EXCLUSIVE: Unspoken, the Ukrainian war thriller series that won the top prize at the Series Mania event in 2023, has found its lead.
Paul Wesley, who stars in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which is heading into its third season, and is best known for starring in The Vampire Diaries, will star in the six-part limited series.
Created by Polish writer Filip Syczyński, who wrote with Ukraine’s Zhanna Ozirna, the series comes from Polish production company Match & Spark alongside LA-based 5X Media, which has just boarded the project as a co-producer and marks the latter’s first European-based scripted series.
Set against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the series follows the journey of Paul (Wesley), an ex-soldier turned taxi driver in Poland. After receiving a desperate call from his wife in Kyiv on the day of the invasion, he races against time, crossing borders to guide his family to safety amid chaos and unimaginable terror. Over the phone, he leads them through a landscape of fear and violence, intensifying the sense of urgency as they grapple with survival in the face of insurmountable odds.
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Inspired by true events occurring on the day of the Russian invasion, the series will follow Paul’s quest across war-torn terrain but through his own inner battles of redemption and resilience.
David Straiton, who has directed episodes of Magnum P.I., The Good Doctor and MacGyver, will direct the series, which is a four-nation co-production between Poland, Ukraine, Germany and the U.S. Straiton has made a number of volunteer trips to Ukraine to assist the International Legion.
It will be shot primarily in English with some Ukrainian and Polish. Production is set to begin in Eastern Europe in the winter of 2025-26. It will be exec produced by Anna Rozalska and Tarik Hachoud for Match & Spark, Alon Shtruzman and Limor Gott Ronen for 5X Media, Dmytro Sukhanov for Toy Cinema, Natalia Libet for 2Brave Productions and Saar Yogev for Electric Sheep.
Wesley said, “In a world stricken by war, I’m passionate about bringing the human side of this conflict to life through the lens of one man and his family. I hope viewers connect with Paul’s struggle and take away something meaningful about life, values and resilience from his journey and a renewed understanding of the human spirit under pressure.”
Match & Spark’s Anna Rozalska added, “Our producing partners welcome Paul Wesley on board this passion project. We’re thrilled to have 5X bring its impressive creative and sales skills to Unspoken and help deliver this great series to the world. With David Straiton lending both his directing vision and his experience on the ground in Ukraine, we have every element in place to bring this gripping and meaningful series to life.”
5X Partner Limor Gott Ronen said, “5X Media is thrilled to join such an incredible group of talent to tell this incredibly timely story- Unspoken captures a universal family story in a world of conflict, daring to take audiences deep into the personal toll of modern warfare – and stand as the first series of its kind to confront these themes within the context of the Ukrainian conflict.”
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