Banijay Sets Up New Scripted Outfit

Banijay Group has added to its roster the new scripted outfit Neon Ink, founded by former ITV Studios creative drama execs Kate Lewis and Julia Walsh.

Neon Ink is a joint venture with Banijay, and it becomes the fourth scripted production company to be added to Banijay’s U.K. division in the last year. Lewis and Walsh previously worked together at ITV Studios as executive producer and development head, respectively.

Lewis and Walsh said: “We are delighted to be part of Banijay’s ambitious new plans for producing drama out of the U.K. We were particularly drawn to the dynamic, creative culture at Banijay and by their keen appetite to co-produce in Europe and the rest of the world.”

Takis Candilis, the head of fiction at Banijay Group, said: “We are very excited and proud to team up with Kate and Julia and welcome them to the Banijay Group; the industry response we’ve had to the addition of Neon Ink has already been fantastic. We’re delighted that they are now part of our portfolio of diverse scripted companies and we really can’t wait to see what the coming year holds for Banijay scripted.”

Peter Langenberg, COO of Banijay Group, said: “We are thrilled that Kate and Julia have brought Neon Ink to the Banijay family, they are an exceptionally talented team with unrivalled contacts in the scripted genre, and an exciting development slate. Neon Ink are a fantastic addition to our U.K. drama hub formed of BlackLight, Fearless Minds and YellowBird UK, and we look forward to adopting a similar growth strategy for non-scripted start-ups as we head into 2018.”