South of the River Pictures

What South of the River Pictures does

South of the River Pictures is a London-based independent scripted production company founded in November 2019 by Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman, screenwriter Ed Sinclair, and producer Tom Carver. The company develops and produces premium scripted drama and comedy for television and theatrical film, working in co-production with major broadcasters, streaming platforms, and film distributors including Sky Atlantic, HBO, FX, Searchlight Pictures, STUDIOCANAL, and Film4. Its productions target prestige audiences and have secured BAFTA Craft awards (LANDSCAPERS, 2022), a BIFA Best Ensemble Performance (WICKED LITTLE LETTERS, 2024), and consecutive BAFTA Outstanding British Film longlistings in 2024 and 2025.

The company's offering is creative IP and production services rather than technology. Its portfolio spans four-part true-crime drama LANDSCAPERS (Sky/HBO, 2021), theatrical comedy mystery WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (2024), reimagined dark comedy THE ROSES for Searchlight Pictures (2025), limited series Cry Wolf for FX (greenlit July 2025), and feature film WICKER, which premiered at Sundance in January 2026. SOTR also operates SCREENSHOT, an annual comedy writer-performer competition co-run with SISTER Pictures and the Royal Court Theatre, providing a recurring UK talent funnel onto its development slate.

South of the River Pictures earns revenue through production fees, content licensing to broadcasters and streamers, and theatrical distribution arrangements, typically as a co-producer rather than sole financier of its projects. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors or funding rounds, operates with 1-10 employees, and is registered in England (company number 11876797).

Name

South of the River Pictures

Legal name

South Of The River Pictures Limited

Website

https://southoftheriverpictures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South of the River Pictures is a London-based independent scripted production company, founded in 2019 by Olivia Colman, Ed Sinclair, and Tom Carver, developing and producing premium drama and comedy series and feature films for major broadcasters, streaming platforms, and film distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. TV Series Production & Licensing: Development and production of TV series (limited series and ongoing dramas) for premium streaming and broadcast platforms. Revenue generated through production deals, licensing fees, and co-production arrangements with networks like Sky Atlantic, HBO, and FX.
2. Feature Film Production & Distribution: Theatrical feature film production with distribution partnerships. Revenue from theatrical distribution deals, international sales, and downstream licensing to streaming platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South of the River Pictures is a London-based scripted production company that develops and produces original comedy and drama television series and feature films. The company was founded in November 2019 by Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and screenwriter Ed Sinclair, and operates by securing development deals and co-production agreements with premium streaming platforms, broadcast networks, and film distributors such as Sky Atlantic, HBO, FX, and Searchlight Pictures.

Product overview

South of the River Pictures is a production company founded by Olivia Colman, Ed Sinclair & Tom Carver in November 2019. The company develops and produces striking and original scripted comedy and drama with an authored, indie sensibility. The portfolio spans feature films (WICKED LITTLE LETTERS, THE ROSES, WICKER) and TV series (LANDSCAPERS, Cry Wolf), with a development program (SCREENSHOT) to discover emerging comedy writer-performers. Productions are made in partnership with various studios including SISTER, Sky, HBO, Searchlight Pictures, FX, and Topic Studios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Screenshot: Annual comedy writer-performer showcase competition run by South of the River Pictures in partnership with SISTER to find emerging comedy talent for TV.

Products and services

• LANDSCAPERS A four-part true-crime drama series produced with SISTER for Sky Atlantic and HBO, exploring the lives of convicted killers Susan and Christopher Edwards. Multi-Bafta-winning series starring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis.
• WICKED LITTLE LETTERS A 1920s English seaside town comedy mystery film based on a true story, following neighbours Edith Swan and Rose Gooding in a scandal involving obscene letters. Released in UK and Irish cinemas on 23 February 2024.
• THE ROSES A reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses for Searchlight Pictures, directed by Jay Roach. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as a picture-perfect couple whose marriage deteriorates.
• WICKER An enchanting, twisted love story about a Fisherwoman who commissions herself a husband from wicker, starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Elizabeth Debicki and Peter Dinklage. Premiered at Sundance 2026.
• Cry Wolf FX limited series psychological family thriller created by Sarah Treem, inspired by the Danish series Ulven Kommer. Stars Olivia Colman, Brie Larson and Shawn Hatosy.

