‘Greyhound’ Star Tom Brittney & ‘Devs’ Actor Oliver Powell Launch Wild Nest Pictures, Team With ‘Patrick Melrose’ Producer For WWI TV Series

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EXCLUSIVE: Grantchester actor Tom Brittney, who will next be seen alongside Tom Hanks in WWII war movie Greyhound, has partnered with actor and writer Oliver Powell (Devs) to form TV and film production company Wild Nest Pictures.

The London-based company has acquired the rights to The Mayfair 100 novels, penned by Lynn Brittney, and have teamed with Patrick Melrose outfit Little Island Productions to develop the adaptation. Set in World War I, the books explore a covert female task force who uncover a series of dark and gruesome crimes in London.

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Rising UK actor Brittney said: “I’ve been keen to contribute more directly to the constantly evolving landscape of TV & film for some time. Wild Nest is my way to do that. Ollie and I have created the company to bring untold stories to the screen from fresh and dynamic perspectives. We’re aiming to champion brave storytellers telling character driven narratives. We felt an adaptation of my mum’s brilliant book series, Mayfair 100, was the perfect launch for the company. An opportunity to take a period of history that people may know, but take it in a dark, unique and unseen direction.”

Powell, who stars in Hulu mini-series Devs, has penned the pilot and cites the array of female characters as his main interest for adapting the novels. “Such a rich selection of female characters in a period piece is rare to find. From the moment I read the book, I knew I wanted to write it.”

Little Island was founded by Patrick Melrose and Summer Of Rockets producer Helen Flint in 2013, and specializes in high-end scripted drama for domestic and international markets. Producer Suzan Harrison (Catherine The Great) is Little Island’s head of development, and development executive is Bryony Cunningham (Patrick Melrose).

The company said: “We are delighted to be working with Tom and Ollie on this fascinating series of novels. Mayfair 100 explores untold stories of the First World War through its gripping crime narratives and cast of extraordinary characters. From our first meeting with Tom and Ollie, we were struck by their energy and creativity and knew that we had to collaborate with them on this truly original series.”

Brittney is repped by The Gersh Agency and Authentic Talent & Literary Management in the U.S. and Waring and McKenna in the UK. Powell is repped by Victoria Lepper Associates.

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