Film4 is considering the commercial potential of its slate “more than we have done,” said the division’s director Ollie Madden during an on-stage interview at Film London’s Upstream IP pitching event on March 4.
“In British independent film, we’ve had an internalised snobbery about being too commercial,” said Madden, speaking in conversation with Film London CEO Adrian Wootton.
He clarified: “At Film4, [commerciality] is not the driving factor. We have a cultural remit, we’re a non-profit self-sustaining broadcaster. Unlike a commercial company like Warner Bros, that’s not the driving incentive.
“That said, look at how well Bridget Jones [Mad About The Boy] is doing,” Madden continued. “At Film4, we do think about it more than we have done. The Inbetweeners is one of our most profitable films ever, which then fuels all the debut films that need more financial support. If we can find something else like that – great, we’d love that.”
Speaking two days after Sean Baker gave a rallying call for independent film at the Oscars, Wootton asked Madden if he is optimistic about the independent sector.
“Yes, is the short answer,” said Madden, who went on to provide both caveats and reasons for hope. “Independent British film has never not been in jeopardy, it’s a perennial state. Some of that is accurate, some of it is received wisdom. I don’t think the British independent film sector is as sustainable yet as it needs to be.
“In terms of the general picture, we’re pretty bullish about it. The theatrical box office for independent film is strong,” he continued, citing the release of recent titles Conclave, We Live In Time, The Brutalist, Anora and Longlegs.
“There’s a big new 20-something, 30-something crowd that are driving things,” he suggested. “Audience members who are following specific filmmakers or brands – we haven’t seen that for a few years and that’s exciting. The success of [Yorgos Lanthimos’s Film4 title] Poor Things was driven by younger audience members. [Lanthimos’s previous film] The Favourite was driven by older audience members, who were then freaked out when they saw the movie!”
Madden confirmed Film4 aims to back “10 to 12 original films a year”.
He mentioned several upcoming Film4 projects including Ashley Walters’ directorial debut Animol, which wrapped last week; Martin McDonagh’s next feature Wild Horse Nine, shooting now in Easter Island; and Audrey Diwan’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel The Marriage Portrait, which is in development.
TV role
Last year, Madden added leadership of Channel 4 drama to his Film4 role to become head of drama and director of Film4.
At Upstream, he said “returnability” – series that can run over several seasons, as opposed to limited series – defines his commissioning outlook.
“The majority of things we’re commissioning are returning series,” said Madden. “The difference is, you’re looking for worlds and characters that don’t have an end point, or if they do, it’s three seasons down the line.”
He identified Apple TV+’s Slow Horses as a recent favourite from outside of Channel 4, and Netflix’s Baby Reindeer – “I’d like to have had that one.”
“We don’t have a cap on what we make in terms of budget, we want our drama to be as ambitious as possible,” said Madden of Channel 4 drama. Series in the works including a four-part adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s Northern Ireland-set novel Trespasses, a five-part original story from Russell T Davies called Tiptoe, and an eight-part fresh take on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel A Woman Of Substance
“There’s a reticence [in TV] around bringing on directors too soon or giving directors too much power,” said Madden. “I get that; but what we are talking to our drama producers more about is: bring us into the conversation about directors sooner. Which isn’t to say we’ll insist on film directors on all our TV shows; just that we have a culture of that being a really important part of the conversation.”
In a wide-ranging discussion for the Upstream attendees, he addressed AI, a key industry topic in recent weeks. Madden said it currently has no part in Film4 and Channel 4 drama work. “No, not at the moment,” said the exec. “But we’re doing a lot of work as a channel on it; there’s a lot of work going on to make sure copyright owners and IP are protected. To make sure that opportunities are embraced but with principles of protection and transparency at the heart of what we do. But it’s not at the heart of our decision-making.”
Film London’s annual Upstream event featured 12 IP pitches of 20 minutes each throughout the day across film, series and games. They included a feature film adaptation of the video game Arcade Paradise from writer-director Will Webb and producer Evangeline Williams.
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