Neal Street Productions

Neal Street Productions is a British independent production company working across film, television and theatre. It was established in 2003 by director Sam Mendes, producer Pippa Harris and theatre executive Caro Newling, with the company taking its name from its offices in a converted warehouse on Neal Street in Covent Garden, London. Its founding structure connected film direction, screen production and theatre management, giving the company a broad portfolio rather than a single-medium identity. The company’s screen work has included feature films such as Jarhead, Revolutionary Road and Starter for 10, as well as television drama and factual projects. Its television credits include Stuart: A Life Backwards, starring Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch; Penny Dreadful, created and written by John Logan; The Hollow Crown, a BBC and PBS cycle of Shakespeare adaptations; Call the Midwife; and Britannia. Call the Midwife became one of the United Kingdom’s most successful continuing dramas, with its fourth series averaging more than 11 million UK viewers according to the cited reference material. The programme’s 2017 Christmas special was reported as BBC One’s highest-viewed programme on Christmas Day that year. Neal Street has also maintained a substantial theatre operation. Its productions have included The Bridge Project, Shrek The Musical and the musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In 2017 and 2018, the company produced The Ferryman, written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Mendes. The production became a prominent example of Neal Street’s connection to high-profile British theatre and its ability to develop work across stage and screen. In 2013, Nicolas Brown joined Neal Street to work across its film and television portfolio. In 2015, the company was acquired by All3Media, placing the producer within a larger international production and distribution group while retaining its Neal Street identity. The company subsequently produced Britannia, a historical drama described in the reference material as the first co-production between Sky and Amazon Prime Video. Neal Street has also been associated with development of a live-action adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree alongside StudioCanal. Neal Street’s positioning is that of a creator-led production house combining commercially viable television with prestige drama, feature films and theatre. Its catalogue is characterized by literary and historical adaptations, ensemble casts, authored drama and projects supported by established creative leaders. The available reference material does not establish a complete current production slate, detailed ownership structure beyond the All3Media acquisition, or a current list of corporate officers.

Neal Street Productions was founded in 2003 by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling. The company’s offices were established in a converted warehouse on Neal Street in Covent Garden, London, providing the physical and cultural setting for a business designed to work across film, television and theatre. The founding team brought complementary experience: Mendes supplied a major directing and theatrical profile, Harris brought screen-production expertise, and Newling contributed theatre-sector experience. The company’s early and continuing film work included Jarhead, Revolutionary Road and Starter for 10. Rather than concentrating only on feature cinema, Neal Street developed a parallel television identity through projects such as Stuart: A Life Backwards, a drama featuring Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch. It also became involved in ambitious adaptation and historical projects, including The Hollow Crown, a series of Shakespeare films made for the BBC and PBS and featuring a large ensemble of prominent British actors. Neal Street’s television profile expanded significantly with Penny Dreadful, created and written by John Logan and starring Josh Hartnett, Eva Green, Timothy Dalton and Rory Kinnear. The company also produced Call the Midwife, which became a major BBC drama and one of the United Kingdom’s most watched continuing programmes. The fourth series reportedly averaged over 11 million UK viewers, while the 2017 Christmas special was reported to have been BBC One’s highest-viewed Christmas Day programme that year. The theatre division remained an important part of the company’s identity. Neal Street produced The Bridge Project, Shrek The Musical and the stage musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In 2017 and 2018, it produced The Ferryman, written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Mendes. This work illustrated the company’s ability to originate and support projects in theatre while also participating in high-profile screen production. Nicolas Brown joined the company in 2013 to work across its film and television portfolio. In 2015, All3Media acquired Neal Street Productions. The acquisition expanded the company’s corporate resources and connections while preserving its established name and creative positioning. Later work included Britannia, a historical drama starring Kelly Reilly, David Morrissey, Zoë Wanamaker, Liana Cornell and Stanley Weber. The production was identified in the reference material as the first co-production between Sky and Amazon Prime Video. Neal Street has also been associated with development of a live-action adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree alongside StudioCanal. The available sources do not provide a full account of the project’s release status, nor do they establish a complete current management roster or comprehensive list of active productions. The company is best understood as an active, All3Media-owned British production label with a cross-medium catalogue spanning prestige television, feature film and theatre.

1. 2018Britannia co-production

   Neal Street produces Britannia in a Sky and Amazon Prime Video co-production.

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2. 2017The Ferryman enters Neal Street’s theatre portfolio

   Neal Street produces Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman, directed by Sam Mendes.

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3. 2015All3Media acquisition

   All3Media acquires Neal Street Productions.

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4. 2013Nicolas Brown joins the company

   Nicolas Brown joins to work across Neal Street’s film and television portfolio.

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5. 2003Neal Street Productions is founded

   Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling establish the production company in London.

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A creator-led British production company focused on prestige film, television and theatre, often combining literary or historical material with prominent directors, writers and performers.

• Feature filmsFilm production

  Neal Street’s feature-film work includes Jarhead, Revolutionary Road and Starter for 10. These projects reflect the company’s interest in director-led cinema, literary or adapted material and substantial dramatic storytelling.

• Call the MidwifeTelevision drama

  A long-running BBC period drama produced by Neal Street. The series became one of the United Kingdom’s most watched television programmes, with the cited material reporting particularly strong audiences for its fourth series and Christmas specials.

• Penny DreadfulTelevision drama

  A dark historical-fantasy television drama created and written by John Logan. The series featured Josh Hartnett, Eva Green, Timothy Dalton and Rory Kinnear and formed part of Neal Street’s international prestige-television profile.

• The Hollow CrownTelevision film series

  A BBC and PBS series of Shakespeare adaptations produced as television films. Its ensemble included Ben Whishaw, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville, Keeley Hawes and Sophie Okonedo.

• The FerrymanTheatre production2017

  A stage play by Jez Butterworth produced by Neal Street and directed by Sam Mendes in 2017–2018. It represents the company’s continuing involvement in major contemporary British theatre.

• BritanniaTelevision drama2018

  A historical drama produced by Neal Street and presented as a Sky and Amazon Prime Video co-production. The cast included Kelly Reilly, David Morrissey, Zoë Wanamaker, Liana Cornell and Stanley Weber.

• 2015Joining All3MediaM&A

  Neal Street had built a cross-medium portfolio in film, television and theatre before becoming part of the larger All3Media production group.

  What changed. All3Media acquired Neal Street Productions.

  Aftermath. The company continued to operate under the Neal Street name and remained associated with film, television and theatre production.

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• 2018Britannia becomes a Sky and Amazon Prime Video co-production

  Neal Street produced Britannia, described in the cited reference material as the first co-production between Sky and Amazon Prime Video.

  Product launch
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• 2015All3Media acquires Neal Street Productions

  Neal Street Productions was acquired by All3Media, bringing the independent film, television and theatre producer into a larger production group.

  M&A
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• 2015Call the Midwife reaches major UK television audiences

  The fourth series of Call the Midwife reportedly averaged more than 11 million UK viewers and the programme remained among the country’s most watched television offerings.

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1. Neal Street Productions