SYNOPSIS:

THE COSTA is a taut political thriller in the vein of STATE OF PLAY, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and CHINATOWN, set against the backdrop of press reforms in the UK and illegal property developments in Spain. When ambitious journalist Alex Hamilton lands a scoop on the marital infidelities of an up-and-coming cabinet minister he thinks he’s finally on his way. Instead of being rewarded with a long-coveted promotion though, his bosses post him to a backwater news bureau on Spain’s Costa del Sol, his career dreams washed up on the Mediterranean sand. The promise of a more relaxed life in the sun may be manna from heaven for Alex’s wife Selena and children Isabel and Leo. For the ever-AWOL workaholic Alex, it is little short of purgatory. Yet redemption seems close at hand when he’s introduced to the seductive world of high-roller Carl, a millionaire businessman with a taste for exotic cars, yachts and gambling. And when Alex receives a tip off about the demolition of an expat couple’s dream Spanish retirement home, he uncovers what appears to be the story of a lifetime: a mushrooming conspiracy linking property scams to political corruption and a Russian mafia boss. But when Alex finds himself an unwitting pawn at the heart of a scandal that reaches all the way to Westminster, he must choose between exposing the web of deceit or abandoning the truth and everything he believes in to protect his family. THE COSTA has considerable mainstream potential. The plot is both timely and timeless, asking and answering big thematic questions about the price we’re willing to pay for success – and our souls. The big-screen adaptation of STATE OF PLAY and US version of HOUSE OF CARDS highlight the genre’s enduring commercial appeal. Although written as a screenplay, THE COSTA also offers scope to be expanded into a TV series, à la the original British version of STATE OF PLAY and the UK’s MAD DOGS, which ran for four series and is now being developed for the US. THE COSTA’s Spanish setting offers the possibility of attracting funding from mainland European sources, as well as those in the UK and US. Tax incentives are available for movies shot in Spain, while crews tend to be cheaper. In addition, some of the major roles are ideal for Spanish talent, which could present attractive marketing opportunities and help draw an international audience.