EXCLUSIVE: London-based Lark is without doubt one of the buzziest new boutique movie and TV companies in Europe.
The corporate was quietly arrange by former Troika Director Harriet Pennington Legh in 2020 however gained momentum this yr with the addition of former Casarotto and 42 rep Sophie Dolan and longtime Unbiased Expertise agent Roxana Adle. Exiting larger companies often comes with some bumps and bruises (and momentary no-press gags) however the trio took the plunge and at the moment are reaping the rewards.
Collectively, the three UK agenting dynamos now lead Lark and be part of a brand new wave of vibrant UK rep companies that launched a decade in the past with 42 and most not too long ago spawned B-Aspect Administration, which opened store final yr.
Lark’s checklist is curated and cerebral but in addition contemporary and more and more acclaimed. The steady of world writers and filmmakers contains Sebastián Lelio, Joanna Hogg, Ritesh Batra, Karim Aïnouz, Shannon Murphy, Maria Schrader, Oliver Hermanus, Ali Abbasi, Remi Weekes, Alma Har’el, Mahalia Belo, Harry Wootliff, Georgi Banks-Davies, Chris Sweeney, Sam Miller and Anne Sewitsky.
Writers, creators and showrunners embody Charlie Covell, Claire Wilson, Alice Seabright, Sian Robins-Grace, D. C. Moore and Mike Bartlett. Current Academy and Emmy winners embody Aneil Karia, Francesca Gardiner, Brett Goldstein and MJ Delaney.
Initially registered as Lark Administration, the companions now seek advice from the corporate solely as Lark and themselves as brokers, fairly than managers (the excellence isn’t as demarcated within the UK as it’s within the U.S.). The agency contains eight workers and has passive minority funding from U.S. main UTA.
The corporate’s emergence comes at a time of consolidation and splintering within the UK rep area. Most not too long ago, UTA absolutely acquired blue-chip agency Curtis Brown, the UK literary and expertise outfit that reps Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Margaret Atwood and Ian Fleming. In the meantime, on the horizon is a possible U.S. author’s strike, which may even have vital repercussions for the worldwide business and US-based worldwide creatives.
Towards this backdrop, we spoke to the three Lark companions about how the corporate took place, what the business can anticipate from the trio and the way they view the shifting panorama.
DEADLINE: What was the ambition behind organising Lark and when did it first come collectively?
HARRIET PENNINGTON LEGH: The three of us formally got here collectively within the spring of this yr. Our ambition was to create an organization with a transparent id with writers and filmmakers at its coronary heart. What we admired about one another from afar was that all of us had distinct style and had curated our consumer lists in related methods – by backing our instincts and expertise very often from a really nascent stage and changing that into significant companies that I wish to assume stood out within the UK panorama. Lark actually represents a cementing of that method to foster a tradition for our colleagues and purchasers to thrive in.
DEADLINE: What’s the firm construction?
ROXANA ADLE: We’re three equal companions. Every of us has our personal checklist however most of the choices we’ve made about how we work daily have been primarily based on the will to encourage unfiltered collaboration throughout the workforce, supporting one another and advocating for one another’s purchasers – which is each easy and pleasant when your tastes are aligned and also you’re a sufficiently small workforce. Working this manner we’ve additionally discovered an enormous quantity from one another in a brief area of time as we’ve got such totally different approaches, which we are able to now put to the good thing about all our purchasers. For me personally, Sophie’s unbounded ambition has actually shifted my perspective on catching the large fish, and Harriet’s excessive consideration to element and involvement at each stage of the method has been a masterclass.
DEADLINE: Which tasks are popping on your purchasers on the moment?
PENNINGTON LEGH: There are too many to checklist right here however we’re enthusiastic about current consumer collaborations. Bringing artists collectively has by no means felt extra natural and can proceed to play a central position for us. For years we’ve had a watch on one another’s companies from afar and now we’ve got entrance row seats. A few examples are creator Charlie Covell and director Georgi Banks-Davies working collectively on Kaos (Sister Photos & Anthem for Netflix), and creator DC Moore and director Oliver Hermanus working collectively on Mary & George (Hera Photos for Sky & AMC), which is because of star Julianne Moore.
DEADLINE: What’s the firm’s USP?
SOPHIE DOLAN: We wish to create a really style pushed company, the place high quality trumps amount each time. All of us have a really international method to the enterprise, and are very formidable for our purchasers, however all the time wish to conduct enterprise with integrity.
DEADLINE: Has it been daunting hanging out by yourself after working at bigger firms?
