Yellow Bird, the Swedish indie behind Wallander and Occupied, is launching a UK division backed by Banijay Group.
Yellow Bird’s Chief Creative Officer Berna Levin will head up Yellow Bird Productions UK.
Levin has worked at Yellow Bird since 2007 on international projects including Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy and Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters. As CCO she has overseen the development of the company’s entire slate and acquisitions of all new projects.
Yellow Bird was established in 2003 when it released a series of television films based on Swedish author Henning Mankell’s fictional detective Kurt Wallander.
Yellow Bird Productions UK will focus on developing and creating original ideas with international appeal and a Scandi edge for the UK market, working with all broadcasters and platforms.
Based in central London alongside fellow Banijay scripted production companies BlackLight TV and Fearless Minds, the new company will have close ties to the Stockholm-based Yellow Bird, run by MD Johannes Jensen and part of Banijay Zodiak Nordics.
The new entity will also be a part of Banijay Studios International, which coordinates all of Banijay’s scripted activity and is headed up by Group Head of Fiction Takis Candilis. The studio has a number of high-end projects in development and the group now has scripted production in 12 of the 16 territories it operates in worldwide.
The creation of Yellow Bird Productions UK marks Banijay’s continued push in scripted. The group said it expects to announce further additions to its scripted family in the coming months.
Staff Reporter
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