Deal bolsters UK Television output and continues support of home grown product and talent
LONDON, Jan. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Continuing to ramp up its television operations, diversified filmed entertainment company Lionsgate UK announced today that it has entered into a first look deal with UK production outfit Bonafide Films to provide projects for world-wide distribution. The deal strengthens the studio’s on-going commitment to bring quality British television to a global audience.
Bonafide has become a growing force in television drama. They are currently in production on BBC One’s The Last Post, a much anticipated Peter Moffat series that tells the story of a regiment of military police and their families stationed in the Middle East during the 1960s Aden Emergency. They are also developing: an adaptation of JG Ballard’s Super-Cannes with award winning playwright DC Moore adapting and Saul Dibb directing; an original series with BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Peter Straughan; and adaptations of the George Saunders novella, Bounty, and the Ned Bauman novel The Teleportation Accident with Straughan for Film4.
Zygi Kamasa, CEO of Lionsgate’s European office commented, “We’re excited to be partnering with Bonafide which has proved to have a flair for bringing fresh and unique projects to the table. This deal marks the latest step in our continued strategy of bringing British television product to a global audience out of the UK office.”
“Under the leadership of Zygi Kamasa, Lionsgate UK is continuing to build a robust television business alongside its premier film brand,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs. “We’re pleased to develop a relationship with Margery Bone and the team at Bonafide, a dynamic and exciting young company with a fast-growing television drama business, as we continue to work closely with our UK colleagues in creating and delivering premium quality programming for a global audience.”
Margery Bone, Managing Director – Bonafide Films says: “Partnering with Lionsgate UK on this first look deal marks an exciting moment for Bonafide Films as our company continues to grow. In the next three years we look forward to bringing Lionsgate a host of bold and original ideas from the established writers with whom we have ongoing relationships as well as the new writing talent who we support and develop to create the next wave of brilliant, authentic television.”
The deal marks the latest step in the continued global expansion of Lionsgate’s television business. In the UK, the Company has recently invested in production companies Potboiler Television, Primal Media & Kindle Entertainment, co-financed the hit Channel 4 comedy Damned and hired leading ITV executive Steve November as Creative Director of UK Television.
One of the largest independent television businesses in the world, Lionsgate’s slate encompasses nearly 90 series on 40 different U.S. networks, including the ground-breaking Orange is the New Black, fan favorite Nashville, which is achieving record ratings on CMT, Casual, The Royals, Greenleaf and Graves along with eagerly-anticipated new series such as Dear White People for Netflix, White Famous for Showtime, Step Up for YouTube Red, Kicking & Screaming for Fox and Candy Crush for CBS.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Alexandra Keen, Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, together with Sarah Buxton for Bonafide. Consultant Marc Lorber brought the deal into Lionsgate UK.
