Former True North managing director Marc Allen has joined London and Los Angeles based management and film/television production company, 42, as Chief Operating Officer.
Allen was Managing Director for True North Productions from 2013-2019. During his time there, True North became one of the biggest factual indie production companies in Northern England, securing investment from the Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund before Sky, under the Sky Vision banner, bought a majority stake in the British factual indie in 2017.
After several years spent working across production, finance and distribution at Pathe in London, Allen spent four years at the BBC, as a Business Affairs Manager in the BBC Factual Commissioning Department as well as a production executive for both BBC London Factual and BBC Television Sport.
Under his new role, Allen will be overseeing the continued growth of the company, which is run by 5 partners, producers Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh as well as managers Kate Buckley, Cathy King and Josh Varney.
This year, the company hired Sophie Chapman, Gary O’Sullivan and Ellie Martin-Sperry. Dame Heather Rabbatts joined as non-executive chair to the board over the summer.
“It’s great to be joining the 42 team. The company is ambitious, talented and is unique in terms of the breadth and quality of what it does. Things are at a really exciting stage right now in terms of the film and television production slate, incredible clients and new hires – and I’ll be doing all I can to ensure the continued growth and success of the business and its people,” said Marc Allen.
“Marc has a rare depth of commercial experience and expertise across complex layers of the Film and TV business, and we are thrilled to welcome him to 42. As we look forward, with the experience of this year behind us, Marc’s strategic thinking and business acumen is a huge asset to 42, and our offering for our clients, and partners,” said Josh Varney, co-founder 42.
42’s management division represents an eclectic range of high profile and emerging talent. The company’s client list includes actors, writers, directors, producers, casting directors and authors.
42’s TV projects include the Emmy award-winning WATERSHIP DOWN, for BBC and Netflix, the animated mini-series adapted from the global best-selling book; TRAITORS, a 6-part spy thriller for Channel 4 and Netflix, written by Bash Doran; WILD BILL, a six-part drama series starring Rob Lowe for ITV; and THE ENGLISH GAME a six-part television series by Julian Fellowes, which is currently available on Netflix.
The company have a multi-year first-look development, financing and production deal with MGM for television.
On the film side, the company released MILITARY WIVES starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan in the UK earlier this year and next up is Cold War thriller THE COURIER (aka IRONBARK) starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rachel Brosnahan, which world premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will be released next year.
The company also recently announced they will be producing THE SILENT TWINS set to star Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrence, which will shoot in January 2021.
Jon Creamer
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