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Banijay lands Yellow Bird in UK

Yellow Bird drama Occupied

Banijay Group has launched a UK arm of Yellow Bird Productions, the firm behind dramas Wallander and Occupied, to boost its global presence in scripted content.

Yellow Bird Productions UK will work with broadcasters and platforms to develop original ideas with international appeal and a Scandinavian edge for the UK market.

Based in London, it will work closely with the original Stockholm-based firm.

Berna Levin, Yellow Bird’s current chief creative officer, will head up the UK business as creative director. She has been involved in several of the company’s biggest international projects, including Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy and Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters, working alongside the Yellow Bird team.

Levin said: “Yellow Bird has always had the ambition of creating high-end drama for an international market and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished so far.

“Having already worked closely with talent and broadcasters in the UK, this feels like the natural next step and I’m very excited to be joining such an impressive and talented creative community. I look forward to many fruitful collaborations as we continue our quest to find great stories and bring fantastic characters to life.”

The new business will also be a part of Banijay Studios International, run by head of fiction Takis Candilis, which coordinates all of Banijay’s scripted activity. The studio has a number projects currently in development.

The creation of Yellow Bird Productions UK continues Banijay’s scripted push and follows the recent additions of prodcos Fearless Minds and BlackLight Television to its portfolio. Banijay has indicated it expects to make further scripted additions in the near future.

Yellow Bird has already had significant presence in the UK scripted market, with political thriller Occupied having aired on Sky Arts. Banijay Group distribution arm Banijay Rights is taking the second season of the 8×45’ series to Mipcom next week.

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