Paramount+ commissions The Road Trip
November 20, 2023
Paramount+ has greenlit original UK series The Road Trip, based on the best-selling book by Beth O’Leary, with Emma Appleton, Laurie Davidson and David Jonsson in the lead roles.
42 is producing the 6×45’ series in association with PTIS – the international studio division of Paramount Global. The Road Trip was commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, and is his second 42 commission following the global success of its adaptation of Beth O’Leary’s debut bestseller The Flatshare, which launched last year.
42 is a London and LA-based management and production company. Established in 2013, 42 produces films and TV drama, and represents an eclectic range of high-profile and emerging talent.
The Road Trip is a witty, contemporary, emotionally complex romantic comedy about giving love another shot. Can someone be the right person, just at the wrong time? And is there ever a future in returning to a past love?
Addie and her sister are on a road trip to a friend’s wedding in Spain when they are forced to share the ride with Addie’s ex Dylan, his irrepressible best friend Marcus, and complete stranger Rodney. With nowhere to hide but a creaky campervan, the group must confront their buried history as secrets and revelations cause many a bump in the road.
Emma Appleton (The Killing Kind, Everything I Know About Love) takes on the role of Addie, Laurie Davidson (Mary & George, Guilty Party) will play Dylan and David Jonsson (Rye Lane, Industry) will play Marcus. Also joining the cast are Isabella Laughland (Foundation, Trigonometry) as Addie’s sister Deb, and Angus Imrie (The Crown, Fleabag) is Rodney.
Intercutting between the past and present, we will follow Addie and Dylan’s intoxicating love affair in the past – which started as a holiday romance one heady summer – alongside the hotbed of secrets and surreal escapades of the road trip in the present. Everyone has a different idea of what really happened between Addie and Dylan. But how and why did they break up? Who was to blame? And will their journey back to where they first fell in love bring a happy-ever-after?
With all the fun of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and the misty-eyed nostalgia for summer love of Normal People, The Road Trip is a modern, heart-warming story about love in your late twenties. A kaleidoscopic rom-com, it explores love in all its guises through a trio of unforgettable relationships: a class-divided romance, a codependent bromance, and a knotty but affectionate sisterly bond.
China Moo-Young (Everything I Know About Love) is lead director and Stella Corradi (Killing Eve) will direct block two. Executive producers for 42 are Miriam Brent, Rory Aitken and Eleanor Moran. Nikki Wilson (Wolf, Doctor Who) is producer and Kingsley Hoskins (The Girl Before, The Flatshare) is co-producer. Ryan O’Sullivan & Matilda Wnek (Vigil 2) are the lead writers and serve as executive producers on the series. Phoebe Eclair-Powell (Two Weeks To Live) writes episodes three and four, with Olivier award-winning Waleed Akhtar (The P Word) writing episode five.
On the commission, Sebastian Cardwell said: “We saw brilliant success across the globe with The Flatshare, and we are thrilled to be working with 42 again on adapting another of Beth’s much-loved and best-selling novels. The Road Trip is the perfect addition to our expanding drama slate on Paramount+ and I can’t wait to see this incredible cast bring these characters to life.”
Miriam Brent, Rory Aitken and Eleanor Moran, Executive Producers at 42 said: “We are so excited to be setting off on The Road Trip. It’s a unique privilege to be trusted with a second Beth O’Leary bestseller, and Ryan and Matilda have done an extraordinary job of translating the hilarious and poignant narrative to the screen. With the brilliant China Moo Young in the driving seat as lead director and such a wonderful cast, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”
Beth O’Leary, author of The Road Trip, said: “I am so thrilled to finally be able to shout about this news! 42 and Paramount+ were the dream team behind The Flatshare series, so it’s wonderful to know that The Road Trip is in such safe, skilled hands. From my very first glimpse at an early script for this show, I knew it was going to be something really special, and now that we have our incredible cast lined up, I just cannot wait to see The Road Trip brought to life.”
Filming for The Road Trip has now commenced on location in Bristol, UK, with filming also taking place in Gran Canaria, Spain.
The television rights deal was struck by Sheila David at Catapult Rights, acting in conjunction with Tanera Simons at Darley Anderson and Associates Ltd.
The Road Trip will be exclusively available on Paramount+ in the UK as well as all international markets where the service is available. The series is the latest Paramount+ original title to be greenlit from the UK as part of a wider slate of international drama originals that will premiere on Paramount+ around the world.