Fifth Season has nabbed global distribution rights to the Greek teen drama series “Milky Way,” an eight-part coming-of-age story centered on an unwanted pregnancy that’s written and directed by Vasilis Kekatos, who won the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for his short film “The Distance Between Us and the Sky.”
Produced by Foss Productions in association with Play2Place and in co-production with Greek broadcaster Mega TV, “Milky Way” was the first Greek series ever to compete at Series Mania, where the edgy drama invited comparisons to HBO’s “Euphoria.”
The show, which is set to launch in Greece Nov. 2 on Mega and Vodafone TV On Demand, will premiere its third episode Nov. 10 at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. It marks the first acquisition of a Greek series by Fifth Season, the production and distribution company formerly known as Endeavor Content.
Set in a remote mountain town, “Milky Way” follows high school senior Maria, whose dream of becoming a dancer is halted when she’s impregnated by her long-time boyfriend, Tasos. Her parents expect her to become a married teen mom, which isolates her from friends. The arrival of Joe, a newcomer from Athens, sparks a special bond. Maria faces constant twists and adventures, questioning societal expectations. On a transformative journey, she must decide between conforming or defying norms to shape her own destiny.
Arvand Khosravi, SVP of scripted television strategy at Fifth Season, said: “The incredibly talented writer-director Vasilis Kekatos reminds us why Greek storytelling has transcended borders and withstood the test of time for thousands of years. ‘Milky Way’ offers a thought-provoking exploration of societal norms and personal choice that will resonate with viewers the world over. Audiences will be captivated by these performances and the visual poetry of this coming-of-age story.”
Foss Productions CEO Stelios Cotionis added: “Bringing ‘Milky Way’to life really felt like coming of age again, for a second time, here at Foss. only this time it was more fun. And we couldn’t have done it without the support from Mega TV. We are so happy and excited to embark upon this redemptive journey with a pioneering partner like Fifth Season. We trust their taste completely and are looking forward to the next steps of our collaboration.”
Speaking to PvNew while the series was still in development, Kekatos described “Milky Way” as the story of how a teenage girl “opposes what her surroundings are trying to impose on her as right and moral, in order to find her own path in life and claim the self-evident right to self-determination.” He said he hoped the show would address what he saw as a shortfall in “youthful and daring content” in Greek television.
“I would like our series to change that,” he said. “From now on, I would like people my age, or even younger, people with groundbreaking ideas, to get the green light to fulfill their vision. I would like the industry to trust the new generation, the new one that comes with the momentum to change what we knew. Because the audience has proven to be there. Open to all proposals, willing to listen, to see, to feel.”
The Thessaloniki Film Festival runs Nov. 2 – 12.
