Working Title Films Limited, formerly Visionensure Limited and Working Title Limited, is a British

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

production company A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...

that is a subsidiary of

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and Trade name, doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Show business, entertainment conglomerate (comp ...

, which is itself a division of

Comcast Comcast Corporation, formerly known as Comcast Holdings,Before the AT&T Broadband, AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, not th ...

. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. Bevan and Eric Fellner are now the co-chairmen of the company.

Company history

Bevan and Radclyffe were partners in pop music promotional company, Aldabra, and set up Working Title Films in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 1983 where they were commissioned by newly created UK broadcaster,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

, to make a television film, '' My Beautiful Laundrette'' (1985), directed by

Stephen Frears Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...

. ''My Beautiful Launderette'' was a success at the Edinburgh Film Festival and received a theatrical release, where it was successful internationally. Accountant Graham Bradstreet joined as a third partner in 1986. '' A World Apart'' was entered in competition at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Grand Prize of the Jury. '' The Tall Guy'' (1988) saw the feature film debut of screenwriter

Richard Curtis Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a British screenwriter, producer and director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known for romantic comedy-drama films, including ''Four Weddings and a Funeral' ...

and director Mel Smith. In 1988, Michael Kuhn of PolyGram started to work with the company and in 1989 PolyGram acquired 49% of the company and they jointly launched Manifesto Film Sales. Manifesto's first third-party pick up for distribution was the Coen brothers' '' Barton Fink'' (1991). Bradstreet left the company in 1990 and Radclyffe a year later, with Eric Fellner, a fellow

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

producer, joining the company in 1991. The same year, Kuhn set up PolyGram Filmed Entertainment which acquired 100% of Working Title in 1992. Paul Webster set up an office in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 1991 and producer Liza Chasin was appointed as president of production. Webster produced the company's first American films, '' Rubin & Ed'' and '' Drop Dead Fred''. Working Title also made

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and Jacob Singer in '' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990), as well as winning an Academy ...

' directorial debut, '' Bob Roberts'' (1992). The company was incorporated and registered as a private limited company in the UK on 14 October 1992, as Visionensure Limited. On 18 December 1992 its name was changed to Working Title Limited, before rebranding as Working Title Films Limited on 20 February 1995. Gramercy Pictures began distributing the company's films in the United States, starting with '' Posse'' (1993). In 1994, the company's '' Four Weddings and a Funeral'', written by Curtis, became the highest-grossing British film of all time with a gross of $245 million. They also made the Coen brothers' '' The Hudsucker Proxy'' (1994). In 1996, Robbins' '' Dead Man Walking'' was the company's first film to win an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

, with Susan Sarandon winning the

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...

. The Coen brothers' '' Fargo'' (1996) won two Academy Awards the following year. The company had another major success with ''

Bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

'' (1997) directed by Smith and co-written by Curtis, grossing $251 million. In 1998, PolyGram was sold to the

Seagram The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...

company and merged with MCA Music Entertainment, to form

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. PolyGram Films was folded into

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

. In 1999,

sold the bulk of its library of PolyGram films released up until 31 March 1996 to

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

(MGM). 1999 also saw the company's highest-grossing film to date with ''

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a wikt:cosmopolitan, cosmopolitan and multiculturalism, multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting ...

'', again written by Curtis, with a gross of $364 million. Around 2003, New Zealand-born producer Tim White was appointed head of the Australian branch of Working Title Films, and during this time executive produced Gregor Jordan's '' Ned Kelly''. 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

. Working Title company renewed its first look deal with Universal Pictures in 2020.

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''.

Television division

Working Title has been active in television production since the beginning of the 1990s. In February 2010, Working Title officially launched its television division as a joint venture with parent company NBCUniversal, itself owned by

. Since then, they have produced content for both British and American television. Notable productions and co productions developed by Working Title Television (WTTV) include NBC's '' About a Boy'', and Showtime's ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

''. WTTV has offices in London and Los Angeles.

TV productions

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 London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

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.Davidson, Andrew, Under the Hammer: The ITV Franchise Battle, William Heinemann Ltd., p. 297.

Films

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Upcoming

References

External links

* {{Authority control Film production companies of the United Kingdom Film production companies of the United States Television production companies of the United Kingdom Television production companies of the United States Mass media companies established in 1983 British companies established in 1983 Universal Pictures subsidiaries British subsidiaries of foreign companies Mass media companies based in London BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award 1999 mergers and acquisitions