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Jesse Armstrong, the acclaimed creator of HBO’s “Succession,” is set to make his feature film directorial debut with the HBO Original film “Mountainhead,” premiering on May 31. Known for his incisive exploration of power dynamics and complex relationships, Armstrong’s latest project promises to delve into similar themes within a new narrative framework. The film will be available for streaming on Max, offering audiences a fresh perspective on the intricate world of the ultra-wealthy.

Who is Jesse Armstrong?

Jesse Armstrong is a British screenwriter and producer renowned for his work on critically acclaimed television series. He co-created the British comedies “Peep Show” (2003–2015) and “Fresh Meat” (2011–2016) with writing partner Sam Bain. Armstrong also contributed to the political satire “The Thick of It” (2005–2009) and co-wrote its film adaptation, “In the Loop” (2009), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. His most notable achievement is creating the HBO series “Succession” (2018–2023), which garnered multiple awards,...

HBO is reteaming with Succession creator Jesse Armstrong for a new project that will serve as Armstrong's feature directorial debut. The currently untitled film is heading in front of the cameras soon, and will feature an ensemble cast that includes Steve Carell and Jason Schwartzman.

Per a press release from Warner Bros., Armstrong's feature will be an original movie for HBO that begins filming this month in Park City, Utah and will premiere this spring. In addition to Carell and Schwartzman, the film also stars Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef and its official logline reveals that the movie follows "a group of billionaire friends who get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis." Armstrong, who is also writing and executive producing the project, had this to say about reuniting with HBO:

RelatedSuccession: 11 Other Movies and TV Shows from Creator Jesse Armstrong to Watch Next

Here's an...

Demi Moore has been making a comeback of the ages, with her performance in the body horror hit, The Substance, earning her multiple awards, including a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. But The Substance isn't the only recent body horror film she has starred in. In 2019, she appeared in another thriller, Corporate Animals, and it's currently available on horror streamer, Shudder.

The movie follows an abusive, egomaniac CEO named Lucy (Moore) as she leads employees from her company, Incredible Edibles, on a team-building exercise to try and save the business. The co-workers go spelunking in New Mexico, with Lucy deciding they need to on a much more advanced route, against the better judgment of the guide, Brandon (Ed Helms). What follows is a bizarre attempt at lampooning corporate culture that descends into cannibalism and chaos, plus an utterly bizarre dream sequence with Helms and co-star...

It's been over a year since HBO aired the last episode of Succession. Fortunately, series creator Jesse Armstrong is working on a new project.

Per Deadline, Armstrong is penning the script for an untitled movie for HBO Films. The Emmy-winner will also executive produce the project with Frank Rich, who produced Succession and the hit comedy series Veep. While specific plot details have not been disclosed, the story is said to "revolve around four friends who meet up during the turmoil of an ongoing international financial crisis." The movie is expected to begin production later this year.

Related 10 Shows Like Sons of Anarchy With No Redeemable Characters

Sons of Anarchy is known for housing irredeemable characters, and there are other shows where characters similarly reach the point of no return.

Armstrong has worked on several popular British projects, such as comedies and satirical dramas. He rose to fame as the...

Seven-time Emmy winner and Succession creator Jesse Armstrong has found his next project. Variety reports that Armstrong will re-team with the show's executive producer Frank Rich for a new original film for HBO. The plot will follow "four friends who convene during a dramatic international financial crisis."

There aren't many details right now other than Armstrong is penning the script, and production will reportedly begin sometime later this year. The studio is checking on actors' schedules for availability, though no names have been announced as of this moment. No release date has been announced either.

Armstrong is primarily known for his work on television, and his biggest show, Succession, ended in 2022 after four seasons. During its time on air, the series won a total of 19 Emmys, including three for best drama series, with several statues awarded to Armstrong for his writing. Unsurprisingly, Succession is also one of the most critically-lauded series of all time,...

David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin will return in for Ludwig series 2. More news can be found below these words.

David Mitchell has become a familiar face in UK comedy, whether trying to discern who’s telling the truth in Would I Lie To You? or as the uptight Mark Corrigan alongside long time comedy partner Robert Webb in Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain’s Peep Show.

He also took on the role of William Shakespeare in Ben Elton’s sitcom Upstart Crow, and reprised the role for a stage adaptation that opened in 2020 and then again when the play was restaged in 2022.

Just as Alan Davies took a left turn from stand-up comedy to drama in David Renwick’s superb Jonathan Creek, Mitchell recently moved into the realm of crime drama to play the title role in six part BBC series Ludwig.

Anna Maxwell Martin co-stars as Lucy Betts-Taylor,...

David Mitchell leads new BBC crime drama Ludwig, and the trailer for the show has landed. Anna Maxwell Martin co-stars.

