Independent British producer Richard Johns launches Argo Films

Richard Johns, the independent British producer behind "Shadow of a Vampire", "Like Minds" and "The Liability", announces his new venture, Argo Films. The indie has been established to produce a new generation of smart, ambitious, original film and TV projects with established and high-profile creative talent, and to find and nurture the next generation of outstanding new voices within the industry.

Argo Films launches with a healthy slate of TV series and feature films already in development, including several international drama co-productions, some paid for by broadcasters. Scripted TV projects include a soon-to-be-announced landmark drama, a limited series about family and identity, based on real events; and an original dramedy series from screenwriter Daniel Hayes (Vs.) that follows a young woman, an outsider, struggling to decide which tribe she most aligns with in life. Features in the pipeline include a major new work from iconic film director E. Elias Merhige.

Richard has recently completed a short film for Disney+ under the Argo Films banner. "The Shepherd", starring John Travolta and Ben Radcliffe, is based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth and tells a thrilling and dramatic story about a pilot flying home solo for Christmas in 1957. Iain Softley wrote and directed, and Alfonso Cuarón and Bill Kenwright are co-producers.

Most of Argo’s current projects are destined for television -where Johns started his production career. However, Argo is always creatively driven and takes a media-agnostic position for projects at the outset, first working out how best to tell the story and then deciding whether it will most suit film or TV.

Richard Johns, Argo Films’ founder and CEO comments: “It’s truly exciting to officially announce the launch of Argo Films, especially as the projects already well underway speak volumes about my ambition for the company, and the amazing creative collaborators I am so lucky to work with every day. Argo is about taking risks. There’s plenty of safe stuff out there already and that’s not me:I am passionate about creating ‘filmic TV’ that breaks new ground. Argo will always be authentic, distinctive, and diverse in every sense of the word - successfully crossing conventional boundaries. I also have a soft spot for finely crafted limited series, so expect to see a number of these in future announcements!”

Johns continues: “I’ve worked all over the world on numerous big international projects, but the wealth of talent we have in the UK, especially tucked away in the regions, is incredible. With Argo, I am on a mission to find and nurture new voices who can help create surprising, original content, and I’m diving deep into the regions on my quest. Rural areas, in particular, are always overlooked, and I am excited to have already identified fresh new writers with unique perspectives on my home turf in East Anglia.”