Death in Paradise heads to Croatia for first international remake

Death in Paradise is leaving the Caribbean for the first time. Croatia will make its own version of the long-running British murder mystery.

The Croatian adaptation is called Ubojstvo u raju. It will move the story to the island of Brač, according to details reported by Variety. Instead of Saint Marie, the show will follow a fictional island community. Cameras are expected to roll in and around the town of Supetar. Principal photography is planned for spring 2027.

The series is being made for Croatia’s HRT1 by local producer CGM Films. Bruno Mustić and Ivan Lovreček are listed as producers. Jelena Gavrilović will direct. Sonja Tarokić and Valentina Batalić will write the scripts. Maja Fišter is the commissioning editor for HRT, meaning she oversees the show for the broadcaster.

For viewers new to the format, the idea is simple. The characters and setting change. The recipe stays the same.

The original Death in Paradise was created by Robert Thorogood. It is produced by Red Planet Pictures, a Fremantle company, for the BBC. The series follows a British detective who joins the police force on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, as listed by the BBC. Each episode brings a puzzling murder in paradise. Each episode ends with the culprit unmasked.

That formula has travelled far. The show has reached audiences in more than 230 territories, Variety reported. The format and finished series are distributed internationally by BBC Studios. It has also grown into two spin-offs, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise.

The original show is still expanding. Its 16th series is currently in production. It has already been recommissioned for Season 17, meaning another run of episodes has been ordered.

What makes this stand out is the location swap. Sun, sea and a small island police team remain central. The Adriatic replaces the Caribbean. For fans, this means a familiar mystery with a new accent, a new coastline and a new detective to follow.