Mark Boal lands Apple TV+ straight-to-series order for 'Echo 3'

Set in South America, "Echo 3" will run for 10 episodes and will join Apple TV+'s premium international series lineup.

"Echo 3" is an adaptation of Israel's Keshet Studio's "When Heroes Fly," by Omri Givon, which is based on a novel by Amir Gutfreund.

The series will follow the story of Amber Chesborough, a young scientist who goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela. Her husband and brother, two former military servicemen, must struggle to find her amidst a secret war. "Echo 3" will be filmed in both English and Spanish.

Boal is known as a screenwriter responsible for "Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty." Both Boal and Jason Horwitch ("House of Cards") will serve as showrunners for the series.

Apple and Keshet Studios will co-produce the series. At the same time, Keshet's Peter Traugott serves as executive producer with Boal, Horwitch, Wlodkowski, Givon, Eitan Mansuri, Jonathan Doweck, Avi Nir (Keshet Media Group), Alon Shtruzman (Keshet International) and Karni Ziv (Keshet Broadcasting).

Apple recently secured rights to espionage thriller 'Tehran,' an eight-part series that chronicles a young agent's adventures as she undertakes her first mission in Iran's capital city.

Apple TV+ will also be adding "Losing Alice" to its slate of international original series. The series focuses on themes of jealousy, guilt, fear of aging, and interpersonal relationships between women. Apple has described the series as "a love letter for the still-too-rare female director."

5 Comments

entropys 4302 comments · 13 Years

About 4 years ago

Why not just get the rights to the original?

Beats 3073 comments · 4 Years

entropys said:

Why not just get the rights to the original?

I don't know anything about this series but the article says it's based off a book. So not sure what the "3" represents. But if it's the "3rd" one then most likely the original content was shown elsewhere. Apple wants all original content you can't find anywhere else.

Track_10 8 comments · 4 Years

entropys said:

Why not just get the rights to the original?

If this show becomes popular Apple will have more control over the property. It should be easier to make multiple seasons with a new cast then if they purchase the original and had to work to get all those actor back again.

Beats said:

entropys said:

Why not just get the rights to the original?

I don't know anything about this series but the article says it's based off a book. So not sure what the "3" represents. But if it's the "3rd" one then most likely the original content was shown elsewhere. Apple wants all original content you can't find anywhere else.

It can’t be original if it is a remake though. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8220344/.
I guess the names and nationality will be changed at least. Won best series at the Canneseries international series festival at 2018. It sounds like an excellent story to watch it must be said.

fastasleep 6450 comments · 14 Years

Beats said:

entropys said:

Why not just get the rights to the original?

I don't know anything about this series but the article says it's based off a book. So not sure what the "3" represents. But if it's the "3rd" one then most likely the original content was shown elsewhere. Apple wants all original content you can't find anywhere else.

It says it's an adaptation of the Israeli TV series, which was based on a novel. Echo 3 doesn't refer to it being the third in a series, it's more likely a callsign.

The Israeli TV show is in Hebrew (and Spanish) which is but one reason they'd be remaking it for a different market, similar to Homeland being based on the Israeli show Prisoners of War.