The BBC's Death in Paradise is set to receive its first-ever international adaptation, with a new series heading to Croatia. The upcoming show, titled Ubojstvo u raju, will be produced by CGM Films and will be set on the island of Brac, within a fictional island community.
New Detective and Setting
The programme will centre on detective Petar, described as 'out of place', and a local police unit including Marina, whose knowledge of the island will challenge his conventional methods, according to reports. The Croatian version will be produced by a different production company to the BBC series.
Since its debut in 2011, Death in Paradise has featured Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O'Hanlon, Ralf Little and now Don Gilet in the lead role. The show's success led to two spin-off series, with Kris Marshall returning as DI Humphrey Goodman for Beyond Paradise, while Return to Paradise debuted in 2024 with the first female DI.
Producers' Vision
Producers Bruno Mustic and Ivan Lovrecek told Variety that they were "very excited" to bring the programme to Croatia. They said in a statement: "The series is one of the BBC's most successful programs, and with Ubojstvo u raju we will bring that same blend of murder mystery, humor, warmth and strong sense of place to Croatia."
"We want to adapt the series to Croatian culture, creating an authentically Croatian world with characters and cases rooted in Adriatic Island life," they added.
BBC Studios Response
Rose Hughes, SVP Global Format Sales at BBC Studios, praised the show's "intriguing murder mysteries and rich local character," adding: "We're delighted to see CGM Films bring the format to Croatia for its first-ever international adaptation, and look forward to seeing how they make it uniquely Croatian against a stunning new backdrop."
Producer Lovrecek revealed that Death in Paradise has cultivated a devoted following in Croatia, with audiences well acquainted with "its world, tone and characters". He continued: "But what we particularly love about Death in Paradise is how a proper whodunit is wrapped in sunshine, humour and warmth. For an hour, you're somewhere else. On a grey winter evening, that's pure escapism. That's a big part of why it works all over the world."
"We are not simply moving the original series to a Croatian location. We want the Croatian environment, culture and relationships to become integral to the stories and characters," he added.
Recommission and Future
This follows the BBC's announcement that Death in Paradise has received a recommission for a further two series. Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, commented: "Death in Paradise is a global phenomenon and we are incredibly proud to have it on the BBC, where it goes from strength to strength. It's with great pleasure that we share the news that we'll be returning to Saint Marie for two more sun-soaked series and Christmas specials."
Tim Key, Executive Producer, Red Planet Pictures, said: "We remain incredibly proud of the show and the team that makes it, and delighted that the audience continue to love it as much as we do."
"The response to our latest series has been wonderful and we can't wait to get started again - we've got something very special lined up to kick off our 16th season, with a big surprise setting it up in our Christmas special. Watch this space..."
Death in Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
