Sky and XYZ Films announce start of production for Book of Love

In Book of Love, young, uptight English writer Henry’s (Sam Claflin) novel is a resolute failure.  He is delighted to find out his book is a surprise hit in Mexico but when he is invited there to promote it, he soon discovers why; his Spanish translator Maria (Veronica Echegui) has rewritten his dull book as an erotic novel.  Henry is furious, and even more so when his publisher insists he and Maria conduct a book tour across Mexico together.  Opposites attract and the chemistry between the couple ensures sparks fly.

Book of Love is directed by Analeine Cal Y Mayor (Treading Water, Voz De Un Ueno), and written by BAFTA and Emmy Award winning writer David Quantick (Veep, Avenue 5). Producers include Michael Knowles from North of Watford Films (Best Laid Plans), Naysun Alae-Carew from Blazing Griffin (Anna and the Apocalypse), Allan Niblo from Vertigo Films (Bronson, Human Traffic), Nick Spicer and Maxime Cottray from XYZ Films and Richard Alan Reid from BuzzFeed Studios. BuzzFeed Studios and North of Watford Films developed the screenplay and BuzzFeed Studios will be a marketing partner on the film.

Sarah Wright, Director of Sky Cinema and Acquisitions at Sky UK & Ireland comments: “2021 has our biggest line up of Sky Original films yet and Book of Love is another fantastic addition to our slate. I know that Sky Cinema customers are just going to love this surprising and modern take on the romantic comedy starring Sam Claflin and Veronica Echegui.”

Nick Spicer, CEO at XYZ Films comments: “At XYZ we seek stories and filmmakers that resonate globally. With Analeine at the helm of David’s witty script, and the chemistry Sam and Veronica will bring, this is a film that will charm audiences everywhere.”

Naysun Alae Carew at Blazing Griffin and Mike Knowles at North of Watford Films comment: "It's wonderful to be working with Sky, XYZ and BuzzFeed on this film. We all need a bit of sun, romance and joy in our lives right now, and we're excited to have such talented actors as Sam and Veronica bringing Book of Love to life."

Richard Alan Reid at BuzzFeed Studios comments: “This film has all the ingredients of a classic rom-com, but also contains modern, relevant commentary under the surface. BuzzFeed has a global audience that’s passionate about romantic comedies, so we’re excited to get started on this film built with that audience in mind.”

Sky Cinema is the home of Sky Original films, with brand new films launching every month alongside an unrivalled range of the latest cinema releases and on demand library.

For further information please contact:

Sky
Mark Pitchford
mark.pitchford@sky.uk

Notes to Editors

About Sky

Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Across six countries, we connect our 24 million customers to the best entertainment, sports, news, arts and to our own award-winning original content.

Our technology, including the market leading Sky Q, connects people to everything they love - TV, music, games, online video, fitness and educational content, all in one place, easy. Our streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

Building on the success of Sky Originals like Chernobyl, I Hate Suzie and Brassic, we are doubling our investment in original content by 2024 through Sky Studios. Sky News provides impartial and trustworthy journalism for free, while Sky Arts, the UK’s only dedicated free-to-air arts channel, makes the arts accessible for everyone. Our new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, is expected to create over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK over the first five years alone.

We believe that we can be a force for good in the communities in which we operate. We’re committed to being Europe’s first net zero carbon entertainment company by 2030. We take pride in our approach to diversity and inclusion: we’ve been recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our commitment to diversity and we’ve put in place a new programme to invest £30million across our markets over the next three years to tackle racial injustice.

About XYZ Films

XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. As a producer, financier and distributor, the company is uniquely suited to identify talented filmmakers and bring their stories to life. XYZ recently expanded into talent management, working with a global roster of filmmakers. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian. The company’s titles include The Raid franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, and Panos Cosmatos' psychedelic revenge thriller Mandy. XYZ’s recent productions include Stowaway, Joe Penna’s sci-fi thriller starring Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette, Dual, Riley Stearns’ sci-fi film starring Karen Gillan and Aaron Paul, and Prisoners of the Ghostland, Sion Sono's action film starring Nicolas Cage, which premiered at Sundance 2021.

About Blazing Griffin and North of Watford Films

North of Watford Films and Blazing Griffin are working together on a slate of commercially orientated slate of screen projects going into production in the next 12 months. Blazing Griffin is a BAFTA-winning Glasgow-based digital entertainment company. Notable titles include video game MURDER MYSTERY MACHINE for Apple Arcade and feature film ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE. North of Watford is a BAFTA nominated, Derbyshire based development and production company who produced ‘Snodgrass’ for SKY TV and recently the feature ‘Running Naked’.

About BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed is the world's leading tech-powered, diversified media company that reaches hundreds of millions of people globally through its cross-platform news and entertainment network. The company produces articles, lists, quizzes, videos, and original series; lifestyle content through brands including Tasty, the world’s largest social food network; original reporting and investigative journalism through BuzzFeed News; an industry-leading affiliate business, strategic partnerships, licensing and product development through BuzzFeed Commerce; and original productions across broadcast, cable, SVOD, film and digital platforms for BuzzFeed Studios.