CBC has greenlit the family drama Near or Far, one of the projects developed from its partnership with Wattpad Webtoon Studios, as a CBC Gem original.

Production on the 8 x 12-minute series began in Toronto and Montreal on Oct. 10 and is set to wrap in early November. The series is slated to launch on CBC Gem in spring 2024, according to a news release.

Near or Far is produced by Toronto prodco Harlow Creative and is written and created by Duana Taha, based on the original story by Wattpad author Emma Szalai. Taha serves as the series showrunner and executive producer, and is also a director alongside creative producer Vanessa Magic.

Additional executive producers include Caitlin Brown, Wattpad Webtoon Studios’ Aron Levitz, David Madden, and Sera Tabb. Michael Bawcutt is co-executive producer and Angelica Mendizabal is co-producer.

Near or Far was first announced as in development in 2021 as part of the CBC and Wattpad Webtoon Studios partnership for emerging Canadian writers to create content for CBC Gem. The partnership was announced in 2018, with Near or Far and the thriller The Last Place to Hide as the first two development projects to come out of the deal.

The series is produced with the support of the Bell Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, and the Canada Media Fund. Toronto-based prodco Piazza Entertainment is the distributor, with the company’s founder Vanessa Piazza also serving as executive producer.

Set in Ontario, Near or Far tells the story of teenage twin sisters — played by Fanar Zak (Rabbit Hole) and Chloe Avakian (Locke & Key) — from an immigrant family whose tight bond begins to unravel as they venture down opposite paths.

The cast for the series also includes Brendon Kienhong Tremblay (Alert: Missing Persons Unit), Addison Holley (Annedroids), Christine Sahely (The Expanse), Soroush Saeidi (Transplant), Kalista Wilson (Transplant), and Tommie-Amber Pirie (Michael: Every Day).

“With a fascinating story, settings, and characters, Emma Szalai’s Near or Far is the perfect foundation for a series adaptation,” said Tabb, head of global television at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, in a statement.

Photo by Jeff Chiu/CBC Gem; (L-R) Fanar Zak, Chloe Avakian