DOLAN: It hasn’t been remotely daunting. Quite the opposite — it has felt pure and energising. When it comes to the timing, every of us felt assured we had been on the proper stage inside {our relationships} and careers to strike out alone and we had been enthusiastic about coming collectively stronger than the sum of our components. If something, leaving the confines and constructions of bigger companies has been liberating — we are able to all now absolutely give attention to what we discover thrilling and the explanation that we selected this profession within the first place — forming deep relationships with creatives that we consider in, constructing their slates and serving to them navigate the ever altering content material panorama.
DEADLINE: How do you know one another?
ADLE: Our relationship grew naturally by way of a mutual admiration of one another’s companies and wanting our purchasers to work collectively, so we had been all the time flagging our scripts and administrators to one another. Over time it bought to the purpose that, fairly than being in competitors, each time Harriet and I discovered ourselves making an attempt to signal the identical individual (which was pretty typically) we in all probability spent just a little too lengthy within the signing assembly singing one another’s praises.
DEADLINE: Are there any reps, mentors or firms that impressed you to arrange the corporate?
ADLE: There are various however A24, Sister, Pastel, Factor and Plan B spring to thoughts; firms with a robust id and significant enterprise constructed round daring artistic voices. I actually admire what Emma Paterson at Aitken Alexander has been doing in publishing; these brokers which can be enjoying a component in shaping the cultural panorama fairly than reacting to trendy traits.
DEADLINE: Will you produce?
PENNINGTON LEGH: Our method to our purchasers’ work is fairly palms on and producorial however we see ourselves as strategists and representatives not as producers.
DEADLINE: What number of extra brokers would you want so as to add?
PENNINGTON LEGH: Within the short-term we wish to give attention to consolidation and investing in our unbelievable workforce and we are going to all the time wish to develop from inside. Past that, we’re open-minded and excited for the subsequent section, however after we develop it is going to be very thought of and particular.
DEADLINE: You’re primarily based in London. Would you want so as to add different bases elsewhere — LA, for instance?
DOLAN: We don’t really feel we have to. We really feel very snug doing enterprise within the US and we embrace all of the alternatives it has to supply and love working intently with producers, financiers and our company and administration companions over there.
DEADLINE: Who’re a few of your most up-to-date signings?
PENNINGTON LEGH: We’ve been embracing the chance to signal individuals collectively. One ingredient of the job I get notably excited by is supporting somebody transitioning from one artistic self-discipline to a different. Earlier this yr Roxana and I signed celebrated writer, now screenwriter and director Eimear McBride. We’d each been an enormous fan of Eimear’s novel The Lesser Bohemians so when Theo Barrowclough put her screenplay adaptation on our desk, it was a real thrill.
ADLE: Harriet and I additionally not too long ago signed Georgia Oakley whose unbelievable debut characteristic Blue Jean gained 4 BIFAs final week. It was nominated in 13 classes.
DOLAN: One of many final writers I signed was a younger author referred to as Emma Moran who had written her first spec TV pilot which Sally Woodward Light had despatched me. I liked her voice and signed her instantly. The present shortly bought greenlit by Disney Plus and is popping out subsequent yr. Across the identical time, I additionally began working with actor Katherine Waterston. In fact, I’m not a expertise agent (and he or she already has a wonderful workforce of expertise brokers within the US) however with the proper individual, I used to be excited to embrace a brand new problem — Katherine actually approaches her work like a filmmaker, so our exchanges instantly felt pure. I hope that I can add worth and really feel well-positioned to introduce her to filmmakers and materials at an early stage. For instance, she’s simply labored with Roxana’s consumer Mahalia Belo on The Finish We Begin From, and he or she is in early improvement with a really thrilling filmmaker on a venture primarily based on a documentary that she optioned, that she’s going to star in.
DEADLINE: There was a good quantity of M&A and splintering within the U.Okay. company area lately. What’s your tackle the place the U.Okay. company enterprise is in the meanwhile?
DOLAN: With all the consolidation happening in each the UK & US company area, in addition to after all within the bigger business, it appears like a very potent time to be doing one thing totally different and away from the pack; we’re creating one thing impartial in our personal method, and our purchasers and their work is on the epicentre of it.
DEADLINE: The place do you see the principle alternatives for expertise right now?
DOLAN: The alternatives are in all places and careers are outlined by shocking selections. Typically one of the best alternatives don’t come from the obvious place.
PENNINGTON LEGH: And while management and autonomy is essential and one thing we are going to all the time attempt to enshrine for our purchasers, we don’t undervalue the significance of a really wonderful sparring associate. So pairing our purchasers with individuals who will allow them to make their greatest work.
DEADLINE: To what extent will your new signings come from US, UK or continental Europe?
ADLE: Our consumer checklist represents the truth that we’ve by no means had a neighborhood method to the enterprise nor did we place a specific worth on what was thought of ‘mainstream’. It has been each encouraging and validating to see the leisure panorama opening as much as a broader spectrum of voices.