Working Title Working Title Films is a British film production

company, based in London. Working Title Films was co-founded by producers

Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. They were initially funded by film councils, government grants and tax schemes. In 1992, PolyGram became the company’s corporate backer. Radclyffe left Working Title, and Eric Fellner, a fellow independent film producer, join the company. PolyGram Films was later merged and sold to Universal Studios in 1999 for a reported $600 million.

French

French

French - Europea

nGerma

nUK -

European

American America

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American

Parent Company

Funding

Production

Distribution

Owners of everything

Working Title did have a ‘little sister’ company (WT2) who is now stopped production

Working Title are contractually allowed to produce any film with a budget of up to £35 million.

Its located in London, and is known for having a limited number or employees.

The company also has other offices located in Los Angeles, and Ireland.

It produces feature films and several television productions, including some films starring comic actor Rowan Atkinson

WT2

Working Title 2 is their smaller subsidiary company and they make small budget films that appeal to select audiences. Many of them are intended for a British spectators.

Film maths

Working Title have cleverly thought of a relation that will appeal to a very large audience...

Films + American stars = Appeal to international market (and success for the British film industry)

This approach has provoked criticism about the ‘mid-Atlantic nature of the films’

Universal and Working Title

Universal are the parent company of Working Title. They provide funding of up to £35 million to Working Title so they can make the films they desire .  Working Title have the appearance of being independent - but really they are owned and cared for by Universal.

Over time Working Title have become a global company and now produce commercial films which appeal to a mass market, such as the US, as well as British audiences. Storylines are narrow and safe, such as ‘Nanny McPhee’ which is appealing to all ages. As working Title also have a bugger budget, they have access to big resources, and use new technologies for films such a ‘Paul’

The idea that Working Title are a British company in some ways belies the financial reality – that of a company bankrolled by a Hollywood studio (Universal) and a European media conglomerate (Canal Plus), working in the heart of LA.

It is this willingness to deal with Hollywood on its own terms that has lead to Working Title’s unique position in Hollywood – a British-run company with the power to green-light any film it chooses

Genres They mainly produce genres such as:

Action

Comedy

Rom-com

Adventure

Period-drama

Example films

The Official Working Title website