French production group Mediawan is rolling out a high-concept unscripted gameshow format called "Trojan Horse", created by US company Kinetic Content, across several European territories. The move taps into a wider cultural moment for Greek mythology, coinciding with Christopher Nolan's forthcoming screen adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey". Mediawan has secured option rights to the original show and is aligning several of its group companies around the single format to encourage local adaptations.

The format reworks the legend of the Trojan Horse into a contemporary studio game in which teams must decide whether a giant horse placed before them holds a valuable gift or a dangerous trap. It is being launched in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland. Kinetic Content, founded in 2010 and led by chief executive Chris Coelen, recently came under Mediawan's ownership after the group acquired its parent, The North Road Company; executives from both companies framed the deal as a way to share original IP and coordinate development across Mediawan's worldwide production network.