Exclusive: It’s Prime Video UK’s surprise hit of the year, and now This is Birmingham It is getting a TV series adaptation.
The pic, which was made on a shoestring budget, reached number five in the top ten on Prime Video UK earlier this week, and creator Kay S. Ubhi told Deadline that a TV series adaptation is now in development.
The film, which Obhi wrote and stars in, is described as a “deep crime drama” set deep within the UK’s brutal underworld. The film revolves around AK (Uphi), the inexperienced but ambitious son of a recently jailed Birmingham crime boss (Navdeep Monga), who steps up to lead the family business, only to be met by rival gangs determined to take it over. The picture also stars the likes of Jerome Richards, Jag Patel and Wayne Nelson.
Michael L. Oubhi told Deadline in an interview today. Cowan, a UK film sales and production expert, was among the producers of the independent picture and is also associated with the television adaptation.
“The TV series is currently in development,” he said. “It expands the world This is Birmingham to a larger character-driven crime drama. We are developing it with BAFTA award winner Michael L. Cowan, the next step is to gather the right production partners to take it to production.
Ubhi, who financed himself This is BirminghamHe said his film has resonated with audiences, competing with Hollywood films in Prime Video’s charts, thanks to “a real audience for authentic British crime dramas” and is now being distributed in the US on transactional on-demand platforms.
He also referred to the hot streak experienced by Birmingham, often referred to as England’s second city, through proverbs Peaky Blinders and This city.
“The film offers a unique new perspective through its characters, emotional story and of course the Birmingham theme,” said Obhi. “Birmingham already has a lot of intrigue because of its reputation and similar shows Peaky Blinders“.
As for financing the picture himself, “It was a huge personal commitment over several years, but I really believed in the story. I wanted to prove that it could be done even in the most unconventional ways.”
As of press time, This is Birmingham It is the 10th most watched action film on Prime Video UK.
