Sir Terry Pratchett’s Narrativia Strikes Deal With Motive Pictures & Endeavor Content For Authentic ‘Discworld’ Screen Adaptations
Today is Sir Terry Pratchett’s birthday, so what better day to announce a new partnership between Narrativia, the production company founded by the author to manage his work, and film companies Motive Pictures & Endeavor Content, to create truly authentic Discworld screen adaptations.
Discworld, the iconic and enduringly popular literary phenomenon, spans a series of beloved novels that sold in excess of 100 million copies around the world during Sir Terry’s lifetime and remain as popular today. Now, Narrativia, Motive Pictures and Endeavor Content announce a brand new partnership which will bring this treasured world to screens in a series of prestige adaptations that remain absolutely faithful to Sir Terry Pratchett’s original, unique genius.
The spirit of this new alliance has been forged from a shared love of the source material, and a commitment to creating an epic series, which will kick off with some of the most iconic titles in Sir Terry’s fiercely incisive and satirical universe.
Narrativia, launched in 2012 by Sir Terry Pratchett, owns and controls the exclusive multimedia and merchandising rights to all of Sir Terry’s works, including his Discworld characters and creations. The company is headed by Managing Director Rob Wilkins and daughter of Sir Terry, along with being a celebrated writer in her own right, Rhianna Pratchett. In 2019 Narrativia saw the release of ‘Good Omens’ with Amazon Studios and BBC Studios, based on the internationally bestselling novel by Sir Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman.
“Discworld teems with unique characters, witty narrative and incredible literary tropes, and we feel these should be realised on screen in a form that my father would be proud of,” commented Rhianna Pratchett, Co-Director of Narrativia. “It’s wonderful to embark on this journey with Motive and Endeavor Content, who both perfectly share our vision to make this a reality.”
Motive Pictures is an independent British production company specialising in premium drama series and feature films for the UK, US and international markets, and backed by Endeavor Content. Before launching the company in 2019, CEO and Executive Producer Simon Maxwell was Head of International Drama at Channel 4 where he spearheaded the channel’s co-production strategy and commissioned a raft of ambitious shows including ‘Humans’ (the highest-rated drama for 20 years on Channel 4), ‘Born To Kill’, ‘Philip K Dick’s Electric Dreams’, ‘Kiss Me First’, ‘Chimerica’ and ‘The First’. Executive Producer Sam Lavender was previously Senior Commissioning Executive at Film4 where he was responsible for ‘The Favourite’, ‘The Lobster’, ‘American Animals’, ‘The True History of the Kelly Gang’ and ‘Saint Maud’ with development credits that include the Oscar-winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
“Discworld is a national treasure and we are thrilled to be forging this new partnership with Narrativia and Endeavor Content,” adds Maxwell. “Together we will produce shows that will be loved by millions of Discworld fans worldwide, whilst also opening up Sir Terry Pratchett’s epic creations and legacy to new audiences. We launched Motive to make high-quality British shows with global scale and impact and I can think of nothing that exemplifies that ambition more than this hugely exciting partnership.”
Endeavor Content is a global leader in the development, financing and sales of premium film, television, theatre and audio content. They have been responsible for financing, packaging or selling more than 100 premium shows and films including ‘The Night Manager‘, ‘The Young Pope’, ‘La La Land’ and ‘Killing Eve’.
“We are honoured to bring Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to the screen, in partnership with best-in-class producers Narrativia and Motive Pictures. Discworld is a masterpiece of storytelling, and we look forward to working with our partners to bring it to audiences worldwide,” commented Lorenzo De Maio, Head of TV Advisory for Endeavor Content.
The deal was struck by Rob Wilkins of Narrativia and Simon Maxwell of Motive Pictures, with Endeavor Content. Executive Producers for Motive Pictures will be Simon Maxwell and Sam Lavender, and Endeavor Content will handle worldwide sales.
