ITV Studios announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Moonage Pictures, one of the UK’s fastest growing independent producers of high-end drama including global hits "The Gentlemen" and "A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder." Moonage Pictures was established in 2018 by Will Gould, Matthew Read and Frith Tiplady and produces original, inventive content for UK and international markets.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios, said: “Will, Matthew and Frith have built a formidable scripted production company with a very strong slate of first class shows ranging from The Gentlemen to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. They’re an incredibly talented team and we feel incredibly fortunate they're joining ITV Studios. I can't wait to work with them.”
Frith Tiplady, Managing Director Moonage Pictures, said: “We’ve loved every minute of the past seven years — collaborating with exceptional writers, directors, and production teams to create work we’re immensely proud of. It’s been a real adventure. Now, as Moonage enters its next chapter, we’re thrilled to be joining forces with ITV Studios. This partnership opens up exciting new possibilities, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
"The Gentlemen," directed by Guy Richie, debuted as Netflix’s number one show and quickly became one of the most-viewed TV shows of 2024. "A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder," adapted for the BBC and Netflix - reached the streamer’s global top-10 most-watched list. They also recently launched the acclaimed adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusas's epic novel "The Leopard" for Netflix.
Other production credits include: "Bodies," the limited series starring Stephen Graham (Netflix Global Top Ten); Emily Mortimer’s adaptation of "The Pursuit of Love" for BBC One and Amazon; "The Famous Five" for the BBC, co-created with Nicolas Widing Refn; Curfew for Sky One; Netflix’s "Obsession" and sci-fi "Intergalactic" for Sky One.
The Company is already working on second seasons for "The Gentlemen," "A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder" and "The Famous Five."
As part of the acquisition, BBC Studios has exited its stake in Moonage and will continue to distribute returning series including "A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder" and "The Famous Five." International distribution of new Moonage Pictures series will be handled by ITV Studios.
The acquisition is a further milestone in ITV’s strategy of expanding its international content business, with Moonage Pictures becoming the latest in a line of production companies to join the group in recent years.
This includes the recent acquisition of acclaimed drama producer Eagle Eye Drama, the multi-award winning Hartswood Films, Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions, Happy Prince, led by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Ben Stephenson’s Poison Pen Studios and premium natural history and factual entertainment prodco, Plimsoll Productions.
Helion Partners advised the shareholders on the transaction.
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