Universal Pictures and Working Title Films today announced an extension of their long-standing production agreement through 2020. The new agreement replaces the first-look deal set to expire this year. Working Title has produced more than 100 films grossing over $6 billion worldwide—$5 billion of which have resulted from the more than 50 films the company has made with Universal Pictures. Chairman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley made the announcement alongside Working Title Co-Chairmen Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
“Working Title is the biggest and best international production company in the world and we’ve been privileged to be in business with them for many cherished years,” said Langley. “Tim, Eric and their team have been incredible partners with whom we have celebrated much success and we look forward to repeating that success in the future.”
Said Bevan and Fellner, “Over a period of 16 years, we have been lucky enough to have an amazing relationship with a great group of colleagues and friends at Universal. As such, we are thrilled to be able to continue collaborating with them for another five years. It’s important for us as a company to have partners that are interested in a wide variety of films and a desire to not only do great business but also to strive to make interesting films and that’s what Ron, Jeff, Donna and everyone else at Universal do. We can’t thank them enough for their support in the past and for their ongoing belief in Working Title.”
Working Title, whose relationship with Universal dates back to 1999, has a library of critically-acclaimed films that have been nominated for 43 Academy Awards (winning 11) and more than 100 BAFTA Awards (winning 37), including Les Misérables, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Billy Elliot, Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Frost/Nixon, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Fargo, as well as box office hits Burn After Reading, Notting Hill, O Brother, Where Art Thou, About a Boy, Love Actually, The Interpreter, Mr. Bean’s Holiday and the Nanny McPhee, Johnny English and Bridget Jones franchises. The Working Title team also won a 2004 BAFTA Award for their outstanding contributions to the world of British cinema.
Working Title is coming off an incredible award season with The Theory of Everything receiving many accolades including a Best Actor Oscar for Eddie Redmayne. Working Title and Universal are currently in production on Hail, Caesar! with frequent Working Title collaborators Joel and Ethan Coen, and Universal will release the epic adventure, Everest, starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes and Jake Gyllenhaal, later this year. Working Title and Focus Features are also in production on The Danish Girl from Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper, which also stars Redmayne.
