Bafta-winning documentary producer Diane Petterle has joined forces with actor Idris Elba to found production company 22Summers.
Officially launching today with the release of Erased: WWII Heroes of Color, a Disney+/National Geographic history series narrated by Elba, the company combines the pair’s previous labels: Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Petterle’s Drumroll Films.
Joining them at the new outfit as head of unscripted development is Jess Watts, a former senior executive at Dorothy Street Pictures, where she developed Coleen Rooney, The Real Wagatha Story for Disney+ and Escaping Twin Flames Universe for Amazon.
Green Door staffer Jamilla Dumbya, who was an executive producer on Erased, has moved across to the 22Summers as a development executive.
While initially specialising in high-end international documentaries spanning subjects such as music, sport, fashion, true crime and social justice, the duo also have scripted ambitions for the company.
Hijack and Luther star Elba is expected to be on camera in only a minority of its output.
Brazilian-born Petterle has previously worked for the BBC and Pulse Films. Her credits include Netflix feature documentary Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now and ITV’s blood scandal documentary In Cold Blood.
