Sir Terry Pratchett launches indie

The author has established Narrativia to exploit the TV, film and digital rights of his prolific canon of work. The indie will take control of existing Pratchett projects, previously being produced by Prime Focus, as well as develop new ideas.      

It will be overseen by Pratchett’s business manager Rob Wilkins, Brown and Rhianna Pratchett - the writer’s daughter. Each will have an equal stake in Narratavia, named after one of Pratchett’s own creations - a deity of narrative who smiles down on writers.

As part of the project, Brown has taken with him two Pratchett developments he was working on at Prime Focus. In return, the post production specialist’s facilities will be used if the shows make it to air.

The developments include The Watch, a police procedural series based on characters from Pratchett’s Discworld series of fantasy novels.

The 13 x 60-minute series, which Brown estimates will require a budget of £13-15m, will be written by former Python Terry Jones and Small Soldiers writer Gavin Scott.

Also on the agenda is a 4 x 60-minute adaptation Good Omens, co-produced by STV Productions.

Brown said he had left Prime Focus on “amicable” terms after being approached “out of the blue” by Pratchett, who has been weighing up the launch of a production company for “some time”.

The pair have collaborated before when Brown was at Mob Films, which adapted The Hogfather, The Colour Of Magic and Going Postal for Sky 1.

Brown said Pratchett’s work is like a “cookie jar” of ideas, but they will be “careful” about how they “bring out the biscuits” so that the material is not over exploited.

TV is set be used as a platform to launch brand new projects, Brown explained, while more straightforward adaptations will be lined up for film. Pratchett’s work will also be adapted for online projects.

This story was originally published by Broadcast.