David Mitchell has become a familiar face in UK comedy, whether trying to discern who’s telling the truth in Would I Lie To You? or as the uptight Mark Corrigan alongside long time comedy partner Robert Webb in Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain’s Peep Show.

He also took on the role of William Shakespeare in Ben Elton’s sitcom Upstart Crow, and reprised the role for a stage adaptation that opened in 2020 and then again when the play was restaged in 2022

Just as Alan Davies took a left turn from stand-up comedy to drama in David Renwick’s superb Jonathan Creek, Mitchell is now moving into the realm of crime drama to play the title role in six part BBC series Ludwig.

The synopsis reads as follows:

When...

This 2014 British series starring James Nesbitt has made its way to the popular streamer Netflix, according to Digital Spy, and about 10 years following its release. Babylon, which premiered on Channel 4 in February 2014 with its pilot episode, comprises seven episodes which ran until December of the same year. However, in the U.S., Babylon aired from January to December 2015. Danny Boyle directed the comedy drama production with Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, writers for Peep Show and Fresh Meat, handling the script.

Emmy Award-winner Michaela Coel is reuniting with HBO and the BBC for her next project, First Day on Earth. Coel is writing and starring in the drama, a followup to her critically acclaimed series I May Destroy You, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing. First Day on Earth will follow Coel's Henri, a British novelist who travels to Ghana to work on a film in the hopes of reuniting with her estranged father.

Here's the full synopsis for First Day on Earth (via Variety):

"British novelist Henri (Coel) is stuck. Work has dried up, her relationship is going nowhere. So when she's offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa her parents' homeland, where her estranged father lives she can't resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage. But when she arrives, neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected,...

I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel is teaming up with HBO and the BBC on her next drama series.

Coel is writing and starring in First Day On Earth, a ten-part series that she describes as “another very personal story for me”.

It comes four years after I May Destroy You launched on the Wbd network and the British public broadcaster.

Coel will star as British novelist Henri, who is stuck. Work has dried up, her relationship is going nowhere. So, when she’s offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa – her parents’ homeland, where her estranged father lives – she can’t resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage. But when she arrives neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions,...

Plot: Embark on a comedic, high-stakes journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and their newest recruit: an eleven-year-old history nerd. Together, they set out on a thrilling quest to save the boy’s parents — and the world.

Review: The original 1981 Terry Gilliam film Time Bandits is a staple of movies for kids that go beyond being children’s films. Alongside The Goonies, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, and more, Time Bandits took mature filmmaking and actors. They put them into a story that worked for younger and older audiences. Forty years later, we get a new take on Time Bandits from the comedic genius of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. Embracing that same approach to telling a story for kids that also appeals to adults, this new Time Bandits boasts better special effects, a more diverse array of historical places for the protagonists to visit,...

“This is a true story.”

So begins “Baby Reindeer,” and those five words, which appear on a title card, have ignited a firestorm of controversy. Now, Netflix’s runaway hit about an aspiring comedian named Donny Dunn is facing uncomfortable scrutiny over its depiction of thinly veiled real-life people.

On June 6, Fiona Harvey filed a $170 million lawsuit against Netflix, claiming the series falsely presented her as a sexual predator and a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison. “As a result of [Netflix’s] lies, malfeasance and utterly reckless misconduct, Harvey’s life had been ruined,” the suit states. In response, Netflix said it stands by “Baby Reindeer” creator-writer-star Richard Gadd and his “right to tell his story.”

The series, which is poised to become Netflix’s most-streamed show of all time, is also facing questions about whether Gadd engaged in casting couch antics. Two months before Harvey’s suit,...

Thank goodness for no-shows. Had the controller of what was then BBC Choice turned up to the ‘rehearsed read’ for a potential studio sitcom in the very late 1990s and liked what they’d seen, we wouldn’t have Peep Show. As it reportedly went: BBC Two passed on it. BBC Choice didn’t see it. And everything ended happily ever after.

Peep Show creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain first met the show’s stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb on a BBC comedy writing project in 1998. That went nowhere, but sparked a partnership that led to the acclaimed nine-series sitcom on Channel 4. Before it led there, it almost led to “All Day Breakfast”, the rejected comedy out of which Peep Show grew.

As Robert Webb describes it in the introduction to 2008’s Peep Show: The Scripts and More, “All Day Breakfast” was about “two men in their mid-twenties,...

Some TV show creators and showrunners have managed to achieve success with multiple hit shows. Notable examples include Dick Wolf and Shonda Rhimes. Greg Daniels, known for "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation," has also created shows like "King of the Hill" and "Space Force."

