Working Title Films

Working Title is a British film and television production company owned by Universal Pictures. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. It produces feature films and several television productions. Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan are now the co chairmen of the company.

Working Title Films Limited

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Film production
Founded	1983
Founder	Tim Bevan Sarah Radclyffe
Headquarters	London , England
Number of locations	London, Los Angeles
Key people	Tim Bevan Sarah Radclyffe Eric Fellner Liza Chasin Debra Hayward Natascha Wharton
Parent	Universal Pictures (NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment)
Divisions	WT^2 Productions Working Title Television
Website	Official website

Company

Working Title Films was co founded by producers Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. In 1992, PolyGram became the company's corporate backer. Radclyffe left Working Title, and Eric Fellner, a fellow independent film producer, joined the company.[1]

The company produced a variety of films for PolyGram's London based production company, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. An Anglo-Dutch film studio, PolyGram Films became a major Hollywood competitor. In 1998, Seagram sold the bulk of its library of PolyGram films released up until March 31, 1996 to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

In 1999, PolyGram was sold to the Seagram company and merged with MCA Music Entertainment, to form Universal Music Group. PolyGram Films was sold and folded into Universal Pictures in 1999. Although contractually allowed to produce any film with a budget of up to $35 million, on a practical basis, Bevan and Fellner consult with studio executives at Working Title's parent company NBCUniversal.[2]

Working Title is headquartered in London, and has an office in Los Angeles, which is headed by producer Liza Chasin.

WT² Productions

In 1999, Bevan and Fellner launched a subsidiary company named Working Title 2 Productions, commonly known as WT². The company is an independent film production arm run by Natascha Wharton, and has produced films that include Billy Elliot, Shaun of the Dead and The Calcium Kid.[1]

Television division

Working Title has been active in television production since the beginning of the 1990s.[3] In February 2010, Working Title officially launched its television division as a joint venture with parent company NBCUniversal, itself owned by Comcast.[4] Since then, they have produced content for both British and American television.[5][6] Notable productions and co productions developed by Working Title Television (WTTV)[7] include NBC's About a Boy, and Showtime's The Tudors.[3]

WTTV has offices in London, headed by Andrew Woodhead, and Los Angeles, headed by Andrew Stearn.[8][9]

TV productions

Title	Years	Co-production	Network	Notes
The Baldy Man	1995–98	Central Independent Television	ITV
Randall & Hopkirk	2000–01		BBC One
The Tudors	2007–2010	Reveville Erie Octagon Entertainment Peace Arch Entertainment Showtime Networks	BBC Two CBC Television Showtime TV3
Love Bites	2011	Loud Blouse Productions Universal Television	NBC
Yonderland	2013–16		Sky 1
About a Boy	2014–15	True Jack Productions Tribeca Productions Universal Television	NBC
You, Me and the Apocalypse	2015	BigBalls Films British Sky Broadcasting and NBCUniversal International Studios	Sky 1 NBC
Gypsy	2017	Universal Television	Netflix
Hanna	2019–present	Tomorrow Studios NBCUniversal International Studios	Amazon Video
Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City	2019	Sweatpants Productions Tomorrow Studios Universal Television NBCUniversal International Studios	Netflix

1991 ITV franchise bid

In 1991, Working Title was involved in a bid for the London Weekend ITV licence. Working Title, Mentorn, Palace and PolyGram wanted to take over from London Weekend Television and broadcast to London under the name London Independent Broadcasting. In the event LWT retained its licence; London Independent Broadcasting's proposals were deemed by the Independent Television Commission, which was overseeing the bid process, to fail the quality threshold.[10]

Films

1980s

Release Date	Title	Notes
15 November 1985	My Beautiful Laundrette	with Channel Four Films
24 July 1987	Wish You Were Here	with Channel Four Films
30 October 1987	Sammy and Rosie Get Laid	with Channel Four Films
10 September 1988	Paperhouse
13 April 1989	The Tall Guy	with London Weekend Television
19 May 1989	For Queen and Country

