Working Title Films
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | London, England, UK |
Number of locations |
Ireland Los Angeles, California, United States |
Key people |
Tim Bevan Sarah Radclyffe Eric Fellner Liza Chasin Debra Hayward Natascha Wharton |
| Parent | Universal Studios |
| Divisions |
WT2 Productions Working Title Television |
| Website | Official website |
Working Title Films is a British film production company, based in London owned by Universal Studios. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. It produces feature films and several television productions. Eric Fellner and Bevan are now the co-chairs of the company.
Company
Working Title Films was co-founded by producers Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. In 1992, PolyGram became the company's corporate backer. Radclyffe left Working Title, and Eric Fellner, a fellow independent film producer, joined the company.[1] The company produced a variety of films for PolyGram's London-based production company PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. An Anglo-Dutch film studio, PolyGram Films became a major Hollywood competitor. In 1998 Seagram sold the bulk of its library of PolyGram films released up until March 31, 1996 to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1999, PolyGram was sold to the Seagram company and merged with MCA Music Entertainment, to form Universal Music Group. PolyGram Films was sold and folded into Universal Studios in 1999.
Although contractually allowed to produce any film with a budget of up to $US35 million, on a practical basis, Bevan and Fellner consult with studio executives at Working Title's parent company NBCUniversal.[2] Working Title is located in London. The company also has other offices located in Los Angeles and Ireland.
WT2 Productions
In 1999, Bevan and Fellner launched a subsidiary company named Working Title 2 Productions, commonly known as WT2. The company is an independent film production arm run by Natascha Wharton, and has produced films that include Billy Elliot, Shaun of the Dead and The Calcium Kid.[1]
TV division
Working Title has been active in television production since the early 1990s.[3] In 2010, Working Title officially launched its TV division as a joint venture with parent company NBCUniversal, itself owned by Comcast.[4] Since then, they have produced content for both British and American television.[5][6] Notable productions and co-productions developed by Working Title Television (WTTV)[7] include NBC's About a Boy, and Showtime's The Tudors.[3] WTTV has offices in London, headed by Andrew Woodhead, and Los Angeles, headed by Andrew Stearn.[8][9]
1991 ITV franchise bid
In 1991, Working Title was involved in a bid for the London Weekend ITV licence. Working Title, Mentorn, Palace and PolyGram wanted to take over from London Weekend Television and broadcast to London under the name London Independent Broadcasting. In the event LWT retained its licence; London Independent Broadcasting's proposals were deemed by the Independent Television Commission, which was overseeing the bid process, to fail the quality threshold.[10]
Films
1980s
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 November 1985 | My Beautiful Laundrette | with Channel Four Films |
| 24 July 1987 | Wish You Were Here | with Channel Four Films |
| 30 October 1987 | Sammy and Rosie Get Laid | with Channel Four Films |
| 13 April 1989 | The Tall Guy | with London Weekend Television |
1990s
2000s
2010s
Upcoming
- 2017 - Baby Driver — co-production with TriStar Pictures, Media Rights Capital and Big Talk Productions
- 2017 - The Snowman
- 2017 - Victoria and Abdul
- TBA - Smiley's People [12]
- TBA - The Little Mermaid - Based on Hans Christian Andersen's novel of the same name[13]
References
- 1 2 Higgins, Charlotte (16 April 2005). "Interview: Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, co-chairmen Working Title Films". London: The Guardian.
- ↑ "Working Title – Skillset". The Guardian.
- 1 2 "Working Title Television [gb]". IMDb.
- ↑ "Working Title launches TV division". Digital Spy.
- ↑ Nellie Andreeva. "Working Title Television Sells 6 Projects". Deadline.
- ↑ Leo Barraclough. "Working Title Television Produces 'The Secrets' for BBC". Variety.
- ↑ "About WTTV". workingtitlefilms.com.
- ↑ Laura Prudom. "BBC America Co-Producing 'London Spy' Miniseries with Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent". Variety.
- ↑ "Liza Chasin". Variety.
- ↑ Davidson, Andrew, Under the Hammer: The ITV Franchise Battle, William Heinemann Ltd., p. 297
- ↑ Stuart Kemp , Matthew Belloni. "'Bridget Jones 3' Producer Admits Delay, Vows to Shoot Film in 2012". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ James Desborough. "'Gary Oldman to return in 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' sequel". NY Daily News.
- ↑ "Chloe Moretz to Star in 'Little Mermaid' for Working Title; Richard Curtis to Pen Script (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. November 6, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Working Title Films at the Internet Movie Database
- WT2 Productions at the Internet Movie Database
- Profile of the founders on BBC News
- Shaun of the Dead production company Working Title to launch TV division