Some TV writers and showrunners have been responsible for multiple successful TV shows over the years, which is not an easy feat. In the world of streaming and an unlimited number of shows available to watch worldwide, there are still some writers who manage to stand out with more than one great show under their belt. It must be noted that most TV shows include a writers' room, meaning the series creator and the showrunner are not the only creative minds behind each episode.

Some high-profile creators do undertake various roles, including writer, showrunner, or executive producer. A few famous series creators and showrunners have...

David Mitchell leads new BBC crime drama Ludwig, and the first details of the show have landed.

David Mitchell has become a familiar face in UK comedy, whether trying to discern who’s telling the truth in Would I Lie To You? or as the uptight Mark Corrigan alongside long time comedy partner Robert Webb in Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain’s Peep Show.

He also took on the role of William Shakespeare in Ben Elton’s sitcom Upstart Crow, and reprised the role for a stage adaptation that opened in 2020 and then again when the play was restaged in 2022

Just as Alan Davies took a left turn from stand-up comedy to drama in David Renwick’s superb Jonathan Creek, Mitchell is now moving into the realm of crime drama to play the title role in six part BBC series Ludwig.

The synopsis reads as follows:

When John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor’s (David Mitchell) identical twin,...

It’s been almost six months since the series finale of Succession, and Jesse Armstrong has been enjoying the rest.

“There was some sadness about the show ending,” says the British creator and showrunner of HBO’s multiple Emmy-winning drama, which followed the misadventures of the deliriously dysfunctional Roy family, owners of media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar Royco. “[But] doing the show was such a rush of pleasure and anxieties and hard work, of pondering the next season and worrying that you’re going to screw it up [that] is is very, very nice to have time to read again. And to travel.”

Since Succession finished, Armstrong has been on a bit of a victory lap, attending international television festivals and book tours (Faber and Faber published a series of authorized Succession script books) while pondering what to do next.

He’s had an incredible run so far.

Even before Succession, which has won 13 Emmys,...

Screen Rant celebrates its 20th anniversary by revisiting the best TV show from each year it has been active, showcasing the impressive quality and abundance of TV content. Highlights include Peep Show (2003), Breaking Bad (2008), The Walking Dead (2010), Game of Thrones (2011), Succession (2018), and The Last of Us (2023).

Screen Rant is leaving behind its teenage years and heading boldly toward its twenties, but each year the site has been active holds fond TV memories, with some releases in particular standing out. Whereas most 19-year-olds would celebrate their birthdays by consuming questionable amounts of alcohol and trying to forget about the sorry state of the housing market they're about to join, Screen Rant is marking its 20th anniversary by revisiting each year the site has been active, from 2003 to 2023, and highlighting the best TV show that premiered during each. The sheer amount of shows to choose from confirms the television medium has never been in ruder health.

Warning: contains spoilers for the Succession season four finale.

In the final scene of British comedy Peep Show (2003 – 2015), longtime flatmates Jez and Mark are watching TV and idly swapping murder methods they’d use on each other. “Aw,” Jez thinks in voiceover as he gazes fondly over at Mark, “we do love each other really.” In silence, Mark looks back at Jez as his own inner monologue concludes, “I simply must get rid of him.”

Roll credits.

It’s the perfect ending to a nigh-on perfect male friendship comedy – funny, unsentimental, and truthful. You can be married to somebody, related to somebody, or like Mark and Jez, be two mismatched socks paired up by tumble dryer static decades ago who never had the wherewithal to peel yourselves apart, and still never know what another person is really thinking.

Take Tom Wambsgans and Shiv Roy, the billionaire husband and wife who...

The creators behind the hit HBO series Succession are also responsible for several other great TV shows and movies. Succession has maintained its status as one of television's premier drama series since it began in 2018. It has risen to monumental heights with the phenomenal execution of its fourth and final season. There remains only one episode of Succession left titled "With Open Eyes" which will run 90 minutes long. The series finale of Succession airs on Sunday, May 28th on HBO and will stream on Max.

The primary creators of Succession consist of a core group that includes its showrunner, two executive producers, and its most frequent episodic director. Jesse Armstrong is the showrunner and creator of Succession who has writing credit on all 39 of its episodes. Mark Mylod is the director of 16 Succession episodes, including "Connor's Wedding" and the recent "Church and State" which are considered among the best episodes in the series.

Minnie Driver (Speechless) and Amandla Jahava (Rap Sh*t) have been cast as the leads in FX’s Peep Show, a half-hour comedy pilot written and produced by Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows exec producer Stefani Robinson, who also serves as showrunner. Yana Gorskaya (What We Do in the Shadows) has been tapped to direct.

