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Idris Elba has signed a global multi-book deal with HarperCollins to publish a range of children’s books.

The actor’s book deal includes both picture books and fiction that he has developed with his writing partner Robyn Charteris. Charteris’s credits include a BAFTA-winning children’s drama series for Cbbc and creating and writing one of the first original 52-episode pre-school series for the launch of digital channel CBeebies. Charteris also served as a creative consultancy for Mattel Toys and Lego, and has a master’s degree in Playwriting.

The upcoming children’s books are set to launch in 2022.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to ...

Idris Elba has signed a global multi-book deal with HarperCollins to publish a range of children’s books.

The actor’s book deal includes both picture books and fiction that he has developed with his writing partner Robyn Charteris. Charteris’s credits include a BAFTA-winning children’s drama series for Cbbc and creating and writing one of the first original 52-episode pre-school series for the launch of digital channel CBeebies. Charteris also served as a creative consultancy for Mattel Toys and Lego, and has a master’s degree in Playwriting.

The upcoming children’s books are set to launch in 2022.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to ...

Exclusive: Haifaa Al-Mansour, whose The Perfect Candidate bowed in Competition at Venice this year, has signed to direct Let It Go, a biopic of pioneering Brit technology entrepreneur Dame Stephanie Shirley.

The English-language project will track the life of Shirley, who arrived in the UK in 1939 as a six-year-old refugee from Nazi Germany. From humble roots she built up an information technology business to be worth more than $3bn.

She was also a firm advocate of women’s rights in the workplace, creating numerous job opportunities for women at her company and also giving them shares, which made many of them rich. The early days of computing and software were heavily male-dominated, and Shirley adopted the name “Steve” to help her get ahead after finding her letters penned under Stephanie were often ignored.

Producers on the pic are Damian Jones (The Iron Lady) and The Development Partnership, the sister company...

UK fund manager and film and TV sales company Great Point Media has set up a slate of projects with The Development Partnership, the production arm of UK talent agency The Artists Partnership. Projects on the development slate include film Chasing Agent Freegard, set to star McMafia and Grantchester actor James Norton.

Jim Reeve and Robert Halmi Jr’s Great Point will help develop and produce the features and will also sell them in the international marketplace. First to be announced are features Let It Go, Chasing Agent Freegard and Rose.

Let It Go combines Great Point and The Development Partnership with The Iron Lady and Belle producer Damian Jones. The film will chart the story of UK It pioneer Stephanie Shirley. Shirley was a child refugee who became a trailblazing entrepreneur, driven philanthropist and computing pioneer. Her tech business, which she set up in 1962 at her kitchen table, grew...

Great Point Media and The Development Partnership, the development and production arm of the talent agency the Artists Partnership, are joining forces to develop, package, and co-produce multiple films, kicking off with three projects, including “Chasing Agent Freegard,” starring James Norton (“War & Peace”).

“Chasing Agent Freegard,” which is being produced by “Captain Phillips” co-producer Michael Bronner, is based on the gripping true story of Robert Hendy-Freegard, a con man who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled several people into going underground for fear of assassination by the Ira. Norton, who stars in upcoming Berlin competition title “Mr. Jones” by Agnieszka Holland and will be seen next in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Women,” will executive produce “Chasing Agent Freegard” through his recently launched banner, Rabbit Track Pictures.

The other two projects to be developed under the agreement are “Let It Go” and “Rose.” Produced by Damian Jones...

Titles include ‘Chasing Agent Freegard’ with James Norton.

UK-based finance and sales outfit Great Point Media is teaming with The Development Partnership, the production initiative run by talent firm The Artists Partnership, on a slate of feature films.

Great Point will handle sales and fund management on the titles, the initial three of which have been unveiled: Chasing Agent Freegard, Let It Go and Rose.

Starring James Norton, Chasing Agent Freegard is based on the true story of con man Robert Hendy-Freegard, who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled several people into going underground for fear of assassination by the Ira.