Hulu to debut HBO Europe’s Umbre


Details

Michelle Clancy

| 30 May 2016




Leading over-the-top (OTT) platform Hulu has acquired HBO Europe's Umbre for streaming in the United States.



umbreThe streamer will make the series available on its free, ad-supported service, marking a new approach for HBO.

While the premium cable network has syndicated its American content for years to other countries under subsidiaries and joint ventures, it remains to be seen how the European content will fare within the US market. Umbre is the first of potentially many HBO Europe productions to hit the USA.

Umbre claims to be a ‘unique and edgy’ gangster drama that combines genre story-telling with moments of black comedy. It revolves around taxi driver Relu, a mild-mannered family man who lives a double life as a collector for a local mob boss. The show explores complex themes such as marriage, parenthood and keeping secrets. Umbre was a smash hit and picked up for a second season in January.

"Although I was inspired by Scandinavian and South Korean crime movies, a lot came from my experience growing up in a tough neighbourhood," said writer and director Bogdan Mirică. "Crooks use sledgehammers, monkey wrenches, steel bars — anything to hand, which is so much scarier than guns."