ITV Studios has acquired a majority stake in indie Moonage Pictures, the production banner behind Netflix hit “The Gentlemen” and teen thriller “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.”
Founded in 2018 by industry veterans Will Gould, Matthew Read and Frith Tiplady, Moonage has quickly established itself as a go-to shop for original, high-end drama with global appeal. The company hit the streaming jackpot with “The Gentlemen,” Guy Ritchie‘s small-screen spin-off that landed at Netflix’s #1 spot and became one of 2024’s most-watched series worldwide.
The company’s hot streak continued with BBC/Netflix co-production “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” which cracked the streamer’s global top-10. Moonage has also delivered the recent adaptation of “The Leopard” for Netflix, based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s classic novel.
Moonage’s catalog includes Stephen Graham-starrer “Bodies” (Netflix Global Top Ten), Emily Mortimer’s adaptation of “The Pursuit of Love” for BBC One and Amazon, “The Famous Five” for the BBC (co-created with Nicolas Winding Refn), “Curfew” for Sky One, Netflix’s steamy “Obsession,” and sci-fi drama “Intergalactic” for Sky One.
As part of the transaction, BBC Studios is exiting its stake in Moonage but will continue distributing returning seasons of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” and “The Famous Five.” ITV Studios will handle international distribution for all new Moonage productions moving forward.
The company is already deep in development on sophomore seasons of “The Gentlemen,” “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” and “The Famous Five.”
Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, said: “Will, Matthew and Frith have built a formidable scripted production company with a very strong slate of first class shows ranging from ‘The Gentlemen’ to ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder.’ They’re an incredibly talented team and we feel incredibly fortunate they’re joining ITV Studios. I can’t wait to work with them.”
Frith Tiplady, managing director of Moonage Pictures, added: “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.”
The Moonage acquisition continues ITV’s expansion strategy that has recently brought acclaimed producers like Eagle Eye Drama, Hartswood Films, Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions, Dominic Treadwell-Collins’ Happy Prince, Ben Stephenson’s Poison Pen Studios and premium factual outfit Plimsoll Productions into its fold.
Helion Partners advised on the transaction.