Fremantle in First-Look Deal with Rachel Weisz & Polly Stokes

Fremantle has signed a three-year first-look and development deal with Astral Projection, the production company from Academy Award-winning actor Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener, Disobedience, The Favourite) and executive producer Polly Stokes (American Honey, Wild Rose, The Nest).

Astral Projection co-produced Dead Ringers, the six-part psychological thriller for Prime Video, created by Alice Birch, in which Weisz played both lead roles in the gender-swapped reimagining of the 1988 David Cronenberg film.

Stokes, a former creative executive at Film4, and Weisz have a long-standing relationship and are building a slate of projects across television and film. Rebecca Servadio serves as Astral’s literary consultant.

The partnership was spearheaded by Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s CEO of global drama, and Seb Shorr, COO of global drama, with the deal negotiated by Fran Denny, VP of legal and business affairs for global drama, on behalf of Fremantle, and James Kay and Jessica Hudson for Sheridans acting on behalf of Astral Projection.

Weisz, executive producer at Astral Projection, said: “We are thrilled to have found such experienced and trusting partners in Fremantle. As soon as we met Christian and Seb, we knew they were a perfect fit for our taste and energy and that this would be a brilliant home for Astral.”

Stokes, executive producer at Astral Projection, added: “We want to tell stories that are surprising and affirming—that find joy in unexpected and daring places. We were immediately taken by Fremantle’s reach across film and TV and their deep faith in exceptional talent. We can’t wait to begin this chapter.”

Vesper said: “We’ve been admirers of Polly and Rachel’s careers for some time. The breadth, scale and acclaim of their combined body of work across both television and film is truly impressive, and I’ve no doubt this is going to be a fruitful and exciting partnership. I couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the Fremantle family and start collaborating on world-class projects together.”