The Ink Factory Launches Asia Slate & Financing division

The Ink Factory has set up an Asia-based slate and associated financing facility which aims both to deliver adaptations of John le Carré’s work into the major markets of Asia, and to create a global platform for the work of talent and creators from the region. “Contemporary Asia is both the world’s fastest-growing – and soon its largest – entertainment market, and the crucible of some of the world’s boldest and most exciting creative talent," Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell, co-Founders and co-CEOs of The Ink Factory said. "We are thrilled to be embarking on this new initiative with our long-term partners Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang at 127 Wall."

The venture has been established with the support and collaboration of Hong Kong and London-based media investment firm 127 Wall Productions. The slate is being built by The Ink Factory’s Executive Producer Tessa Inkelaar. "We look forward to building on the strength of le Carré’s reputation and the universality of his storytelling to delight audiences across Asia, as well as to working with some of the extraordinary range of creative talent that the region offers to support their storytelling in reaching the global audience it richly deserves," Cornwell said.

Wang is a former business leader now active in the arts and culture community in Asia, serving on the executive committees of the Hong Kong Ballet and the Shanghai Center of Photography. Tsai said “We have a long-standing commitment to supporting Asian creativity in all its forms, to seeing Asian creators take their rightful place on the world stage, and to Asian representation in the broadest sense in the western world.  We’re very pleased to be working with our partners at The Ink Factory, with their commitment to the highest creative standards, to further this ambition through building a bold, exciting and entertaining slate of projects.”

127 Wall was founded by Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang to support creativity in film and other media – and their partnership with The Ink Factory is a celebration of their love of a genre that explores the depths of human nature through spy stories and dramatic thrillers, so perfectly embodied in the work of John le Carré. Tsai is co-founder of Chinese internet technology company Alibaba Group and owns several sports and entertainment properties including the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Liberty and the Barclays Center. "Our goal is above all to entertain, but also to engage our audiences and to challenge preconceptions," Wang said. 

Prior to working at The Ink Factory, Inkelaar served as Vice President, Creative at the Cinestaan Film Company and C International Sales, managing both the international and Hindi slates. “It’s a privilege to be taking the incredible library of le Carré to Asia, seeking out homegrown reinterpretations that can bring fresh perspectives to his enduring and universal stories,"  Inkelaar said. "I am thrilled to be leveraging my experience working in the region to build a slate of content led by voices from Asia and the global Asian diaspora, which are urgent, authentic and singular.”