Indie distributor Multiple Media Entertainment is betting Canadian broadcasters want more European costume dramas after The Tudors and The Borgias by snagging the local distribution rights to Neverland and Treasure Island (pictured).

The deal with RHI Entertainment will see Multiple Media offer a visual effects-driven Neverland, a prequel to the Peter Pan tale, and Treasure Island, an adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic novel, to Canadian broadcasters.

“The combined budgets of these two star-studded miniseries is in excess of $50 million and they will inevitably be two of the most exciting event programs to air during the 2011/2012 broadcast season,” Jennifer Graham, senior vice president of sales and acquisitions at Multiple Media, said in a statement.

Neverland and Treasure Island are each 4-hour miniseries and will air on Sky 1 and Sky Movies in the UK and SyFy in the US market.

Neverland, directed by Nick Willing, was shot in Italy and Ireland, and is set to bow in December 2011.

The mini-series cast includes Keira Knightley, Bob Hoskins, Anna Friel, Rhys Ifans and Charlie Rowe.

Neverland, directed by Steve Barron, is produced by Dublin-based Parallel Films on behalf of MNG Films in association with Syfy and Sky Movies HD.

Treasure Island was shot in Ireland and Puerto Rico, and stars Eddie Izzard, Elijah Wood and Donald Sutherland.

Executive Producers are Robert Halmi Sr. for RHI Entertainment, Alan Moloney for Parallel Films, Mark Grenside for MNG Films, Melanie Stokes and Anne Brogan for Kindle Entertainment and Annie Harrison-Baxter for Sky.

Laurie Borg is producing.