Hannah Farrell Promoted at David Thompson’s Origin Pictures
Hannah Farrell is to step up to the role of head of film and television at David Thompson’s Origin Pictures, whose credits include “Woman in Gold,” starring Helen Mirren. She replaces Ed Rubin, who is leaving the company for a new role elsewhere, which is expected to be announced next week.
The company’s latest movie, “The Sense of an Ending,” will be released by CBS in the U.S. and Studiocanal in the U.K. early next year. Based on Julian Barnes’ Booker Prize-winning novel, adapted by Nick Payne and directed by Ritesh Batra, the film stars Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery and Emily Mortimer, and was financed by FilmNation and BBC Films.
Past film productions include “X + Y,” starring Sally Hawkins, Rafe Spall, Asa Butterfield and Eddie Marsan; “What We Did on Holiday,” starring Billy Connolly, David Tennant and Rosamund Pike; “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris; and “The Awakening,” starring Rebecca Hall and Dominic West.
Past television productions include “Death Comes to Pemberley,” starring Matthew Rhys, Anna Maxwell Martin, Matthew Goode, Jenna Coleman, James Norton and Eleanor Tomlinson; “Cider With Rosie,” starring Samantha Morton, Annette Crosbie and Timothy Spall; and “The Crimson Petal & The White,” starring Romola Garai, Chris O’Dowd, Gillian Anderson and Richard E. Grant.
Farrell, who is running Origin’s development slate, has more than 10 years’ experience at a senior level in development, first at Working Title and then at Ruby Films.
Thompson said: “Ed has played a key part in the founding and growth of Origin, and we will all be very sorry to see him leave. He has been a great colleague and champion of our projects.”
Rubin said he was “very sad to move on and leave behind all the terrific projects on the slate. I have such admiration and fondness for David, whom I’ve worked with now for almost 12 years since BBC Films.”
Origin is currently developing major TV series with partners including BBC, Sky, eOne, Bell Media and IM Global, and feature films with partners including BBC Films, BFI, Film Four, Lionsgate and Fox. Pre-production has started on a five-part adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ classic novel “The Woman in White” for the BBC, adapted by Fiona Seres and to be directed by Carl Tibbets. Other upcoming projects include new works by William Nicholson (“Gladiator” and “Les Mis”) and David Farr (“The Night Manager”).
Origin has a first-look television distribution deal with Endemol Shine.
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