This marks Driver’s return to FX, where she starred in The Riches, for which she received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Inspired by the UK series, Peep Show follows the relationship between a long-suffering assistant (Jahava) and her boss (Driver), an emotionally unstable tech entrepreneur.

Related: 2023 FX Pilots & Series Orders

Robinson executive produces along with Dianne McGunigle (Atlanta), Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, and Hannah Mackay and Ben Farrell for Objective Fiction (Feel Good, Peep Show [UK]), part of All3Media’s Objective Media Group. Gorskaya will...

Minnie Driver and Amandla Jahava are set to play the lead roles in FX’s “Peep Show” pilot, Variety has learned. In addition, Yana Gorskaya (“What We Do in the Shadows”) has come onboard to direct the pilot.

The pilot, a reboot of the British comedy series of the same name, was originally commissioned at FX in December 2022. It hails from writer, executive producer, and showrunner Stefani Robinson.

The official logline states, “Taking inspiration from the original UK series ‘Peep Show’ and its unique narrative format, the pilot follows the relationship between a long-suffering assistant (Jahava) and her boss (Driver), an emotionally unstable tech entrepreneur.”

The role marks a return to FX for Driver, who previously starred in the series “The Riches” at the cable network. She is best known for her feature work, including her Oscar-nominated role in “Good Will Hunting.” Her other feature credits include “Circle of Friends,...

‘Dead Pixels’ Remake Set At India’s Disney+ Hotstar

India’s Disney+ Hotstar has greenlit a remake of gamer comedy Dead Pixels, the British show produced by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Phil Clarke’s Various Artists Limited. BBC Studios India and Tamada Media are behind the remake, which will be in Telugu and follows the journey of three young friends whose lives revolve around an online video game, with the ultimate goal of defeating a virtual villain. The Indian version moves from the UK to Hyderabad, depicting the main characters’ obsession with the game and how it interferes in different aspects of their daily lives. Aditya Mandala is director, Akshay Poolla is writer and the version stars Niharika Konidela, Harsha Chemudu, Sai Ronak, Akshay Lagusani and Bhavana Sagi. The British Dead Pixels has aired for two seasons on E4 and was picked up in the U.S.

Charlotte Ritchie fans are very excited for Charlotte Ritchie. The star of Fresh Meat and Call The Midwife is much-loved on her home turf but her fans predict a new wave of stateside stans. “Charlotte Ritchie’s fame era incoming,” reads one tweet. Another laments: “It’s gonna be hard to gatekeep Charlotte Ritchie now.” Others skew more unhinged. A few are of the “I’d let Charlotte Ritchie step on me” variety. “That’s so worrying!” Ritchie, who is absent from social media and therefore cloistered from its deranged dialect, laughs. “Flattering – but worrying!”

Her fans are probably right. Soon an international audience will awaken to Ritchie’s charms thanks to her role in Netflix’s hit show You. The series – which, in a coup of casting, sees Gossip Girl hearthrob Penn Badgley play a serial stalker, sometimes murderer – is Ritchie’s most international foray yet. Now in its fourth season,...

British sitcoms have long been the source of reboot attempts in America.

The big one that springs to mind is The Office, which became a global hit and, following its addition to Netflix, one of its most-watched titles. A recent success has been Ghosts, which received acclaim upon its debut in 2021.

However, there have been many botched attempts – Spaced, The Inbetweeners and The It Crowd, to name a few.

There have also been several attempts to do a US version of Peep Show in the past, all of which have failed – but FX is going to give it another go, with series creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain on board as executive producers.

However, the former will not be scripting the pilot due to his commitments with HBO’s Succession. Emmy-nominated Stefani Robinson, who worked on Atlanta and What We Dp in the Shadows, will write the first episode.

As...

FX has ordered a pilot for an American reboot of the British comedy series “Peep Show.”

The half-hour project hails from writer Stefani Robinson. Per the official series logline, the new version “takes inspiration from the original U.K. series and its unique narrative format. It follows the relationship between a long-suffering assistant and her boss, an emotionally unstable tech entrepreneur.”

Robinson will executive produce the pilot in addition to writing. Dianne McGunigle will also executive produce along with Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, two of the co-creators of the original series. Hannah Mackay and Ben Farrell of Objective Fiction, which produced the original series, will also executive produce.

“Peep Show” aired from 2003-2015 on Channel 4 in the U.K. for nine seasons. The series was unique in that nearly every shot was from the main characters’ point of view, while the audience is also able to hear their...

FX has ordered the comedy pilot “Peep Show” from writer and executive producer Stefani Robinson.

Inspired by the UK sitcom of the same name, additional executive producers include Dianne McGunigle (“Atlanta”), Hannah Mackay and Ben Farrell for Objective Fiction (behind the original series). Jesse Armstrong (“Succession”) and Sam Bain, both of whom co-created the UK format, also serve as EPs.

