Filming has started on a new 6-part psychological thriller set in a luxury wellness retreat controlled by AI.
Harmonia is a co-production between Sheffield’s Warp Films (Adolescence) and Athens-based Neda Film in association with ITV Studios and Greek broadcaster, ERT.
The storyline is based around the “perfect” resort, where technology meets escapism and every guest’s desire can be fulfilled.
Described as a modern-day Frankenstein story of a scientist who would be God, and their extraordinary creation, where it becomes increasingly unclear whether the AI is the monster, or whether the humans are.
It’s been created by Peter Carlton, Lefteris Charitos, Amanda Livanou and Hanna Jameson. Lefteris Charitos, director of Wild Bees, one of Greek television’s biggest ever successes, directs all six episodes. Hanna Jameson, best-selling author of The Last and writer on the upcoming Netflix series, The Undertow, is lead writer, with episodes from Alki Papastathopoulos and Panayotis Christopoulos.
“Harmonia is a director’s dream project. A genre piece based on strong characters. The opportunity to work in Greece, my home country, with a stellar international cast, makes me want to tell this unique story and share a take on a theme that is more relevant than anything now,” said Charitos.
READ MORE – Kate Winslet, Roald Dahl and Luke Littler as Netflix reveals regional slate
Filmed on location in Athens, it stars Niamh Algar (The Iris Affair, Malpractice, The Virtues) as the AI’s creator, Shona Casey.
She is joined by French cinema star Fanny Ardant (The Woman Next Door, 8 Women) as the resort’s former owner, and Chloe Lea (Dune: Prophecy, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) as a young member of staff that the AI becomes obsessed with.
Other cast members include Oliver Chris (Rivals, The Crown), Abubakar Salim (House of the Dragon, Raised by Wolves), Goran Bogdan (Legacy of Spies, The Last Panthers), Theo Augier (XO Kitty, Jay Kelly) and George Ioannides (Guys and Dolls, Industry). Completing the ensemble are Greek stars Pygmalion Dadakaridis (The Other Me, Rififi), rising TV and theatre actor Konstantinos Zografos (The Judge, Derti) Antigoni Frida (Grand Hotel, Sauté) and newcomer Zoe-Stella Nikolaou.
“With this project, I had the chance to tell a truly meaningful story full of funny, strange, and complicated characters, reminiscent of the legendary genre shows I grew up watching,” added Hanna Jameson, lead writer.
“It’s been so exciting to explore how our relationship with technology has changed so fast in such a short period of time, evolving faster than our ability to understand the personal and global consequences. When I’m gripped by a great show everything else falls away, the house could burn down around me and I wouldn’t notice, and I hope that people feel the same way about Harmonia.”
Warp Films’ Senior Executive Producer, Peter Carlton, and Peter Balm, Managing Director are both executive producers on Harmonia and explained why they got involved:
“At Warp, we’re drawn to bold, distinctive stories that combine burning questions with ambitious genre storytelling. That’s true from Four Lions through to Adolescence, and it’s no different with Harmonia. The series combines the best of British and Greek creativity, with a ground-breaking international finance model bringing Hanna’s writing to life through Lefteris’ direction. Backed by ITV Studios from the start, we’re thrilled to have brought together such a sparkling international cast.”
