The story behind the UK’s most popular new film and TV lit agency – Deadline | Daily News Byte

Exclusive: London-based Lark is one of Europe’s hottest new boutique film and TV agencies.

The company was quietly founded in 2020 by former Troika director Harriet Pennington Legg but gained momentum this year with the addition of former Casarotto and 42 representative Sophie Dolan and longtime independent talent agent Roxana Adele. Exiting big agencies usually comes with some bumps and bruises (and temporary no-press gags) but all three took the plunge and are now reaping the rewards.

Together, the three UK agenting dynamos now lead Lark and join a new wave of vibrant UK agent businesses that started a decade ago with 42 and more recently B-Side Management, which opened shop last year.

Lark’s list is curated and cerebral but fresh and increasingly acclaimed. The stable of global writers and filmmakers includes Sebastian Lelio, Joanna Hogg, Ritesh Batra, Karim Anoz, Shannon Murphy, Maria Schrader, Oliver Hermanus, Ali Abbasi, Remy Weeks, Alma Harrell, Mahalia Bello, Harry Wootliff, Georgie Banks-Davies. , Chris Sweeney, Sam Miller and Anne Savitsky.

Writers, creators and showrunners include Charlie Cowell, Claire Wilson, Alice Seabright, Sian Robbins-Grace, DC Moore and Mike Bartlett. Recent Academy and Emmy winners include Anil Karia, Francesca Gardiner, Brett Goldstein and MJ Delaney.

Initially registered as Lark Management, the partners now refer to the company simply as Lark and themselves as agents, rather than managers (not as demarcated in the UK as in the US). The firm comprises eight staff and has a passive minority investment from US major UTA.

The company emerged at a time of consolidation and fragmentation in the UK rap space. Most recently, UTA fully acquired blue-chip firm Curtis Brown, the UK literary and talent outfit that represents Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Margaret Atwood and Ian Fleming. Meanwhile, there is a potential US writer’s strike on the horizon, which will also have a significant impact on the international industry and US-based international creatives.

Against this backdrop, we spoke to three Lark partners about how the company came to be, what the industry can expect from the trio and how they see the changing landscape.

Last line: What was the ambition behind the establishment of Lark and when was it first met?

Harriet Pennington Legg: The three of us came together formally in the spring of this year. Our ambition was to create a company with a clear identity with writers and filmmakers. What we admired from a distance was that we all had different interests and we curated our client list in a similar way – supporting our instincts and talents often from a very early stage and turning them into meaningful businesses that I feel That is what it stands for. Out in the UK landscape. Lark truly represents an approach to fostering a culture of growth for our colleagues and clients.

Last line: What is the structure of the company?

Roxana Addl: We are three equal partners. Each of us has our own list but many of the decisions we make about how we work day-to-day are based on a desire to encourage unfiltered collaboration within the team, support each other and advocate for each other’s clients – which is both. Easy and enjoyable when your interests are aligned and you are a small enough team. By working this way we have also learned a huge amount from each other in a short period of time because we have such different approaches, which we can now put together for the benefit of all our clients. For me personally, Sophie’s boundless ambition has really changed my perspective on catching big fish, and Harriet’s extreme attention to detail and involvement at every stage of the process has been a masterclass.

Last line: What projects are popping up for your clients right now?t?

Pennington Leg: Too many to list here but we are excited about recent client collaborations. Bringing artists together has never felt more organic and will continue to play a central role for us. For years we’ve watched each other’s businesses from afar and now have front row seats. Some examples are creator Charlie Cowell and director Georgie Banks-Davies working together. Chaos (Sister Pictures & Anthem for Netflix), and works alongside producer DC Moore and director Oliver Hermanus. Mary and George (Hera Pictures for Sky and AMC), which stars Julianne Moore.

Last line: What is the company’s USP?

Sophie Dolan: We want to create a truly taste driven agency, where quality trumps quantity every time. We all have a very global approach to business, and are very ambitious for our customers, but we always want to do business with integrity.

Last line: Have you been desperate to strike out on your own after working for big companies?

