Firebird Pictures Bolsters Drama Team, Scores New Book Options

BBC Studios-backed Firebird Pictures has made two new appointments to its drama team and has secured the rights to two novels.

Nikki Saunders has been appointed as director of production after having spent 15 years running operations across all continuing drama series at the BBC and helping the BBC Studios Birmingham drama team grow.

Andin Ngwa has been appointed as development executive. She has worked in development at Hillybilly Films and served as script editor on the new supernatural thriller The Rig with Wild Mercury/Amazon and the new ITV/Amazon drama Riches.

The new hires come as Firebird secured the rights to two works, including journalist Gavanndra Hodge’s memoir The Consequences of Love. In the story of loss, recovery, trauma and memory, Hodge details her precarious Chelsea childhood, in which her father was a drug dealer and her mother was an alcoholic. After her younger sister died suddenly, Hodge had to reconstruct her life.

Elizabeth Kilgarriff, CEO of Firebird Pictures, said: “Joyous, painful and compelling all at once, Gavanndra’s beautiful book consistently takes you by surprise. Exploring themes of grief and addiction from a perspective that is as life-affirming as it is moving, this is a special and utterly relatable story that we are privileged to be bringing to life on screen.”

Hodge commented: “I am so thrilled and excited that Liz and her team at Firebird are in charge of turning the Consequences of Love into a drama. Talking to Liz, it was immediately apparent that she understood the emotional intricacies of my memoir. It could not be in better hands.”

Firebird also secured the rights to Hannah King’s She and I, a Northern Ireland-set crime thriller about the power of female relationships. When the inseparable teenagers Keeley and Jude wake up after a New Year’s party to find Keeley’s boyfriend murdered, they agree on a story to tell the police. As the investigation continues, they realize they might not have shared as much as they thought.

Kilgariff said: “Exploring female friendship at its fiercest and most complicated, She and I takes a clever whodunit with killer twists and turns and uses it to explore universal themes of love, class, family and just how far you’d go for your best friend. With its compelling take on contemporary Northern Irish life, Hannah’s brilliant book looks at the dangerous line between love and obsession with a propulsive and gripping story.”

King commented: “I feel so lucky—not to mention overjoyed—that Firebird has seen the potential of my debut novel She and I. The team’s passion and professionalism about the project was clear from our first meeting, and I’m excited to see how the story will be adapted in such safe hands. I know She and I has found the best home; I can’t wait to see Jude and Keeley on screen!”

Kilgariff added: “With two exciting prime-time series commissions secured, we are busier than ever and our team is growing. We’re delighted to have Nikki join Firebird—her energy and extensive experience will be fundamental to our growth as we set up multiple productions around the world next year. Andin is one of the most in-demand script editors of the moment, and we are incredibly fortunate to have her joining our development team to accelerate the growth of our ambitious and exciting slate.”