Fremantle COO Reveals How Coronavirus Is Actually Speeding Up Production
Fremantle enjoyed something of a drama boom last year. Buoyed by hits including American Gods and The New Pope, the global producer’s drama revenue climbed 36% to €414M ($494M) in 2019.” data-reactid=”28″>Fremantle enjoyed something of a drama boom last year. Buoyed by hits including American Gods and The New Pope, the global producer’s drama revenue climbed 36% to €414M ($494M) in 2019.
Then the pandemic hit. Fremantle, like all other major producers, suffered unprecedented shutdowns across the 30 territories in which it operates. Production is only now getting fully back on its feet.
The coronavirus crisis will inevitably put a dent in Fremantle’s scripted growth trajectory. But underneath an anomaly that no-one saw coming lies a steely confidence that the company is well-positioned in a frantically competitive market.
Elsewhere, Scrosati explains how the company’s global reach meant it never stopped producing during the pandemic, and reveals how coronavirus is actually speeding up, rather than slowing down, some shows as they remount filming. He also provides an update on the future of projects including Paolo Sorrentino’s new Netflix feature.
Scroll on for the full interview, which has been edited for length and clarity.
We are seeing nearly all our territories back in production, [but] there are obviously issues in Latin America. That’s a more complicated area. There are some issues in the scripted area, where you have the high-end, commercial projects that mean that cast has to travel across a lot of territories and multiple locations. That is still complicated.
Anything you can do in a specific country, where you control the production facility or you can apply protocols and limit travel, those shows are basically back on track.
The Mosquito Coast. We were shooting in Mexico, so we needed to stop, but it’s a pretty major production.” data-reactid=”51″>Scrosati: We are in negotiations with Apple on how to restart The Mosquito Coast. We were shooting in Mexico, so we needed to stop, but it’s a pretty major production.
On certain projects, we are actually going quicker because the situation has forced us. When we reopened sets in May and June, we were conscious there is a risk of a second wave. Everyone is trying to finish shooting by the end of summer, so if a second wave comes in, you are still able to post-produce remotely.
You do realize that sometimes you do not need all of that material, but sometimes you have a deal and there is a cost per episode, you tend to go the other way around [and make things longer.] This has forced has focused us on the right thing to do for the show.
While we speak, Fremantle has 49 dramas in production or pre-production, and among these 31 are either shooting or post-producing. Fremantle has many more shows outside of the U.S. and UK than any major U.S. studio, by far. In this pandemic, this has been an enormously strong point, because U.S. sets have been highly affected. In comparison, Scandinavia and Israel have been able to move forward. Even territories like Italy, that were heavily affected initially, have been able to restart production pretty quickly.
Anyone that has a strong project knows that he or she can go out and shop it around and probably get a big check. What we do needs to be different. We need to be a place where talent comes and knows that, she or he has full creative independence and we will do our best to find the right home for that show.
We live in a world where Fremantle will never match the single flat check that Netflix, Apple or Amazon will be able to sign, but we can offer something different in that we be their partner in from a business point-of-view in their project. You don’t get the same advance, but you can potentially get a much bigger upside if the show is successful.
In a world where talent has enormous value — they know that — I don’t believe that talent should just equate to an advanced check. The best ideas come when you have a real energy and force behind you and that can be the idea itself, absolutely, but also if that idea can generate something that you are part of. If you control it, and it’s your baby, and you can grow it, that makes a difference.
They also get the difficult benefits of it. It’s not like, ‘I wrote my thing, I put it on your desk, goodbye.’ No — if there is a problem we have to solve it together. When you marry it’s in good and bad times. In creative work, it’s the same thing. We’re not operating a direct to consumer business that can generate billions through subscriptions. We need to manage a business that is financially sustainable, and striking deals that make sense for both parties.
It’s a more healthy approach because every party is involved in a healthy way. It’s also about bringing responsibility to the process, as well as delivering and owning success together. It’s also about independence. Everyone in this industry will say, ‘Come and work with us, we’re independent.’
In direct to consumer businesses you sell to subscribers and they are your clients. If you’re investing, you’re ultimately investing because you’re selling somebody a product. So if you’re talent you have to understand the business model of the company you’re partnering with. If the business model is to sell subscriptions, then their main focus is to have their clients happy.
They will tell you they are independent, but that’s not the case because you have to provide content that those clients want. If you work with a company like ours, our business is to create the strongest possible IP and content, and then find the right buyer for it. We live in a time when the number of buyers and the diversity of models has never been so big. That’s an opportunity for us and the talent. We will always find the right place.
deal with BBC Three in the UK. Slightly surprising given I thought it would be on Sky in the UK. Can you provide an insight into how that came about?” data-reactid=”86″>Deadline: I wanted to ask about some specific projects and let’s start with Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are. Clearly, there has been a deal with BBC Three in the UK. Slightly surprising given I thought it would be on Sky in the UK. Can you provide an insight into how that came about?
Michael Winterbottom project on Boris Johnson announced a few weeks ago. How far along with that are you at the moment?” data-reactid=”88″>Deadline: Also, the Michael Winterbottom project on Boris Johnson announced a few weeks ago. How far along with that are you at the moment?
The Hand Of God. That’s what he’s going to do next, followed by a movie with Jennifer Lawrence, again co-produced by The Apartment.” data-reactid=”95″>Scrosati: I don’t there are any plans at the moment for Season 3 of The Pope. But obviously, Wildside is behind My Brilliant Friend, which is now in preparation for Season 3, and The Apartment has just signed a deal with Netflix for a movie with Paolo Sorrentino, the director of The Pope franchise. This movie is called The Hand Of God. That’s what he’s going to do next, followed by a movie with Jennifer Lawrence, again co-produced by The Apartment.
Even though there were a lot of complex things to manage, I never felt that frustration of a challenge because we were always sharing and getting advice. It was different to other situations I have faced in my career where I felt the entire challenge on my shoulders. It really was teamwork that made it much more simple.
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