Night Manager Producer Ink Factory Hires First Creative Director

The independent studio The Ink Factory has tapped RAW and Film4 alum Katherine Butler for the newly created role of creative director.

Butler joined RAW in March 2014 to head up film and TV drama and wound up serving as RAW’s scripted creative director. She previously spent nine years at Film4, joining as head of development in 2004 and was promoted to senior commissioning executive in 2009 and then became deputy head of film in 2013.

Now, Butler will oversee The Ink Factory’s film and TV slate globally, setting priorities for the John le Carré partnership, seeking out creative opportunities with existing and emerging storytellers and building out a portfolio of projects. Butler will report to The Ink Factory co-founders and co-CEOs Stephen and Simon Cornwell.

Butler said: “I have loved my time at RAW, but when Simon and Stephen asked me to join The Ink Factory, I just couldn’t say no. Their access to extraordinary material combined with their ambition for bold, visionary authorship across their output, making TV and film with something to say about the world we live in now, felt irresistible to me. I can’t wait to join Tom Nash, Michele Wolkoff and the brilliant creative team already in place at Ink, and to get started!”

Simon and Stephen Cornwell added: “We are thrilled that Katherine has chosen to join our team to lead our creative endeavors. Katherine brings both insight and experience, combined with great industry relationships. Katherine has an impressive track record of collaborating with strong established talent while at the same time developing emerging voices. It’s incredibly exciting to embark on the next stage of The Ink Factory’s growth with Katherine, and we could not have a better person to lead both the shaping of our slate going forwards and our gifted creative team.”

The Ink Factory’s television series The Night Manager and The Little Drummer Girl have been seen in 180 countries by more than 40 million viewers, while it has enjoyed both steaming and box-office success with films such as Fighting with My Family, A Most Wanted Man and Message from the King.