Death in Paradise, the global hit crime series, is travelling to Croatia for its first-ever international adaptation, announced today by BBC Studios’ CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Zai Bennett at MIPCOM. The non-English 6 x 60’ crime drama will bring its signature mixture of whodunnit mystery and paradise location to the Croatian island of Brač. Principal photography is planned for spring 2027. The original UK series was created by Robert Thorogood and is produced by Red Planet Pictures for the BBC.
Ubojstvo u raju, as the Croatian adaptation is called, will be produced for HRT1 primetime by CGM Films, the production company behind the record-breaking phenomenon Sram, which is currently on its fourth series. The series will be helmed by the same producers, Bruno Mustić and Ivan Lovreček, with Jelena Gavrilović joining the project as director.
Bruno Mustić and Ivan Lovreček, Producers, CGM Films: “We are very excited to bring ‘Death in Paradise’ to Croatia. The series is one of the BBC’s most successful programmes, and with Ubojstvo u raju we will bring that same blend of murder mystery, humor, warmth and strong sense of place to Croatia. We want to adapt the series to Croatian culture, creating an authentically Croatian world with characters and cases rooted in Adriatic Island life.”
The original Death in Paradise has travelled the world, reaching audiences in more than 230 territories. Fifteen years on from its UK premiere, the series remains a mainstay of BBC One: its 16th series is currently in production, with the show already recommissioned for Season 17. The series has also spawned two successful spin-offs, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise.
Rose Hughes, SVP Global Format Sales, BBC Studios, said: “Death in Paradise has a unique blend of intriguing murder mysteries, rich local character and a strong sense of place. We’re delighted to see CGM Films bring the format to Croatia for its first-ever international adaptation, and look forward to seeing how they make it uniquely Croatian against a stunning new backdrop.”
Rahela Stefanović, The Editor-in-Chief of Croatian Radiotelevision: “I am very pleased that HRT will be bringing the first-ever international adaptation of Death in Paradise to our Croatian audience. Having already worked closely with the same independent production company on the successful local adaptation of the drama series Sram, I am confident that this new project will build on that experience and that, together, we can create another high-quality series that resonates with Croatian viewers.”
Maja Fišter, commissioning editor: “A strong partnership between the broadcaster and production team is essential when adapting an established international format for a local audience. We have built a relationship based on trust and mutual understanding, and for Death in Paradise we have a shared commitment to preserving the essence of the original while giving the series a distinctive Croatian identity.”
Ubojstvo u raju will be set in a fictional island community on the Adriatic Island of Brač, with production taking place in and around Supetar. The series will be written by Sonja Tarokić and Valentina Batalić, with Maja Fišter serving as the commissioning editor for HRT.
The format and series are internationally distributed by BBC Studios. Red Planet Pictures is a Fremantle company.