Produced by FX Productions, the half-hour pilot follows the relationship between a long-suffering assistant and her boss, an emotionally unstable tech entrepreneur.

Also Read:

‘Kindred’ Review: FX’s Historical Sci-Fi Adaptation Doesn’t Dig Deep Enough

The original series, starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, ran for nine seasons from 2003 through 2015 on Channel 4, becoming the network’s longest on-air sitcom. Regarded as one of the top-rated British programs, the cult classic comedy was also twice nominated for a BAFTA TV Award, including for Best Scripted Comedy.

Shot in point-of-view style,...

Peep Show, the long-running British comedy starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, is getting another shot in the U.S.

FX has ordered a pilot for this latest remake attempt written by Atlanta and What We Do In The Shadows exec producer Stefani Robinson.

It marks the latest attempt for the Channel 4 cult classic.

The Disney-owned network had a script in development in 2019 from Portlandia and Superstore writer and co-exec producer Karey Dornetto. Starz attempted a remake in 2016, while Fox took a run at a pilot, starring The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki, in 2005 and Spike gave it a shot in 2008.

This version, however, doesn’t necessarily attempt to remake the show beat-by-beat and will feature two female leads unlike the original.

The network said the pilot will “take inspiration” from the original with its “unique narrative format” – essentially the show is shot largely from the points of...

Click here to read the full article.

FX is trying its hand at a Peep Show update again.

The Disney-backed basic-cable network has handed out a pilot order to an update of the cult favorite U.K. series from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. Atlanta grad Stefani Robinson will pen the script and exec produce the half-hour comedy that will be produced in-house via her overall deal with FX Productions.

Armstrong, who has an exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Discovery-backed HBO, is attached to exec produce but will not be involved with the series given his commitments to Disney’s corporate rival and the premium cable network’s Emmy-winning drama Succession.

The new Peep Show will take inspiration from the U.K. original and its unique narrative format. It will follow the relationship between a long-suffering assistant and her boss, an emotionally unstable tech entrepreneur.

Robinson, whose credits also...

Exclusive: We have learned that filmmaker Sally El Hosaini has signed with CAA.

El Hosaini recently directed the upcoming Netflix movie The Swimmers, from a screenplay that she co-wrote with Jack Thorne.

The movie is produced by Working Title’s Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, Ali Jaafar, and Tim Cole. Stephen Daldry serves as EP.

Swimmers follows the miraculous journey made by swimming sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini who fled as refugees from war-torn Syria all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Her directorial debut feature, My Brother the Devil, premiered at the 2012 Sundance Festival and has since played at 40 festivals around the globe. The film won Best European Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Best Newcomer Award at the BFI London Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Debut at the British Independent Film Awards.

El Hosaini also directed the final three episodes of Babylon, a British...

Various Artists Limited (Val), the Emmy and BAFTA winning production company behind “I May Destroy You,” “Sally4Ever” and “Dead Pixels” has appointed Channel 4 commissioning editor Jack Bayles as head of comedy.

London-based Val was founded in 2017 by “Peep Show” co-creator Sam Bain and “Succession” showrunner Jesse Armstrong, together with producers and ex-Channel 4 commissioners, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni.

Reporting into Clarke and based in London and Brighton, Bayles will join from August and will be responsible for overseeing Val’s comedy slate as well as developing new projects. He previously produced Channel 4’s hit comedy “Catastrophe” with Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, and in 2017 was appointed commissioning editor for the channel, where he was responsible for BAFTA winning “Stath Lets Flats,” “Derry Girls,” Aisling Bea’s “This Way Up,” “Michell & Webb’s Back,” “The Curse” and “Hullraisers.”

Bayles said: “Channel 4 comedy is a vital and precious voice in British comedy,...

I May Destroy You and Sally4Ever producer Various Artists Limited (Val) has hired Channel 4 Commissioning Editor Jack Bayles as its Head of Comedy.

Bayles will take up the role from August and will be based in London and Brighton. He’ll be responsible for overseeing Val’s comedy slate and developing new projects. Val said the exec, who has 20 years’ experience in comedy, will provide “creative leadership and artistic vision to the role.”

The company was founded in 2017 by Sam Bain, his writing partner and Succession creator Jesse Armstrong and a pair of former Channel 4 commissioners, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni. Bayles will report to Clarke.

Tanya Qureshi was Val’s previous Head of Comedy until March 2021 but left to join the BBC.

Prior to Val, Bayles produced Channel 4 and Amazon comedy Catastrophe with Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, and in 2017 was appointed Commissioning Editor for the broadcaster,...

