John Gore Studios has made a majority investment into Hilltop Screen, the production company recently founded by drama producer, Hilary Bevan Jones and media lawyer, Medwyn Jones.
Hilltop Screen brings with it a “robust portfolio” of TV projects currently in development with major broadcasters and global streaming platforms, and of feature films, including one soon to be announced.
Bevan Jones’ credits range from Richard Curtis’ The Girl in the Café to Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot and from Cracker to The Boat That Rocked. She was the first woman to chair BAFTAwhere she launched new talent initiatives. Bevan Jones continues to support emerging filmmakers through her global charity, Watersprite Film Festival, which she has chaired since 2009.
Commercial Director Medwyn Jones has over 30 years experience as one of the UK’s leading TV lawyers and executive producers. He sat on the board of BAFTA from 2009 to 2016 and acts as a senior advisor to the charity.
John Gore Studios has also appointed Francis Hopkinson as Creative Director in a newly established role. Hopkinson’s credits include The Bitter End, Wallander and Henry VIII and he will oversee the studio’s expanding slate of premium television and film projects. Hopkinson joins from his role as Executive Producer at Expanded Media and will complete his work on Fightland for STARZ. He will report directly to the Studio’s CEO, Hilary Strong.
John Gore, a 25-time Tony winner, as well as a recipient of 2 Emmys and 2 Oliviers and Executive Chairman of John Gore Studios says:“Hilary Bevan Jones is one of the most respected producers of British drama, with an extraordinary body of work that has reached audiences worldwide. We are honoured to welcome Hilltop Screen into the John Gore Studios family. At the same time, we are thrilled to have Francis Hopkinson joining as Creative Director of our scripted slate. Francis is an exceptional producer whose track record of delivering acclaimed, ambitious drama makes him the perfect creative leader as we build a studio uniquely positioned to deliver bold, world-class storytelling for global audiences.”
Hilary Strong, CEO of John Gore Studios, says: “We are proud to be assembling a diverse and dynamic ecosystem of talent, IP and production expertise. By building an end-to-end studio of rights, production and distribution, we are accelerating our mission to deliver compelling, globally resonant stories rooted in both legacy and innovation. I am personally thrilled to be working alongside Hilary Bevan Jones and Medwyn Jones, and to welcome Francis Hopkinson as Creative Director. All three are highly respected industry leaders whose creativity and experience will ensure John Gore Studios is positioned at the very forefront of film & television production and storytelling excellence for a global market.”
Hilary Bevan Jones, Managing Director of Hilltop Screen, says: “I formed Hilltop Screen as a small multi-generational company because I’m keen to continue making high quality, world class TV and film that will last a lifetime. I’m thrilled that John Gore Studios recognises and shares this vision and has chosen to enable it. Together with my team – Medwyn Jones, Sheena Bucktowonsing and Amber Hyams, we look forward to realising this ambition.”
Francis Hopkinson, Creative Director at John Gore Studios says: “I’m delighted to be joining John Gore Studios in this newly created role and to be working closely with John, Hilary, and the wider team, some 40 years since John first directed me in a play at university! The company has an incredibly exciting slate ahead, bringing together the very best of British creative talent—both on and off screen—and showcasing it on the international stage. With Hilltop Screen as part of the family, and through strong partnerships with our production collaborators, IP aquisitions and distribution pipeline the studio has quickly established itself as one of the fastest-growing in the UK. It’s a hugely exciting time for the company, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
Jon Creamer
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