Hot of the heels of its racing drama blockbuster “F1: The Movie” and Emmy-nominated limited series “Adolescence,” Brad Pitt‘s L.A.-based Plan B Entertainment is planting its flag in London. Ed Macdonald, the well-respected British producer of “Baby Reindeer,” is on board to run the offspring banner which is part of Mediawan, the European powerhouse headed by Pierre-Antoine Capton since 2022.
The London banner marks the first international outpost of Plan B, the Oscar winning company co-led by Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. It’s also part of a global strategy bolstered by its parent company, Mediawan, the Paris-headquartered powerhouse headed by CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton that comprises over 80 production labels across 13 countries.
Luring Macdonald is a major coup for Plan B and Mediawan. He’s joining from Clerkenwell Films, where he worked for nearly 16 years and spearheaded a string of hits, including the BAFTA-winning “The End of the F***ing World” and the Emmy-winning Netflix global phenomenon “Baby Reindeer,” and also worked on the adaptation of Nick Cave’s cult novel “The Death of Bunny Munro” for Sky.
Over at Plan B Europe, Macdonald will focus on developing TV content in the U.K. and Europe and will work closely with Nina Wolarsky, Plan B’s U.S.-based head of television.
“I have loved my years at Clerkenwell — I’m grateful for the friendships forged and deeply proud of the work we’ve made together. But it’s with huge excitement that I’m now joining the Plan B family,” said Macdonald, adding that he’s “long admired Brad, Dede and Jeremy’s instinct for eclectic, resonant stories.”
He said he looks forward to “working alongside them to establish the company’s European division, with the support of Mediawan and their nurturing, producer-led ethos,” and “build upon Plan B’s legacy and to keep doing what I love — making vivid, high-quality television with the most talented storytellers in the world.”
The new European base will foster ongoing growth for Plan B, particularly increased production of premium series in the U.K. and across Europe, and will also mark a next step in the integration of Plan B within Mediawan.
Plan B is already collaborating with Mediawan-owned companies or IP on several projects, such as “Weekend Rebels,” the Apple movie starring Mark Wahlberg that’s adapted from the German film “Weekend Warriors” and is developed by Wiedemann & Berg, which is part of Leonine Studios, a Mediawan Company; “The Man with a Thousand Faces,” the series adaptation of Sonia Kronlund’s book by the showrunner of “Call My Agent!,” Fanny Herrero, with Atlantique Productions, a Mediawan subsidiary; and the U.S. series adaptation of the Mediawan hit show “Call My Agent!” set in the world of sports.
The new overseas outpost will also give Plan B more options to finance projects, tapping into the U.K.’s unique position as a bridge between the U.S. and European industries and as one of Europe’s most attractive hubs for film and TV funding.
In a statement, Pitt, Gardner and Kleiner said they’re “thrilled to expand Plan B’s footprint in Europe by bringing Ed Macdonald on board.”
“Building on our artistic ambition, we’re excited to deepen our commitment to premium television and to explore new creative partnerships across the U.K. and Europe,” the trio stated, adding that “with Ed’s exceptional track record and the support of Mediawan group, (they) look forward to captivating audiences around the world with ambitious new series.”
Plan B already enjoys strong relations in the U.K., not only with Netflix with whom it collaborated for “Adolescence,” but also with the BBC which commissioned Raine Allen-Miller’s “The Roots Manoeuvre,” the follow up to her BAFTA nominated “Rye Lane;” and with Film 4, which ordered from Plan B Phillippa Lowthorpe’s adaptation of “H is For Hawk.”
Capton and Elisabeth d’Arvieu, CEO of Mediawan Pictures, said Plan B’s move across the Atlantic underscores the “richness and dynamism of France’s creative ecosystem – with its outstanding filming locations and robust financial support schemes.”
“These have enabled us, from France, to build with Mediawan an international studio to support talents and stories around the world. Today, the creation of Plan B Europe marks a key milestone in our international growth strategy and further strengthens the European DNA of the Mediawan group.”
The broadening of Plan B’s geographical footprint could inspire other outfits with Mediawan. Capton told Variety that Mediawan “keeps a close watch on opportunities in all key markets.”
“Our talents share an international outlook and a strong curiosity to collaborate with other professionals, IPs, and formats,” and as such Mediawan “explores potential expansions wherever creativity thrives, while also developing strong synergies across our group worldwide.”
While it’s based in France, Mediawan has been ramping up its presence in English-speaking markets in the last three years, with recent acquisitions such as See-Saw Films, The British-Australian indie company behind “Slow Horses,” and LeBron James’ and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill, on top of Drama Republic (“One Day,” “The English”) and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K.
Plan B is rolling off of “F1: The Movie,” which became Pitt’s and Apple’s highest-grossing movie to date, grossing over $613 million worldwide, prompting a return to IMAX theaters last month. The company has also produced ambitious director-driven movies, such as Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” RaMell Ross’s Oscar-nominated “Nickel Boys,” and Bong Joon-ho’s “Mickey 17.”
Plan B’s television work has been equally applauded, in particular “Adolescence,” the Netflix mini-series created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne that struck a chord and has earned 13 nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards; “Three Body Problem,” nominated for six primetime Emmy Awards; and the “Lego Masters” series; alongside documentaries (via its joint venture with Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald) such as “Apocalypse in The Tropics” and “One to One.” Plan B also made its Tony-nominated theater debut with “Enemy of the People,” and recently scored an audio success for Audible with “What Could Go Wrong.”