Ed Helms & Mike Falbo’s Pacific Electric Picture Company has upped executive Brett Harris to Vice President. Brett will continue to work across the company’s film, scripted & unscripted television, and podcast slates.

At Pacific Electric, Harris most recently worked on True Story with Ed & Randall for Peacock. Prior to that, he served as a Producer on Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun for Netflix/Universal TV, which currently holds a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes. On the feature side, Harris co-produced Coffee & Kareem for Netflix in 2020 and associate produced Corporate Animals and Ode To Joy, both of which were released in 2019. He began his career as an assistant at Universal Pictures before joining Pacific Electric.

Founded by Ed Helms and Mike Falbo in 2012, Pacific Electric Picture Co. is a production company with a first look deal at Universal Television. On the feature side they produce Coffee & Kareem for...

Sales

Channel 4’s classic series “Fresh Meat,” a still-popular dramatic comedy about student life, will celebrate its ten-year anniversary this weekend with a cast and creators’ reunion in London, and global distributor All3Media has announced several recent sales deal for the program ahead of the event.

Agreements for the series have been closed in the U.S. and Canada on the Roku Channel (AVOD) as well as on Tubi (also U.S. and Canada AVOD) and on Crackle for AVOD in the U.S. The show is also available on Amazon Prime Video in the US.

Created by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain for Channel 4 from Objective Media Group, U.K., the series’ six key cast members – Jack Whitehall, Charlotte Ritchie, Zawe Ashton, Joe Thomas, Kimberly Nixon and Greg McHugh – will all return for the reunion. The group will be joined by the creators for an in-person discussion and...

Jesse Armstrong had a great year. The “Succession” showrunner saw the third season of his HBO show air to continued acclaim, and it was renewed for a fourth season. And after the success of “I May Destroy You,” Armstrong’s Various Artists Ltd. — which produced the Michaela Coel miniseries — doubled its profits, according to a year-end report filed by the company.

The report, filed by Various Artists earlier this month with the U.K. government, shows the company more than doubled its post-tax profit for the fiscal year ending in March. It reported a profit of £2.6 million, compared to £1.2 million the prior year. The document singles out the success of “I May Destroy You” as a key performance indicator for the company founded in 2017.

“In particular, ‘I May Destroy You’ was one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed television shows in living memory, winning awards including 5 BAFTAs, 3 Rts awards and 2 Emmys.

Jesse Armstrong’s Various Artists Ltd has posted post-tax profits of £2.6 million ($3.5 million) following the success of “I May Destroy You.”

The profits for the year ending March 2021 are more than double those of the previous year, which amounted to £1.2 million ($1.6 million) according to Various Artist Ltd’s latest financial report, which was filed at the U.K.’s Companies House on Dec. 17.

Armstrong, who is also the showrunner for hit HBO series “Succession,” co-founded Various Artists Ltd in 2017 with his “Peep Show” collaborator Sam Bain and former Channel 4 commissioners Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni. (Various Artists Ltd does not produce “Succession.”)

BBC Studios own a minority stake in the company.

Various Artists Ltd’s year-end financial report credits “I May Destroy You,” which was written by and starred Michaela Coel, as one of the main drivers of the company’s “considerable success to date, relative to the short life of the company.

A day after the European premiere of season three of his HBO series Succession at the London Film Festival, the show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, took to the stage with comedian Nish Kumar to discuss the art of screenwriting.

In between dispensing pearls of wisdom for aspiring comedy writers, Armstrong recalled a varied and eclectic career that, surprisingly, began on children’s TV with shows such as ITV’s My Parents Are Aliens and BBC’s The Queen’s Nose.

Armstrong discussed his work with veteran writing partner Sam Bain, recalling how an unsuccessful pitch for a stoner comedy called Spencer, about a “mildly sarcastic” video store clerk, was a rare misfire for the duo, who went on to create popular Channel 4 shows such as Peep Show and Fresh Meat. They would go on to collaborate with Armando Iannucci on BBC’s...

I May Destroy You was one of the most critically-acclaimed and most-talked about television shows of 2020, despite what the Golden Globes say.

However, Michaela Coel has always said that the 12-episode series, which is a co-production between HBO and the BBC, was intended as a one-off. “When you see the final episode, you’ll know,” she said last year.

That said, HBO would like to remain in business with the Chewing Gum creator, who also runs her own Falkna Productions, for whatever she is planning next.

“She is noodling ideas and I hope anything she comes up with, we would be able to participate in,” Casey Bloys, chief content officer of HBO and HBO Max told Deadline.

Coel herself told the Obsessed With… podcast that she did have an idea for another series. “It is in the back of my mind,” she said. “And I keep telling this idea to...

