Warp Films & Anton Partner Up

The U.K.-based production company Warp Films has aligned with the production and financing studio Anton to develop a slate of internationally focused TV series and feature films.

Anton will finance a development fund to identify high-value IP and commission scripts from U.K. and international talent. Anton will finance the fund, through which both companies will jointly creatively develop projects and commission scripts.

Anton will represent global rights on all projects.

The partnership kicks off with an English-language, punk-spirited reinvention of the classic French novel Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac, about the perennial delusions of the pursuit of fame and power. The series is written by Ruth McCance, as she moves into a writer/showrunner role, following on from executive producing Warp Films’ Little Birds. Also moving into development under the joint pact is Blades in the Dark, an adaptation of one of the most popular role-playing games in the world.

As part of the joint initiative, Kasheina Vencatasawmy has been promoted to head of development at Warp Films, having joined in 2016 as a trainee and progressed rapidly through the development department. Soph Webberley, regional development assistant in Warp’s Sheffield HQ, will be working alongside Vencatasawmy.

Gwen Gorst has moved from her role as senior development producer to executive producer, with a focus on identifying and bringing series to greenlight that she can subsequently executive produce.

Joint CEOs of Warp, Mark Herbert and Peter Carlton, said: “Warp has always championed outsider stories and put them center stage. Our alliance with Anton gives us increased financial clout empowering our amazing team to build on their great track record to bring these ambitious, distinct and diverse stories to a wider global audience.”

Founder and CEO of Anton, Sebastien Raybaud, said: “Warp Films’ exhilarating and visionary productions always stand above the crowd. We share Mark and Peter’s belief in storytelling and entertainment first, and their unique slate shows that can manifest in many electrifying forms. We look forward to leveraging our international relationships to support them in their expansion and collaborating on developing projects that will excite audiences worldwide.”