Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is sustaining its concentrate on British TV drama with one other huge acquisition deal.
The studio has upped its minority shareholding in Alex Rider producer Eleventh Hour Films to a majority stake. Sony had first invested within the British indie in 2018.
Monetary phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Eleventh Hour will sit alongside fellow UK drama producers Left Financial institution, Unhealthy Wolf and Eleven within the SPT secure. Together with the shareholder adjustments, firm founder Jill Inexperienced will transfer from her CEO function to develop into a artistic government producer. She’s going to stay chair, and Eve Gutierrez and Paula Cuddy will develop into co-CEOs.
In accordance with paperwork on Firms Home, earlier than at present’s transaction SPT managed 22.7% of the shares, with Inexperienced proudly owning 43.2%, Gutierrez 14.4%, Cuddy 5.3% and Eleventh Hour Movies as an entity the remaining 14.3%. It’s not instantly clear how a lot Sony will personal below the brand new construction. The studio hadn’t responded for remark at press time.
Eleventh Hour is understood for its collaborations with screenwriter and novelist Anthony Horowitz, making his younger grownup drama sequence Alex Rider, which has run for 3 seasons on Amazon providers, together with BritBox and Masterpiece sequence Magpie Murders and its follow-up Moonflower Murders.
The indie producer additionally made the Edinburgh-set BBC detective sequence Rebus, Paramount+ UK drama The Killing Variety, which lately launched on Hulu, and is quickly to launch its newest Horowitz collab, MGM+ and BBC crime sequence 9 Our bodies in a Mexican Morgue. Additional again it made Foyle’s Warfare and Secure Home for ITV and New Blood for BBC One.
“Over the previous decade, Jill, Eve and Paula have constructed a exceptional firm and it has been a terrific pleasure for everybody at Sony to have been a part of their journey,” mentioned Wayne Garvie, President, Worldwide Manufacturing at SPT. “Beginning with Alex Rider and proper via to 9 Our bodies in a Mexican Morgue, we’ve witnessed first-hand their potential for persistently delivering high-quality, business occasion tv with world attraction. We’re overjoyed that they’re turning into a full member of our roster of world-leading drama labels. Their improvement pipeline means that the following few years are going to be much more exceptional, and Sony Footage Tv will likely be a proud associate.”
The deal is a part of a technique to consolidate SPT’s worldwide manufacturing group portfolio below Garvie, and comes a number of months after we revealed world scripted chief Nina Lederman was leaving the enterprise. She exited this month.
New Eleventh Hour co-CEOs Gutierrez and Cuddy had been beforehand Eleventh Hour’s Head of Expertise/government producer and Artistic Director, respectively. They may work alongside Sarah Woolway, who’s becoming a member of as Chief Business Officer from Gaumont UK, the place she was Head of Enterprise and Authorized Affairs.
“Along with Jill we’ve got developed and produced a raft of reveals we’re extremely pleased with with sensible writers and manufacturing groups,” mentioned Gutierrez and Cuddy. “As Co-CEOs we’re delighted to now lead the corporate onwards into its subsequent thrilling chapter, remaining true to Jill’s founding precept of at all times striving to search out methods to convey nice tales to display – on schedule and on funds.”
“Eve, Paula and I’ve been a good staff working collectively on an incredible EHF journey,” mentioned Inexperienced. “Now with the total help of Sony Footage Tv and a powerful senior staff restructure, I’ve each confidence that an equally sensible future lies forward.”
Helion Companions suggested Eleventh Hour on the transaction.