Peep Show, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong’s long-running Channel 4 comedy about flatmates Mark and Jez, exposed a great comic truth. By letting us eavesdrop on its characters’ inner monologues, it showed us that we’re all idiots on the inside. Petty, vain, furious, paranoid, self-congratulatory yet self-hating at the same time… Just like Mark and Jez, we may pretend to know what we’re doing, but really, we’re all just few inevitable steps away from eating dog meat on a barge.

Series one of E4 gamer flatshare comedy Dead Pixels – created by Jon Brown and executive produced by Bain and Armstrong – was built on a similar truth minus the façade of normality. Its leads were just as entertainingly idiotic as Mark and Jez, but their shared gaming obsession with Mmorpg Kingdom Scrolls stripped them of any fitting-in pretence. Meg and Nicky (Alexa Davies and Will Merrick) were...

In theory, The Stand In might sound promising. It stars Drew Barrymore, was written by Four Lions and Peep Show scribe Sam Bain and directed by Jamie Babbit (cult queer classic But I’m a Cheerleader, plus some excellent TV episodes for Silicon Valley and Russian Doll). There are a ton of names in cameo roles (Ellie Kemper, Andrew Rannells and Lena Dunham to name but a few), all enlisted in what could have been a smart rethink of those sclerotic comedy tropes: the lookalike-role-swap and the ambitious-understudy-who eclipses-the-star.

Alas, it is a weirdly inert, obstinately unfunny work, starting from the opening montage ...

In theory, The Stand In might sound promising. It stars Drew Barrymore, was written by Four Lions and Peep Show scribe Sam Bain and directed by Jamie Babbit (cult queer classic But I’m a Cheerleader, plus some excellent TV episodes for Silicon Valley and Russian Doll). There are a ton of names in cameo roles (Ellie Kemper, Andrew Rannells and Lena Dunham to name but a few), all enlisted in what could have been a smart rethink of those sclerotic comedy tropes: the lookalike-role-swap and the ambitious-understudy-who eclipses-the-star.

Alas, it is a weirdly inert, obstinately unfunny work, starting from the opening montage ...

What’s a bigger offense than a movie wasting away a committed Drew Barrymore performance? That would be a movie wasting away two committed Drew Barrymore performances. Alas, here comes “The Stand In,” doing exactly that as a well-intentioned but broad and ill-realized showbiz satire, in which the talented performer plays a pair of characters with polar-opposite existences that intertwine in a painfully unfunny fashion.

Conceived by a promising team — director Jamie Babbit, who made a wholehearted contribution to the LGBTQ canon with her 1999 debut “But I’m A Cheerleader” and “Four Lions” scribe Sam Bain —

On paper, it’s a decent, even hilarious-sounding premise: a “Trading Places”-meets-“All About Eve” comedy of sorts that switches around the lives of a megastar and her stand-in, to dissect fan entitlement, class divergence, the supposed shallowness of the film industry and all the female-specific struggles they culminate in. Sadly, “The Stand In...

When it comes to good decisions, the brass behind “The Stand In” made quite a few, from casting a bonafide mega-star like Drew Barrymore to play a fictional one, Candy Black, to snapping up a talented director like Jamie Babbit to helm it. The screenplay, a tongue-in-cheek Hollywood send-up from “Four Lions” breakout Sam Bain, likely sounded like a safe bet, too. And who wouldn’t want to see a film that includes talents like Holland Taylor, Ellie Kemper, and Michelle Buteau in amusing supporting roles?

The ingredients, oh boy, are they there. The results? Perhaps it would be hyperbolic to call a film like “The Stand In” one of the biggest disappointments of 2020 — that’s a low bar — but given the windfall of prime material and talent that went into the creation of such a messy, mirthless, and just plain mean final product, there’s no other way to put it.

We have a new trailer for The Stand In. This is the latest from Saban Films, with filmmaker Jamie Babbit at the helm. Drew Barrymore hires her on set stand-in to take her place. The unassuming woman flips the script and steals her identity, career, and boyfriend in the process. Drew Barrymore has recently been hosting her own TV show, The Drew Barrymore Show. Her most recent starring role was as one of the lead's in Netflix's The Santa Clarita Diet. Barrymore hasn't headlined a movie since 2015's Miss You Already.

Saban has been making inroads as a major distributor in recent years. Some of the studio's 2020 releases include Guns Akimbo, Vivarium, We Summon the Darkness and Most Wanted. The Stand In arrives in select theaters, on demand and digital December 11. Be sure to check out the new trailer for yourself from the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Natasha Phillips joins from ‘I May Destroy You’ production company Various Artists Limited.

