Netflix Invests in 'Black Mirror' Creators' New Company

[HARDY]

 

The streamer also has the option to eventually take full control of Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones' Broke And Bones and has exclusive rights to its series and other projects.

Netflix has made a rare investment, taking a stake in Broke And Bones, the new production company recently set up by Emmy-winning Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones. 

The deal — a first-of-its-kind for the streamer and marking its first investment in the U.K. — will give Netflix the right to take full control of Broke And Bones by the end of an undisclosed multi-year-term, while also having exclusivity over its series and other projects. Financial details weren't disclosed.

A new project from the company is currently in the works and will be announced soon. 

Broke And Bones, which was launched in February after Brooker and Jones left their EndemolShine company House of Tomorrow, has been building its team, with Channel 4 commissioner and People Just Do Nothing producer Jon Petrie joining earlier this month as head of comedy. Other recent hires include Russell McLean, who produced the Black Mirror film Bandersnatch, to help develop further interactive projects, Jo Kay as head of production, drama and comedy, and Holly Salt as head of production, formatted comedy. Kay and Salt were previously at EndemolShine's U.K. scripted hub working across House of Tomorrow productions. The first Broke And Bones production was a special COVID-19 version of Brooker's long-running Screenwipe series called Antiviral Wipe, which aired on the BBC in April. 

Brooker and Jones have a long-standing relationship with Netflix, with Black Mirror having spent two seasons on Channel 4 in 2011 before Netflix took full ownership of the hit series in 2015, running three further seasons. The show — on which Brooker serves as creator and writer and Jones as co-creator and exec producer — has won five Emmys. 

The U.K. has become Netflix's biggest content creator outside the U.S. thanks to shows such as Black Mirror, The Crown and Sex Education, with the streamer having dramatically expanded its British operations in recent years. Alongside a number of significant hires for its growing London base, including former Film4 boss David Kosse and ex Sky drama head Anne Mensah, the company last year signed a deal with Pinewood to set up a production hub at Shepperton Studios. Last year it also signed a major film and TV deal with The Crown creator Peter Morgan.

 

[CGTitan]

I don't know whether this is a good idea or not. Given if Netflix purchases Broke and Bones, they could strong arm the original creators out of their projects. I mean, look what happened with the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender project. The creators left the series. And Netflix taking over the company could end up being like EA taking over a game studio. Just remember, EA were not declared a terrible company for nothing!