1990s

Release Date	Title	Notes
27 July 1990	Chicago Joe and the Showgirl	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and New Line Cinema
24 May 1991	Drop Dead Fred	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and New Line Cinema
21 August 1991	Barton Fink	with 20th Century Fox
15 May 1992	Rubin and Ed
7 August 1992	London Kills Me	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Fine Line Features
4 September 1992	Bob Roberts	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Miramax Films and LIVE Entertainment
23 April 1993	Map of the Human Heart	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Miramax Films
14 May 1993	Posse	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
8 October 1993	The Young Americans	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Live Entertainment
4 February 1994	Romeo Is Bleeding	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
9 March 1994	Four Weddings and a Funeral	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Channel Four Films and Gramercy Pictures
11 March 1994	The Hudsucker Proxy	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures
3 May 1995	Panther	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
5 May 1995	French Kiss	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and 20th Century Fox
29 September 1995	Moonlight and Valentino	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
29 December 1995	Dead Man Walking	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
8 March 1996	Fargo	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
22 March 1996	Land and Freedom	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
20 September 1996	Loch Ness	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
7 March 1997	The Eighth Day	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
2 August 1997	Bean	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Tiger Aspect Films and Gramercy Pictures
3 October 1997	The MatchMaker	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
5 December 1997	The Borrowers	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
6 March 1998	The Big Lebowski	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
22 November 1998	Elizabeth	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, StudioCanal, Channel Four Films and Gramercy Pictures
29 January 1999	The Hi-Lo Country	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures
28 May 1999	Notting Hill	with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, StudioCanal and Universal Pictures
1 October 1999	Plunkett & Macleane	with StudioCanal, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures

2000s

Release Date	Title	Notes
31 March 2000	High Fidelity	with Touchstone Pictures
13 October 2000	Billy Elliot	with BBC Films, Tiger Aspect Productions, StudioCanal and Universal Focus
2 December 2000	O Brother, Where Art Thou?	with Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
13 April 2001	Bridget Jones's Diary	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Miramax Films
17 August 2001	Captain Corelli's Mandolin	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Miramax Films
2 November 2001	The Man Who Wasn't There	with USA Films, Gramercy Pictures and Good Machine
1 March 2002	40 Days and 40 Nights	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Miramax Films
22 March 2002	Ali G Indahouse	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
17 May 2002	About a Boy	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and TriBeCa Productions
18 July 2003	Johnny English	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
28 October 2003	Long Time Dead	with Universal Pictures and Focus Features
14 November 2003	Love Actually	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and DNA Films
26 March 2004	Ned Kelly	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
30 July 2004	Thunderbirds	with StudioCanal and Universal Pictures
17 September 2004	Wimbledon	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
24 September 2004	Shaun of the Dead	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Rogue Pictures
19 November 2004	Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Miramax Films
4 February 2005	Rory O'Shea Was Here	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
22 April 2005	The Interpreter	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
23 November 2005	Pride & Prejudice	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
27 January 2006	Nanny McPhee	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
28 April 2006	United 93	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
27 October 2006	Catch a Fire	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
26 January 2007	Smokin' Aces	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
14 February 2007	Hot Fuzz	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Rogue Pictures
24 March 2007	Mr. Bean's Holiday	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Tiger Aspect Productions
12 October 2007	Elizabeth: The Golden Age	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
4 January 2008	Atonement	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
14 February 2008	Definitely, Maybe	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
12 September 2008	Burn After Reading	with Focus Features, Relativity Media and StudioCanal
5 December 2008	Frost/Nixon	with Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and StudioCanal
17 April 2009	State of Play	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
2 October 2009	A Serious Man	with Focus Features, Relativity Media and StudioCanal
13 November 2009	The Boat That Rocked	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal

