Erik Barmack Set to Produce Tianna Johnson’s Brit List 2021 Winner ‘Obeah’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentErik Barmack, the former Netflix VP of international originals who brought “Money Heist” to the streamer, has boarded Tianna Johnson’s London-set fantasy drama ‘Obeah,’ which topped the Brit List 2021 of un-produced screenplays.The move sees Barmack, now working out of his own L.A.

label Wild Sheep Content, a company which he started with The Mediapro Studio, coming on board to develop and produce “Obeah” with Johnson.The Brit List is based on recommendations by the British film and TV industry, ranging from its producers to talent agencies, sales companies, financiers, distributors and broadcasters.Described by Barmack as “‘The Sixth Sense’ meets a crime series” and the best script I read last year,” “Obeah” is set largely in present-day North-West London but draws inspiration from indigenous spiritual practices in the Caribbean.

When the bodies of young people start showing up across the country, an angsty woman finds herself on the hunt for a serial killer acting out a very ancient revenge.“One of the reasons why I became a producer for the last couple of years was to work on projects that are one of a kind where you’re really breaking new ground and in TV that’s quite hard to do,” said Barmack.“‘Obeah’ plays on tropes that are very familiar, like a serialized crime story, but there are fantastical elements, voices and characters that I haven’t seen on British television,” he added.Johnson is second generation British Jamaican. “I really wanted to explore how difficult it can be being a member of the diaspora,” she told Variety. “I grew up loving fantasy and crime series.