UK-based producer was also behind Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
ITV Studios has acquired a majority stake in The Gentlemen and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder indie Moonage Pictures.
The drama label, established in 2018 by Will Gould, Matthew Read and Frith Tiplady, has also been behind Netflix series Bodies, The Pursuit of Love for BBC1 and Amazon and The Famous Five for the BBC.
It will join ITV Studios’ raft of drama labels which includes recent acquisition Eagle Eye Drama as well as Hartswood Films, Quay Street Productions, Happy Prince and Poison Pen Studios.
The acquisition means that BBC Studios has exited its stake in Moonage, but will continue to distribute returning series including A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and The Famous Five. International distribution of new Moonage Pictures series will be handled by ITV Studios from now onwards.
Moonage Pictures’ series The Gentlemen, directed by Guy Ritchie, debuted as Netflix’s umber one show and was one of the most-viewed TV shows of 2024. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder also reached the streamer’s global top 10 most watched list for the adaptation by Netflix and the BBC.
Specialist M&A firm Helion Partners advised the shareholders on the transaction, with partner Tom Manwaring calling Moonage “an elite group of producers who have had repeated success with their slate of impressive premium dramas.”
“ITV Studios saw the attraction of this talented team as a welcome addition to their expanding international content business,” he added.
Managing director of ITV Studios Julian Bellamy said: “Will, Matthew and Frith have built a formidable scripted production company with a very strong slate of first class shows… We feel incredibly fortunate they’re joining ITV Studios.”
Managing director of Moonage Pictures Frith Tiplady said: “We’ve loved every minute of the past seven years — collaborating with exceptional writers, directors, and production teams to create work we’re immensely proud of. It’s been a real adventure.
“Now, as Moonage enters its next chapter, we’re thrilled to be joining forces with ITV Studios. This partnership opens up exciting new possibilities, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
ITV Studios creates approximately 7,500 hours of original programming across 60 production labels with a global footprint that spans 13 countries including the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, The Nordics, Italy and the Netherlands. Its global distribution business sells a catalogue of 95,000+ hours around the world.
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