The Ink Factory, the London and Los Angeles-based production company behind Fighting With My Family and The Night Manager, has hired Natasha Phillips as development producer.

Based in the London office, Phillips will report into director of development Maggie Boden, whose appointment was announced in April, and creative director Katherine Butler.

Phillips was previously head of drama development at Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong’s production company Various Artists Limited, with recent credits including a script editing role on Michaela Coel’s HBO/BBC drama I May Destroy You.

John Early is in talks to star opposite Michael Cera in the A24 movie Jonty!, which Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric fame is directing, Collider has exclusively learned. Written by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, the Peep Show co-creators who also wrote Four Lions together, the story follows a naive and vacuous man named Jonty (Cera) who discovers that his high-powered job and adoring friends are actually a ruse paid for by his billionaire father, prompting Jonty to head to New York to make his own fortune. That's when Jonty runs into his old high school …...

Exclusive: Welsh actress Alexa Davies, who stars in the upcoming UK series Dead Pixels on the CW, and White House Farm on HBO Max, has signed with Atlas Artists for management.

Davies portrays Meg in Dead Pixels, which was acquired by the CW from BBC Studios earlier this year. Based on his 2016 Channel 4 short, Avatards, Dead Pixels was written by BAFTA-winning writer, Jon Brown and produced by Peep Show’s Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong. It centers on friends Meg (Davies), Nicky and Usman, whose world revolves around their obsession with a fantasy computer game.

Davies also stars in upcoming HBO Max true-crime drama White House Farm, based on the real-life events that took place in August 1985, when five members of the Bamber-Caffell family were shot to death at White House Farm, Essex. Davies plays Julie Mugford in the series alongside Freddie Fox, Gemma Whelan, Alfie Allen,...

Jamie Babbit directed from screenplay by Sam Bain (Four Lions).

Saban Films has acquired North American rights to Drew Barrymore dual role comedy and official Tribeca Film Festival selection The Stand-In.

The Exchange handles international sales on the story about a disaffected comedy actress who uses her adoring stand-in to play her in life as she tries to escape from the demands of fame.

Eventually, the stand-in takes over the actress’s identity, career and boyfriend, and kicks her out of her own house.

Jamie Babbit directed The Stand-In from a screenplay by Sam Bain (Four Lions), and the cast includes Michael Zegen,...

Saban Films announced Wednesday it has acquired the North American rights to “The Stand-In,” a comedy from Jamie Babbit that stars Drew Barrymore and Drew Barrymore in a dual lead role.

Babbit’s film was a selection of Tribeca and co-stars Michael Zegen, Ellie Kemper, T.J. Miller and Holland Taylor. Sam Bain wrote the script.

“The Stand-In” is the story of a disaffected comedy actress busted for tax evasion and her adoring, ambitious stand-in who she hires to do community service in her place. A co-dependent relationship ensues as the actress begins to use the stand-in in all parts of her life to escape from the stressful demands of fame. Eventually, the stand-in starts to take the actress’s identity, career and boyfriend and finally kicks her out of her own house.

Also Read: 'Steve Harvey' Vet Jason Kurtz Tapped to Run 'Drew Barrymore Show' This Fall

“Drew...

Saban Films has secured the North American distribution rights to The Stand-In, the Jamie Babbit-directed comedy starring Drew Barrymore in duel roles alongside Michael Zegen, Ellie Kemper, T.J. Miller, and Emmy award winner Holland Taylor. The pic was an official selection of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival

Written by Sam Bain, the plot centers on a disaffected comedy actress who is busted for tax evasion and her adoring, ambitious stand-in who she hires to do community service in her place. A co-dependent relationship ensues as the actress begins to use the stand-in in all parts of her life to escape from the stressful demands of fame. Eventually, the stand-in starts to take the actress’s identity, career and boyfriend and finally kicks her out of her own house.

Caddy Vanasirikul and Brian O’Shea of The Exchange produced the comedy with Flower Films’ Ember Truesdell and Chris Miller and Tom McNulty.

The CW has acquired former DC Universe series Swamp Thing, based on the DC character, along with Canadian drama Coroner and half-hour British comedy Dead Pixels, from BBC Studios, in their U.S. debuts. All will premiere on broadcast and the network’s free ad-supported streaming platforms. They join previously announced Tell Me A Story, from CBS All Access. Premiere dates and times will be announced later.

The CW is known for using acquired scripted series as summer programming. This year is different as there is a lot of uncertainty over when TV series will be able to go into production amid the coronavirus pandemic, so it is possible that the CW would use some of the acquisitions for late summer or fall to give its originals more time to produce new episodes. The CW is expected to unveil its fall schedule on Thursday.

Swamp Thing premiered May 31, 2019 on DC...