Fremantle has taken a majority stake in Element Pictures, the Irish indie behind BBC3’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Conversations with Friends.
Scripted outfit Element, which also produced the channel’s previous Rooney adaptation Normal People, is run by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, who founded the company 21 years ago.
Its drama portfolio includes new Britbox drama The Dry, BBC1’s The Dublin Murders – a co-production with Euston Films – and Shane Meadows’ upcoming BBC1 series The Gallows Pole, which it is producing with A24.
Element has a talent deal with Hollywood star Angelia Jolie and is behind movies such as Oscar-winners Room and The Favourite.
The deal follows Fremantle’s recent increased stake in The Responder producer Dancing Ledge and 12 European production labels from NENT Group.
Fremantle Group chief operating officer and Continental Europe chief executive Andrea Scrosati described Guiney and Lowe as among “the best creative minds in the business,” adding:
“They have built an astonishing company, which has become one of Europe’s most exciting and innovative creative production companies.
“We look forward to working closely with their immensely talented creatives, helping to build on their slate of high-quality, sophisticated, and powerful productions.”
BBC3 debuts Conversations with Friends on Sunday 15 May.