2010s

Release Date	Title	Notes
12 March 2010	Green Zone	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
2 April 2010	Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang	StudioCanal
18 March 2011	Paul	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
12 August 2011	Senna	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
21 October 2011	Johnny English Reborn	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
9 December 2011	Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
13 January 2012	Contraband	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
3 February 2012	Big Miracle	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
16 November 2012	Anna Karenina	with Focus Features and StudioCanal
25 December 2012	Les Misérables	with Universal Pictures, Relativity Media and Cameron Mackintosh, Ltd.
8 February 2013	I Give It a Year	with StudioCanal
19 July 2013	The World's End	with Universal Pictures, Focus Features, and Relativity Media
28 August 2013	Closed Circuit	with Focus Features
4 September 2013	About Time	with Universal Pictures and StudioCanal
27 September 2013	Rush	with Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Exclusive Media, Cross Creek Pictures and Revolution Films
9 October 2014	Trash	with StudioCanal, O2 Filmes and PeaPie Films
1 January 2015	The Theory of Everything	with Focus Features
28 August 2015	We Are Your Friends	with Warner Bros., StudioCanal and RatPac Entertainment
9 September 2015	Legend	with Universal Pictures, StudioCanal, Cross Creek Pictures and Anton Capital Entertainment
18 September 2015	Everest	with Universal Pictures, Walden Media and Cross Creek Pictures
14 October 2015	The Program	with StudioCanal
27 November 2015	The Danish Girl	with Pretty Pictures, Revision Pictures, Senator Global Productions, Universal Pictures International and Focus Features
5 February 2016	Hail, Caesar!	with Universal Pictures and Mike Zoss Productions
11 March 2016	The Brothers Grimsby	with Columbia Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures Big Talk Productions and Four by Two Productions
16 September 2016	Bridget Jones's Baby[11]	with StudioCanal, Miramax and Universal Pictures
30 June 2017	Baby Driver	with Big Talk Productions, TriStar Pictures and Media Rights Capital
15 September 2017	Victoria and Abdul	with BBC Films, Focus Features and Universal Pictures
13 October 2017	The Snowman	with Universal Pictures, Perfect World Pictures and Another Park Film
12 January 2018	Darkest Hour	with Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Perfect World Pictures
16 March 2018	7 Days in Entebbe	with Participant Media and Focus Features
26 October 2018	Johnny English Strikes Again	with StudioCanal Perfect World Pictures and Universal Pictures
7 December 2018	Mary Queen of Scots	with Perfect World Pictures, Focus Features and Universal Pictures
25 January 2019	The Kid Who Would Be King	with Big Talk Productions TSG Entertainment and 20th Century Fox
28 June 2019	Yesterday	with Universal Pictures and Decibel Films
20 December 2019	Cats	with Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Monumental Pictures and Really Useful Group

2020s

Release Date	Title	Notes
14 February 2020	Emma.	with Focus Features, Blueprint Pictures and Perfect World Pictures
29 May 2020	The High Note	with Focus Features and Perfect World Pictures

Upcoming

• July 24, 2020 — Radioactive[12]
• October 21, 2020 — Rebecca
• April 23, 2021 — Last Night in Soho[13]
• TBA — Untitled Baby Driver Sequel[14][15][16]
• TBA — Untitled Yusra Mardini Project[17]
• TBA — Catherine, Called Birdy[18]
• TBA — Matilda[19]

References

1. Higgins, Charlotte (16 April 2005). "Interview: Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, co-chairmen Working Title Films". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
2. "Working Title – Skillset". The Guardian.
3. "Working Title Television [gb]". IMDb. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
4. Laughlin, Andrew (17 February 2010). "Working Title launches TV division". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
5. Andreeva, Nellie (16 November 2011). "Working Title Television Sells 6 Projects". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
6. Leo Barraclough. "Working Title Television Produces 'The Secrets' for BBC". Variety.
7. "About WTTV". workingtitlefilms.com. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
8. Prudom, Laura (17 October 2014). "BBC America Co-Producing 'London Spy' Miniseries with Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent". Variety. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
9. "Liza Chasin". Variety. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
10. Davidson, Andrew, Under the Hammer: The ITV Franchise Battle, William Heinemann Ltd., p. 297.
11. Stuart Kemp, Matthew Belloni (3 February 2012). "'Bridget Jones 3' Producer Admits Delay, Vows to Shoot Film in 2012". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
12. Marjane Satrapi To Helm ‘Radioactive’ Marie Curie Story For Working Title & Studiocanal
13. Kroll, Justin (4 February 2019). "Anya Taylor-Joy to Star in Edgar Wright's Thriller 'Last Night in Soho' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
14. Collis, Clark (December 4, 2017). "How director Edgar Wright steered Baby Driver to global success". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
15. Hall, Jacob (5 December 2017). "'Baby Driver' Sequel "Being Hammered Out," Edgar Wright Plans to Write the Screenplay". /Film. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
16. Travis, Ben; Nugent, John (21 January 2019). "Edgar Wright's Next Film Is A Psychological Horror, Plus Baby Driver 2 Update – Exclusive". Empire. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
17. Ritman, Alex. "Working Title, Stephen Daldry Reteam for Story of Syrian Refugee-Turned-Olympian". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
18. Goldberg, Lesley (21 August 2019). "Lena Dunham Launches New Production Company". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
19. Wood, Alex (17 January 2020). "New Matilda film confirmed – expected to start shooting later this year". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 3 August 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Working Title Films on IMDb
• WT² Productions on IMDb
• Profile of the founders on BBC News
• Shaun of the Dead production company Working Title to launch TV division