Dolan: It has not been remotely desperate. On the contrary – it felt natural and energetic. In terms of timing, we were each confident that we were at the right stage in our relationships and careers to venture out alone and we were excited to come together stronger than the sum of our parts. If anything, leaving the confines and structures of big agencies is liberating — now we can all focus entirely on what excites us and the reason we chose this career in the first place — creatives we believe in. Building a deep relationship with, creating their slates and helping them navigate the ever-changing content landscape.

Last line: How did you get to know each other?

Adel: Our relationship grew naturally through mutual appreciation of each other’s businesses and wanting to work together with our clients, so we were always flagging our scripts and directors to each other. Over the years, it got to the point that, instead of being in competition, whenever Harriet and I found ourselves trying to sign the same person (which was often) we probably spent a little too long praising each other at a signing meeting.

Last line: Are there any representatives, mentors or companies that inspired you to start a company?

Adel: There are many but A24, Sister, Pastel, Element and Plan B come to mind; Companies with strong identities and meaningful businesses built around bold creative voices. I really admire what Emma Patterson at Aitken Alexander is doing in publishing; Those agents who play a part in shaping the cultural landscape rather than reacting to fashionable trends.

Last line: Will you produce?

Pennington Leg: Our approach to our clients’ work is very hands-on and productorial but we see ourselves not as producers but as strategists and representatives.

Last line: How many more agents do you want to add?

Pennington Leg: In the short term we want to focus on consolidating and investing in our incredible team and we always want to grow from within. Beyond that, we’re open-minded and excited for the next phase, but it will be very deliberate and specific as we grow.

Last line: You are in London. Do you want to add other bases elsewhere — LA, for example?

Dolan: We don’t feel the need. We feel very comfortable doing business in the US and we embrace all the opportunities it has to offer and love working closely with producers, financiers and our agency and management partners there.

Last line: Who is your most recent signing?

Pennington Leg: We are accepting the opportunity to co-sign people. One element of the job that particularly excites me is supporting someone transition from one creative discipline to another. Earlier this year Roxana and I signed renowned author, now screenwriter and director Eimear McBride. We were both huge fans of Aimer’s novels The Lesser Bohemians So when Theo Baroclough landed his screenplay adaptation on our desks, it was a real thrill.

Adel: Harriet and I recently signed Georgia Oakley for her wonderful debut feature Blue Jean Four BIFA wins last week. It was nominated in 13 categories.

Dolan: One of the last writers I signed was a young writer named Emma Moran who had written her first TV special pilot that was sent to me by Sally Woodward Gentle. I liked his voice and he signed it immediately. The show was quickly greenlit by Disney Plus and is coming out next year. At the same time, I also started working with actress Kathryn Waterston. Of course, I’m not a talent agent (and she already has a great team of talent agents in the US) but with the right person, I was excited to take on a new challenge — Catherine really approaches her work like a filmmaker, so Our exchange immediately felt natural. I hope I can add value and feel in a good position to introduce her to filmmakers and content at an early stage. For example, she just worked with Roxana’s client Mahalia Bello The and we start fromAnd she is in early development with a very exciting filmmaker on a project based on a documentary, in which she will star.

Last line: There has been a fair amount of M&A and splintering in the UK agency space in recent years. What is your take on where the UK agency business is at the moment?

Dolan: With all the consolidation going on in both the UK and US agency space, as well as of course the larger industry, it feels like a particularly powerful time to do something different and break away from the pack; We are building something independent in our own way, and our customers and their work are at the heart of it.

Last line: Where do you see the main opportunities for talent today?

Dolan: Opportunities are everywhere and careers are defined by surprising choices. Sometimes the best opportunities don’t come from the most obvious places.

Pennington Leg: And while control and autonomy are important and something we’ll always try to incorporate for our clients, we don’t underestimate the importance of a truly great fighting partner. So let’s connect our clients with the people who will enable them to do their best work.

Last line: To what extent will your new signings come from the US, UK or continental Europe?

Adel: Our client list reflects the fact that we have never had a local approach to business, nor have we placed any particular value on what is considered ‘mainstream’. It’s been both encouraging and validating to see the entertainment landscape open up to a wider spectrum of voices.