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Newcastle independent film company to produce new Amazon drama series

A Tyneside film company has secured a prime position to produce a new drama series for web giant Amazon, with the help of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

The new commission for Headline Pictures, of Newcastle, is the first secured by a European independent film company for a full drama series from Amazon Studios.

Ten new, hour-long shows will now be produced following the success of its pilot “The Man in the High Castle”.

The pilot was described by Amazon vice president Roy Price as “our most-watched pilot ever” and it was chosen for a full series to be commissioned following a viewers’ poll.

Based on Philip K Dick’s modern classic, “The Man in the High Castle”, the series considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers has lost World War II and is set around 20 years after the end of the war when much of the world has been split between Japan and Nazi Germany.

Stewart Mackinnon, founder and director of Headline Pictures, said: “There’s been a real revolution in the way programmes are produced in the last few years.

“Previously you had the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky - they were your only domestic broadcasters.

“But now you have organisations such as Netflix and Amazon actually making their own programmes using the money they’ve made from their digital business and they can reach a whole new market of digital consumers.

“It’s a real step change in the industry. Now we have digital delivery and in the next few years those such as Amazon will become worldwide television companies. It opens up a whole host of new opportunities for us, which we’ve been exploring with the help of UKTI’s Passport and Gateway to Growth (G3) initiatives.

“With this latest commission, we are the first independent in Europe to get the go ahead for a full series. The pilot generated a huge amount of interest in the international press and on social media and the new series will get a world premier on Amazon Prime later this year. We’re thrilled and hope this will be the first of many.”

Chris Jewitt, one of UKTI’s International Trade Advisers who has been working with the company, added: “There has been something of a revolution in the way TV programmes are produced and watched in recent years and Headline Pictures has embraced the opportunities that the new digital age has brought.

“Its latest success has proven it has what it takes to compete on the world stage and we’re delighted to have been able to support the company’s efforts.

“I hope its success will inspire others to take up the exporting for growth challenge. Taking that first step into international trade can be daunting, but UKTI is here to help every step of the way and we offer a range of support services to help companies – whatever their size or product – to compete in the global market place.”