Quantifiable outcome

• LANDSCAPERS won 3 BAFTA Craft awards in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Royal Court TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2023The Royal Court Theatre hosted the Screenshot 2023 live showcase event, providing venue and literary theatre partnership for the comedy writer-performer competition.
• Topic StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Topic Studios (Spencer, The Mauritanian) fully financed and is producing WICKER alongside South of the River Pictures, Yoki, Inc., and Votiv.
• TangocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Tango (Aftersun, WEIRD: The Weird Al Yankovic Story) fully financed and is producing WICKER alongside South of the River Pictures, Topic Studios, Yoki, Inc., and Votiv.
• SISTER PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019SISTER Pictures is a key co-production and development partner. LANDSCAPERS was produced by SISTER in association with South of the River Pictures. The two companies also co-run the SCREENSHOT comedy writer-performer competition, with SISTER's development team working alongside SOTR's team to identify emerging talent.
• STUDIOCANALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTUDIOCANAL is a co-production partner for WICKED LITTLE LETTERS feature film.
• FILM 4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFILM 4 is a co-production partner for WICKED LITTLE LETTERS feature film.
• BLUEPRINT PICTUREScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLUEPRINT PICTURES is a co-production partner for WICKED LITTLE LETTERS feature film.
• Searchlight PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSearchlight Pictures is the distribution and production partner for THE ROSES feature film, a reimagining of The War of the Roses directed by Jay Roach.
• Sunnymarch (Benedict Cumberbatch)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenedict Cumberbatch produces THE ROSES under his Sunnymarch banner, co-producing with South of the River Pictures.
• FX ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFX Productions is producing Cry Wolf limited series. South of the River's Ed Sinclair and Olivia Colman serve as executive producers.
• Yoki, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoki, Inc. is a co-producer for WICKER feature film.
• VotivminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVotiv is a co-producer for WICKER feature film.
• BBC Head of ComedyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBC Head of Comedy Tanya Qureshi served as a judge on the Screenshot 2023 competition panel.
• Sky StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSky Studios Commissioning Editor Tilusha Ghelani served as a judge on the Screenshot 2023 competition panel.
• Channel 4 Head of ComedyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChannel 4 Head of Comedy Charlie Perkins served as a judge on the Screenshot 2023 competition panel.
• HBO & Max Comedy ProgrammingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBO & Max Comedy Programming Executive Vice President Amy Gravitt served as a judge on the Screenshot 2023 competition panel.
• Netflix Scripted OriginalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetflix Scripted Originals Tom Lyons served as a judge on the Screenshot 2023 competition panel.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Working Title Films: Larger UK-based studio indie under Universal, producing premium scripted film and TV (Bridget Jones, Darkest Hour). Broader incumbent operating in the same premium UK scripted space as SOTR.
• Heyday Films: David Heyman's UK production company behind the Harry Potter films and Marriage Story. Broader incumbent in premium UK-driven scripted film with comparable festival and awards positioning.
• All3Media-owned indie scripted rivals (e.g., New Pictures): UK scripted indie within the All3Media group (Killing Eve-adjacent, The Missing). Broad incumbent comparable in customer base (UK broadcasters and US streamers) and scripted focus, but with much larger corporate backing.

Direct peers

• Baby Cow Productions: UK indie founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal focused on comedy-driven scripted work (Philomena, This Time with Alan Partridge). Comparable in founder-led, comedy-led indie positioning and UK/streamer customer mix.
• See-Saw Films: Independent producer of premium drama (Slow Horses, Heart of Stone, Lion). Closely comparable premium scripted UK/Australian indie with similar streamer and festival positioning.
• Potboiler Productions: UK indie scripted producer (Jerusalem, Babylon, Disclaimer) focused on author-led drama. Direct peer in author-driven, prestige-tier film and limited-series production.
• SISTER Pictures: London-based indie scripted production company (Chernobyl, Landscapers, This Way Up). Direct peer in size, focus and model; also SOTR's named co-production partner on LANDSCAPERS and SCREENSHOT.
• Warp Films: UK indie production company behind Shane Meadows films, This Is England and four-little-girls. Direct peer for independent UK scripted film and TV with festival pedigree.
• Element Pictures: Dublin/London indie producer behind Normal People, The Crown and Room. Directly comparable premium scripted indie with similar BAFTA-grade output and co-production relationships with major streamers.
• Blueprint Pictures: UK indie film and TV producer (Three Billboards, The Banshees of Inisherin). Direct peer in premium scripted features and an actual co-production partner with SOTR on WICKED LITTLE LETTERS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SOTRPictures
• Instagraminstagram.com/sotrpictures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-of-the-river-pictures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South of the River Pictures