunners and exec producers.
Loosely based on Roadside Attractions’ feature film Soldiers of Fortune, it is produced by Most Media, Subotica, Spier Films and Roadside Attractions in association with Jeff Most Productions, Leonine Studios, NENT Group and The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.
Exec producers include Tristan Orpen Lynch, Michael Auret, Howard Cohen, Eric d’Arbeloff, Jennifer Berman, Maijang Mpherwane, Dipak Chiba, William Smith,Herbert Kloiber, Thomas Augsberger, Cosima von Spreti, Fredrik Ljungberg, Maxim Korostyshevsky, Daniel Wagner, Bharat Nalluri, Brendan Fraser, Tom Welling, and Elena Anaya. The producers are Katy Most, Lwazi Manzi and Aoife O’Sullivan.