A24 has made two splashy international hires in the shape of BBC executives Rose Garnett and Piers Wenger who will join the ambitious U.S. distributor and producer to oversee their growing international film and TV slate.
Wenger is currently Director of BBC Drama, where he has overseen series including I May Destroy You, Bodyguard, A Very English Scandal, His Dark Materials, Normal People and Small Axe (both in close collaboration with Garnett). Previously he was Head of Drama at Channel 4 where he commissioned Humans, National Treasure, Southcliffe and The End of The F**cking World.
Garnett currently serves as Director of BBC Film where she has overseen a slate of titles including The Power of The Dog, Souvenir 1 and 2, The Nest, and Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always. Prior to that, she was at Film4 where she shepherded award-winners The Favourite, Room, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and American Honey.
Based in London, the newly created roles will continue to see Garnett and Wenger working closely with the creative community in the UK and beyond. Their collaborations will be “inclusive and wide-ranging working with producers, directors and writers – new and established – to make forward-thinking, talent-focused work”.
The double hire will be a blow to the BBC. Wenger will leave the organization in May. Ben Irving will take on the role of Acting Director of BBC Drama until an appointment is made.
Garnett will also leave in May. Eva Yates will take on the role of Acting Director of BBC Film until an appointment is made.
The duo said: “We have loved our time at the BBC where we learnt so much working with brilliant storytellers and wonderful colleagues. Leaving was a difficult decision but A24 has built something unique – we feel lucky and exhilarated to be joining them.”
Upcoming A24 projects in partnership with BBC include Shane Meadows’ period drama series The Gallows Pole, Daina Oniunas-Pusićʼs feature film debut Tuesday starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Rose Holmer and Saela Davis’s Irish psychological drama Godʼs Creatures starring Emily Watson and Paul Mescal and Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daughter with Tilda Swinton.
A24’s credits include Euphoria starring Zendaya, series Ramy, and films including Minari, Moonlight, Lady Bird, Midsommar, Amy, Uncut Gems and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Upcoming TV projects include The Sympathizer a limited series from Park Chan-Wook starring Robert Downey Jr., Underrated a doc series with Steph Curry, and Beef starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. Upcoming film releases include Everything Everywhere All At Once starring Michelle Yeoh, Alex Garland’s Men, Ari Aster’s Disappointment Blvd. starring Joaquin Phoenix, and Celine Song’s directorial debut Past Lives.
The company has been ramping up its international sales slate in recent years and looking to work on bigger-budget, bigger-canvas projects such Everything Everywhere All At Once.
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