Federation Acquires ‘Britannia’ Producer Vertigo Films

Pascal Breton’s European banner Federation Entertainment (“The Bureau”) has acquired a majority stake in Vertigo Films, the U.K. production company behind the hit TV shows “Britannia” and “Bulletproof.” The London-based company is also the producer of B.O. films such as “StreetDance 3D,” “The Sweeney” and award-winning titles including Gareth Edwards’s “Monsters” and Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Bronson.“

Founded 20 years ago by executive producers Allan Niblo and James Richardson, Vertigo is currently in post-production with Jez Butterworth’s new comedy-drama series “Mammals,” starring James Corden and Sally Hawkins for Amazon, and the 1980s-set gangster epic “A Town Called Malice” by Nick Love for Sky Max. The banner just wrapped principal photography on a new film for Sky Cinema, with further details to be announced at a later date.

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The deal underlines both Vertigo Films’ and Federation’s ambitions to expand their offering of premium content to the global market and ramp up their investment in prestige production labels and creative talent.

“Vertigo Films has been a reliable name in film for 20 years, producing quality and commercially successful films, and we are thrilled with the company’s success in the last few years through the expansion of our television division,” said Richardson and Niblo, and Jane Moore, CEO of Vertigo, in a joint statement. “Bringing the boldest ideas from extraordinary talents to life is in our DNA and to now have such a prolific partner in Federation is an opportunity to expand and drive our ambitious slate at full speed.”

Breton said “Vertigo is one of the first and only British production companies to have brilliantly succeeded in reinventing itself to adapt to the highly competitive theatrical market, and then to drama series with strong international potential.”

Founded in 2013, Federation, led by Pascal Breton and co-directed by Lionel Uzan, boasts a total of 20 subsidiaries or associate production companies based in Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Cologne, London, Brussels and Tel Aviv. The group’s best-known titles include “The Bureau,” “In Treatment,” “Baby,” “Hostages,” “Marseille,” “Bad Banks,” “Your Honor,” “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Les Bleus 2018: at the Heart of the Russian Epic” and “Find Me in Paris.” Tom Manwaring of Helion Partners advised Vertigo Films on the transaction.

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