BBC Worldwide has taken a 51% stake in Sally Woodward Gentle’s scripted drama and feature film company, Sid Gentle Films.
The deal includes an option for a phased increase in ownership by BBC Worldwide in the coming years.
Sid Gentle Films was founded by Sally Woodward Gentle in 2013 along with Lee Morris and Henrietta Colvin.
Before setting up the company, Sally Woodward Gentle worked on shows including Any Human Heart, ITV’s Whitechapel, Enid starring Helena Bonham-Carter, Tipping the Velvet and Cambridge Spies.
Sid Gentle Films has produced shows including The Durrells for ITV and Masterpiece, SS-GB for the BBC, Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories for Sky and the soon to be released Killing Eve for BBC America. The Sid Gentle team has also established relationships with writers including Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Simon Nye, William Boyd, Jesse Armstrong and Amelia Bullmore.
Sally Woodward Gentle, Chief Executive of Sid Gentle Films Ltd, said: “We couldn’t be more delighted to be joining forces with BBC Worldwide. Their respect for our independence coupled with their extraordinary industry links and sales ability is really exciting. Sid has built a reputation working with extraordinary talent and developing projects we believe in and it is very exciting to further our ambitions to create and deliver impactful drama. We have enjoyed working with BBC Worldwide in the past so can’t wait for this new phase in Sid’s life”.
Helen Jackson, BBC Worldwide’s Managing Director of Content, commented: “We have enjoyed working with Sally and her team immensely over the past three years and this is a great opportunity to build on our partnership. Sid Gentle has already delivered several much-loved dramas and we are super excited by what we have seen so far of their latest – Killing Eve. They represent perfectly the creative vibrancy that is British drama right now”.
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Sid by Lyndsey Posner, Managing Director of Independent Talent Group and Matt Garside, Director of Independent Production for BBC Worldwide.
Jon Creamer
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