Lionsgate picks up rights for historical drama series Rise of the Raven

Lionsgate has secured the distribution rights for the major period drama series "Rise of the Raven" in the United States and the United Kingdom. The 10-part historical show is sold globally by Beta Film and produced by Robert Lantos.

Show Details

The series is based on bestselling books by Mór Bán and follows army commander János Hunyadi, played by Gellért L. Kádár. The plot centers on his efforts to protect Europe from an Ottoman invasion while facing political plots and family rivalries across multiple countries. His key allies include his wife Erzsébet, played by Vivien Rujder, and his first love Mara, played by Franciska Törőcsik, who enters the court of Sultan Murad, played by Murathan Muslu.

Production and Reach

The project is directed by Robert Dornhelm, Orsi Nagypál, and Attila Szász, with Balázs Lengyel working as showrunner and director of the final episode. Producers include Tibor Krsko, Kinga Hazai, Cecilia Hazai, and Ari Lantos. The production is backed by Serendipity Point Films, Twin Media, HG Media, MR Film, Beta Film, TV2 Network, ORF, and the National Film Institute of Hungary. The show previously broke ratings records on TV2 in Hungary and hit number one on Netflix locally, alongside sales to broadcasters in Canada, Italy, Australia, Germany, South Korea, Israel, and the Middle East and North Africa.

Context

Foreign-language television series rarely secure major platform deals in English-speaking markets like the United States and the United Kingdom. This international milestone follows a growing global interest in high-budget historical dramas produced outside traditional Western studio hubs.