Enterprising Flemish broadcaster VRT has boarded the historical coming-of-age drama series ‘King of Hearts’ from Giles Coulier, whose company, De Wereldvrede, is behind such hits as 2019 series “War of the Worlds” and Prix Europa winner, “Albatros.”
As continental royalty series hit ratins and sales – think “Maxima” – “King of Hearts,” currently in development, has been selected to participate in the inaugural Euro-Atlantic Co-Pro Pitch program to be held at the Iberseries & Platino Industria confab in Madrid.
Based on real events, the drama centers on Baudouin, introverted and insecure, who is made King before he is ready for the task. As Belgium descends into crisis and his family fractures around him, he is forced to confront the man and leader he wants to become. Under mounting pressure, he learns to make difficult choices, challenge his father’s influence and forge his own beliefs. But with power comes a darker temptation: to control others as he himself was once controlled.
Later in life, he tries to protect his nephew Filip from the same painful path he went through. But he slowly realizes how hard it is to become a better man than the father who raised him.
“We are thrilled we can once again work on a fiction series that sheds light on an important chapter in our recent history. As a public broadcaster, we believe it is essential to tell these stories, but always through emotionally compelling, surprising and strong storytelling,” said Elly Vervloet, VRT international drama expert.
“’King of Hearts is the coming-of-age story of King Baudouin, who, as a young and unprepared prince, had to ascend the throne at a politically very delicate moment for our country and the whole world. We see him struggle to find his own voice, torn between power and responsibility, manipulated by people around him with their own agendas. We are thrilled that the producers and creators of De Wereldvrede approached us with this story, so that we can develop it further together into an ambitious and emotionally resonant series. We hope to bring some strong international partners on board to bring this fascinating story to audiences far beyond Belgium.”
For producer Gilles De Schryver, who co-founded De Wereldvrede with Coulier in 2013, “King of Hearts” is by nature an international story. “It moves between Brussels, Leopoldville, Rome and Madrid, intertwining Belgium’s monarchy with Congolese independence, Cold War geopolitics and Catholic influence. It is designed as a high-value prestige drama with global story reach and appeal only an international co-production can deliver.”
The project has secured script funding from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), with a further VAF application pending.
According to the partners, De Wereldvrede’s “mission is to produce high-quality fiction for an international market, with a strong emphasis on the creator’s vision and a bottom-up production approach.”
The company broke through with the TV series “The Natives” (CANVAS), followed by Coulier’s feature film “Cargo,” which screened at numerous international festivals. Their short films have also earned recognition, including “Stephanie,” an official Cannes selection and winner of the Ensor for Best Short Film, and the series “Lockdown,” which won an award at Canneseries. “Roomies” (2022) received international acclaim.
In 2024, the features “Holy Rosita” and “Julie Keeps Quiet” premiered internationally, earning numerous festival selections and awards. “Julie Keeps Quiet” premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week and was selected as Belgium’s official Oscar entry. Both films won five Ensor Awards.
In October 2025, the second season of “Roomies,” by Kato De Boeck and Flo Van Deuren, premiered at Film Fest Gent to five-star reviews.
Nathalie Teirlinck’s second feature, “Jonah Was Here,” is currently in post-production, while Pieter Van Hees’ latest film, “Alors on Danse,” is in advanced development and scheduled to shoot in summer 2027.
De Wereldvrede is also developing several other projects, including the feature films “Harvest,” “The Right to Say Goodbye” and “Dirty Kids,” as well as the fiction series “Recidive” and “Beats of Love.”
The 6th Iberseries & Platino Industria runs September 29 to October 2, 2026.