Canadian producer and distributor Entertainment One (eOne) is planning an aggressive UK push after striking a first-look deal with UK indie Eleven Film.
eOne believes the deal, its first in the UK, will be followed by several others this year, following the relocation of international television president Peter Emerson to its London office.
Eleven Film, which was set up by Jamie Campbell and Joel Wilson in 2006, started out producing documentaries including Being Maxine and Dawn Porter’s My Breasts Could Kill Me, before moving into drama with Channel 4’s Cast Offs.
eOne, which distributes series including The Walking Dead, is believed to have beaten a number of other distributors to the deal.
It will sell Eleven Film’s programming internationally and work with the indie on global co-pros.
Eleven Film is keen to partner with eOne to attach high-profile US writers and broadcasters to its development slate of drama projects, which includes series with the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky.
“Distribution is important, but equally exciting is to get co-productions on an international scale,” said Campbell.
Carrie Stein, eOne executive vice-president, global television, added: “When I was brought in, there was a clear focus to expand in the UK and to plant our stake. We want to be involved in the UK in a significant way.”
She added that the company’s ambition was “to do a couple more first-look deals this year” and that it is also targeting finished British series for distribution, competing directly with UK distributors including BBC Worldwide, FremantleMedia International and ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
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