One of the greatest Mary Tussauds stories ever told is about to hit the small screen.
Produced by Newen Connect, the distribution arm of Newen Studios (TF1), Imaginarium Productions and Felicita Films, the television series Madame! tells about the life of Marie Tussauds, a French artist known for her wax sculptures, and the now famous Madame Tussauds Museum, which she founded in London in 1835. Although the name Madame Tussauds is known to everyone, few people know how this unusually innovative business lady built her business. from scratch.
🎬 @NewenConnect has signed an agreement with #ImaginariumProductions where the company will co-develop and distribute “MADAME!”. Epic historical drama series about Mary Tussauds created and directed by @andyserkis.
Read more 👉 https://t.co/UalhYp4Fe0 pic.twitter.com/s3xxk076Vb
— Newen Studios (@newenstudios) August 8, 2022
Her story begins in 18th-century Paris, where she honed her craft during the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror before heading to England to operate on her own. At the heart of the story is a timeless and gripping tale of the rise of a ruthless businesswoman who sacrificed relationships with almost everyone close to her (including her own children) in exchange for love for her inheritance.
Andy Serkis at the helm of Madame!
Known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Planet of the Apes, Andy Serkis created Madame! and will be showrunner and director. He further states:
This is not a classic historical drama, but a hilarious, crazy, uncompromising, anarchic, punk retelling of the life of a soldier’s daughter with a twisted and inquisitive mind. Marie knew better than anyone that if you want to tell the story of your life, you have to make it entertaining, even if that means making up parts of it or what’s really going on by cutting out the most boring passages.
Rodolphe Buet, CEO of Newen Connect, adds:
We are thrilled to partner with the incredibly talented Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish. Together with Marie Guyaumont they bring us a very ambitious and unique project with Madame! which depicts a visionary heroine who shook the conventions of the 18th century and whose path as a strong and independent woman who managed to build an empire is especially relevant today. This partnership with The Imaginarium is part of our strategy to support producers in developing and seeking funding for ambitious co-production projects. We can’t wait to show the series to our partners and see the life of Marie Tussauds on screen through the wonderful vision of Andy Serkis.