Amy Jenkins to Adapt ‘Sisi’ Novels for Patrick Wachsberger’s Picture Perfect Federation (EXCLUSIVE)

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Amy Jenkins, the creator and showrunner of the BBC series “This Life” and writer on Netflix’s “The Crown,” is set to adapt Allison Pataki’s “Sisi” novels, which are based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

The female-driven period TV series is being developed by Picture Perfect Federation, the joint venture between former Lionsgate honcho Patrick Wachsberger and Federation Entertainment’s Pascal Breton, as well as Michael Shamberg’s (“Erin Brockovich”) MAS Production.

Based on Pataki’s two bestselling novels, “The Accidental Empress” and “Sisi: Empress on Her Own,” the modern series will tell the journey of a strong-willed woman who learns to accept and embrace her power in a male dominated world. Shedding light on one of Europe’s most powerful royal families, the series will span the period from 1853 up until the start of World War I.

“Sisi was an extraordinary young empress,” Jenkins said. “Charismatic and free-thinking, she was a royal rebel who set the Hapsburg court on fire in a surprisingly modern way.” Jenkins added that she was “looking forward to bringing a very feminine perspective to her fascinating struggle for self-determination.”

It will be the first international TV series about the unconventional empress, who was the Princess Diana of her time. Romy Schneider made Sisi famous with her legendary performance in the 1955 movie “Sissi,” which is one of the most successful German-language movies of all time.

Wachsberger said the company was “excited to have brought Amy Jenkins with her strong voice to this extraordinary
saga of this very modern woman’s journey.” Picture Perfect Federation will serve as the studio and will handle worldwide distribution.

Wachsberger, and Ashley Stern are executive producing for Picture Perfect Federation along with Jenkins and bestselling author Pataki. Shamberg, Alexandra Zimbler Smith and Ameet Shukla are executive producing for MAS Production.

Jenkins recently adapted “The Post Birthday World” by Lionel Shriver (“We Need To Talk About Kevin”) for
the producer Michael Jackson at Two Cities (“Patrick Melrose”). She is repped by Michael McCoy at Independent Talent Group in London and Bruce Vinokour at CAA in Los Angeles.

MAS Production is repped by CAA and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.