STV Studios and Ferryman Films have announced an exciting new partnership, which will see the companies exclusively co-produce drama projects both within the UK and the US.
Production group STV Studios is headquartered in Scotland and is home to three successful drama labels, including Belfast-based Two Cities Television (Blue Lights for BBC One, Amadeus for Sky); Glasgow and London-based STV Studios Drama (The Witness for Netflix, Elizabeth is Missing for BBC One); and Glasgow and London-based Tod Productions (Criminal Record for Apple TV).
Ferryman Films is a production label led by Scottish actor and director Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy, Trainspotting, Rome), and Creative Director Charlotte Rutherford (The Girlfriend, King & Conqueror, Humans) which is rooted in the rich cultural landscape of Scotland with deep connections to Hollywood.
The partnership enables Ferryman Films and any of the STV Studios drama companies to join forces on development and/or production, harnessing the collective creative strength and experience across all four labels.
The first collaboration is an exclusive book option of William Shaw’s gripping new crime thriller, The Red Shore, which sees STV Studios Drama and Ferryman working together on development of the novel for screen. The Red Shore is the first in Shaw’s new Eden Driscoll detective series, which has been described in press as ‘action packed’, ‘his best yet’ and an ‘impeccable exercise in psychological acuity’.
David Mortimer, CEO of STV Studios said: “Our drama labels continue to go from strength to strength, with an increasingly impressive slate of titles in their portfolio. I’m delighted to welcome Ferryman Films to the family through this exclusive partnership. We share the same ambition to create original, high‑quality drama with global resonance, and Ferryman’s ethos, ambition and development slate align perfectly with our values. We’re excited to work closely together to deliver compelling content for audiences across the UK and around the world.”
Kevin McKidd, Founder of Ferryman Films said: “I created Ferryman Films to build distinctive, character-led stories that have the potential to connect widely with audiences internationally. Scotland is a huge part of Ferryman’s DNA because it’s such an important part of who I am. However, we’re not limiting ourselves to stories set there – for us it’s about finding projects with real identity, wherever they come from. We’re genuinely excited to be joining forces with STV Studios and its drama labels.”
Charlotte Rutherford, Creative Director of Ferryman Films said: “When I was introduced to Kevin over breakfast three years ago, I could never have imagined the journey we were about to embark on together. Starting out as a scrappy two-man band, we have had the privilege and joy of working with some of the most exciting writers in Scotland and beyond, and now Ferryman is continuing onto its next phase with an incomparable partner in STV Studios. We’re incredibly excited to see what we can produce together.”
Sarah Brown, Creative Director of STV Studios Drama said: “We couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Kevin and Charlotte at Ferryman to develop William Shaw’s gripping new crime thriller, The Red Shore. It’s the perfect project to kick off our partnership: a novel which marries brilliant, twist-laden plotting and a fascinating central character that we know has the potential to become an iconic TV detective.”
William Shaw, Author of Red Shore, said: “You write a character and you want that person to get into people's heads. When it comes to detective fiction, it's TV that does that – and in increasingly creative ways. To have Kevin McKidd bringing his talent and experience in long-form TV drama to the mix through Ferryman, working in partnership with STV Studios, now puts an amazing team around this project.”
The STV Studios/Ferryman deal was brokered by Plan 9 Consultancy who advised Ferryman Films on the transaction. McKidd is represented by WME, Independent Talent Group and imPRint.
www.ferrymanfilms.com
www.stvstudios.com