© Pierre Olivier / Banijay Franc
Banijay Entertainment’s French label, Screenline Productions, has formed a creative partnership with screenwriting duo Mathieu Roumani and Nicolas Slomka as it looks to expand its footprint in the scripted film sector.
Screenline collaborated with Rumani and Slomka on the upcoming Prime Video series “Trash.”
The miniseries is inspired by the true events of “Loft Story,” the French version of “Big Brother,” which aired in France in 2001 and was the first reality show of its kind.
The partnership gives Screenline access to Rumani and Slomka’s future projects and developments – the duo will also serve as co-producers through their company Vodka & Caramel – while the writing pair will have access to Screenline’s production expertise.
“When I first came across this project led by two young and talented writers, I immediately wanted to learn more about their insight into what went on behind the scenes of ‘Loft Story,'” said Alexia Laroche-Joubert, CEO of Banijay France, which produced “Loft Story” and inspired one of the main characters in “Trash.”
“Their research and deep understanding of reality TV and its social phenomenon convinced me to involve them in the realization of this project,” continued Laroche-Joubert, who added that collaborating with Nicolas and Mathieu “only reaffirms their talent, their ability to work with different storytelling genres and their adaptability to the demands of the platform.”
“When we created the character Isabelle for Trash, inspired by Alexia Laroche-Joubert, we envisioned a passionate reality TV producer who would stop at nothing to stand up for her beliefs,” said Rumani and Slomka. “Our meeting with Alexia exceeded our expectations and she proved to be an exceptional writer-producer.”
In addition to producing “Trash,” Slomka and Rumani co-wrote two seasons of Netflix’s “Family Business” and are co-writers on Julie Delpy’s upcoming “Les Barbares,” which premieres in French theaters in September. They also produced their first feature film, “Camembert,” produced by Jericho, the production company behind “La Famille Belier.”
Screenline Productions’ pipeline also includes a film adaptation of Gemma Murray’s young adult novel, “The Declaration.”