Sony Pictures Entertainment & Guardian Form Partnership

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Guardian Media Group have formed a strategic creative partnership that sees SPE gain exclusive first rights to the full range of Guardian’s global journalism, with the aim of developing audiovisual adaptations.

The collaboration spans the whole of SPE’s television production groups, from its U.S. scripted and nonfiction television divisions to international production, which includes scripted companies Left Bank Pictures, Bad Wolf and Eleven, and unscripted, sports and factual entertainment producers such as The Whisper Group. The agreement also includes SPE’s feature film division, which includes labels such as 3000 Pictures, Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures and Screen Gems.

SPE now has access to Guardian’s current and developing news stories and to the Guardian archive, containing 200 years of history across articles, blogs, columns, videos and podcasts.

“We are delighted to announce this new, strategic collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which will serve to evolve and grow the Guardian’s activity in TV and film,” said Keith Underwood, chief financial and operating officer of Guardian Media Group. “Guardian journalism has a well-established track record in this space, with Oscar- and BAFTA-winning output over recent years. Sony Pictures Entertainment brings industry-leading development, production and distribution expertise on a global scale, and this agreement reflects our mutual commitment and shared passion to bring more Guardian journalism to screen.”

“To be able to draw on The Guardian’s extraordinary journalism, past, present and future to create a new generation of dramas, documentaries and movies is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us at Sony Pictures,” commented Wayne Garvie, president of international production at Sony Pictures Television. “We are continually seeking stories that have a distinctive and creative spirit and connect with audiences the world over, and the Guardian team certainly brings those qualities through their top-notch journalism.”

Elizabeth Gabler, president of 3000 Pictures, added, “The scope for this collaboration across feature film as well as television really speaks to the huge breadth of potential and reach of this deal. The Guardian has an esteemed history of great journalism, and with Colette and Black Sheep, they have garnered huge acclaim for their documentary feature output. We are proud they want to work with Sony Pictures as they continue to move into this space, and we can’t wait to start developing projects with them.”