Global production giant Fremantle has promoted Christian Vesper to CEO Global Drama.
In his newly created role, Vesper will oversee and seek to build on Fremantle’s already vast portfolio of scripted production companies, which include Italy’s Wildside (My Brilliant Friend, Eight Mountains), Lux Vide (Medici, Devils), and The Apartment (Bones and All, The Hand of God), Denmark’s Miso Films (Face to Face, The Investigation), and Ireland’s Element Pictures (The Favourite, Normal People).
Vesper will also oversee Fremantle’s roster of talent partnerships and deals, including with Chernobyl director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s newly launched production company Sinestra, Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films, Afua Hirsch’s Born In Me, and Fremantle’s three-year partnership agreement with independent production collective The Creatives.
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He will report directly to Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle Group COO and CEO Continental Europe.
Based in London, Vesper and his team will continue to work in close partnership with Fremantle’s regional drama heads across all territories in which Fremantle operates, including local giants such as UFA in Germany, Fremantle Australia, Abot Hameiri in Israel, and Fremantle Mexico.
“Following the acquisitions of Element Pictures and Lux Vide, our scripted eco-system has become even stronger,” said Scrosati in a statement. “[Vesper’s] new role is part of the new organizational structure we are putting in place to best support our family of great producers.”
Vesper noted that Fremantle’s drama output has exploded in the past few years, from around 30 projects in 2016, to over 100 projects in 2022. “I can’t wait to continue the journey of growth and quality,” he noted.
Vesper joined Fremantle in 2016 as Executive Vice President and Creative Director, Global Drama, and was promoted in 2020 to President, Global Drama. He was previously drama chief at Sundance TV where he oversaw such productions as Jane Campion’s Top Of The Lake and Hugo Blick’s The Honourable Woman. Vesper previously held roles at HBO, October Films and USA Film.
