‘Magnificent Century’ Star Meryem Uzerli Headed to Mipcom

Turkish star Meryem Uzerli, who is known globally for her role as a former slave who becomes the powerful wife of Ottoman emperor Suleiman in Turkish megahit soap “Magnificent Century,” is headed to Mipcom with a new age-gap romance show titled “RU.”

Uzerli will be making the trek to Cannes for the international launch of “RU,” which is produced by Turkish TV powerhouse Medyapim. In the show she plays Rayyan a 38-year-old, who is struggling in her marriage and becomes romantically involved with a 20-year old man named Ozar.

“RU,” which treads similar tropes as Prime Video’s “The Idea of You” – albeit with a Turkish flavour – will be presented to buyers at an event held by Turkish distributor Madd Entertainment in the Cannes Carlton Grand Salon on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. with Uzerli on hand. As previously announced, Madd will also be unveiling footage of English-language drama “El Turco” toplining another Turkish star, Can Yaman, who will also be attending the event.

“RU,” which marks Uzerli’s return to the Turkish dramas’ milieu after a roughly five year hiatus, is set in coastal town on the Aegean Sea where Rayyan runs a restaurant called RU with her husband. When she becomes entangled with Ozar, whose mother is battling cancer, they both have to fight against the outrage and social disapproval sparked by their relationship.

“RU” represents a local novelty in that “It’s a very sexy kind of storytelling” that is “turning Turkish TV upside down,” said Ates Ince, managing director of Madd Entertainment that is a distribution partnership between two of Turkey’s leading producers, Ay Yapim and Medyapim.

Ince added that in Turkey “this type of show would be impossible to make for free TV” and underlined that, unlike standard Turkish free-TV fare, the edgy skein is made up of “shorter episodes with higher production values” than most dramas that play on linear in Turkey.

Madd with “EU” is clearly looking to lure international premium platform viewers who are searching for edgier Turkish content.

Season one of “RU” has been a local hit since its launch in May on Turkish streaming platform Gain. A second instalment is in the works.