60Forty Films

What 60Forty Films does

60Forty Films is a UK-based, privately held scripted television production company founded in February 2021 by Hakan Kousetta and Jamie Laurenson, headquartered at 21 Poland Street in London's Soho. The company develops and produces premium drama series and sells content licensing deals to streaming platforms, with Apple TV+ serving as its primary and effectively sole distribution partner. Its portfolio comprises five series spanning espionage thriller (Slow Horses, based on Mick Herron's Slough House novels and starring Gary Oldman, commissioned through Season 7), conspiracy thriller (Down Cemetery Road starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, renewed for Season 2), real-time action thriller (Hijack starring Idris Elba, renewed for Season 2), period literary adaptation (The Essex Serpent, based on Sarah Perry's novel), and Australian-set thriller (Last Seen starring Patrick Brammall, premiering May 2026).

The company's core "technology" is its production capability — developing literary IP, attaching A-list acting and producing talent, and co-producing with established production companies including See-Saw Films, Green Door Pictures, Idiotlamp Productions, and Werner Film Productions. Notable technical components are not software-based but talent-driven: Slow Horses has accumulated 14 Emmy nominations (2 wins), 17 BAFTA nominations (5 wins), 6 Golden Globe nominations, and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score for Season 4, reflecting sustained critical performance. The firm operates with approximately 17 staff covering development, production, legal and business affairs, and finance functions.

60Forty Films generates revenue through content licensing and executive producer/co-production arrangements with streaming platforms and broadcasters. Apple TV+ distributes its productions globally, and the company participates through executive producer credits, co-production economics, and likely back-end participation in flagship franchises. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Marketing is light, relying on an official website, an Instagram presence (@60fortyfilms), and earned press coverage from outlets including The Guardian, Variety, Deadline, Radio Times, and Apple TV press. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional investors; ownership remains with the two co-founders who also serve as executive producers across the slate.

Name

60Forty Films

Legal name

60Forty Films Ltd

Website

https://60fortyfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

60Forty Films is a London-based, privately held scripted television production company founded in 2021 by Hakan Kousetta and Jamie Laurenson. It develops and produces premium drama series for Apple TV+, including Slow Horses, Hijack, Down Cemetery Road, The Essex Serpent, and Last Seen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)

Keywords

• Scripted television production
• Drama series development
• Content licensing
• Streaming original series
• Television production company

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Content Licensing: The company generates revenue by developing and producing television series, selling licensing rights to streaming platforms like Apple TV+. Production deals include executive producer arrangements and co-production partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

60Forty Films is a UK-based television production company that develops and produces original scripted drama series for streaming platforms, principally Apple TV+. Its portfolio includes the espionage thriller Slow Horses (seasons 1-7), the real-time thriller Hijack, the thriller Down Cemetery Road, the period drama The Essex Serpent, and the Australian-set thriller Last Seen. Revenue is earned through content licensing deals and executive producer/co-production arrangements with streaming platforms and partner production companies.

Product overview

60Forty Films is a UK-based television production company that develops and produces scripted drama series primarily for streaming platforms, notably Apple TV+. The company operates as a content creation studio with a portfolio of original series across multiple seasons, including espionage thriller Slow Horses (with seasons 1-7), thriller Down Cemetery Road (series 1-2), action thriller Hijack (seasons 1-2), period drama The Essex Serpent, and Australian thriller Last Seen. The company was co-founded by Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kakan Kousetta in February 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Slow Horses Darkly humorous espionage drama following a dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 known as Slough House. Gary Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader. Produced for Apple TV+.
• Hijack Tense real-time seven-part thriller following a hijacked plane making its way from Dubai to London, starring Idris Elba as business negotiator Sam Nelson who attempts to save the passengers. Produced for Apple TV+ alongside co-production partners Idiotlamp Productions and Green Door Pictures.
• Down Cemetery Road Thriller series starring Emma Thompson as Oxford private eye Zoe Boehm and Ruth Wilson as Sarah Tucker, who become entangled in a complex conspiracy when investigating a house explosion and disappearance. Produced for Apple TV+ with Emma Thompson as executive producer.
• The Essex Serpent Six-episode drama based on the novel by Sarah Perry, set in Victorian England, following a London widow who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. Co-produced with See-Saw Films for streaming distribution.
• Last Seen Six-episode thriller starring Patrick Brammall as detective Ian Ridley, whose life fell apart 10 years ago when his young daughter disappeared without a trace. Set in Australia. Co-produced with Werner Film Productions for Apple TV+.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Idiotlamp ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Hijack series alongside George Kay and Jim Field Smith. 60Forty Films serves as executive producer alongside Idiotlamp for the Apple TV+ thriller.
• Green Door PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company of Idris Elba, serving as executive producer on Hijack. Kris Thykier also serves as executive producer.
• See-Saw FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman from See-Saw Films co-produce multiple 60Forty Films series including Slow Horses and The Essex Serpent.
• Werner Film ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive producers Kris Mrksa and Joanna Werner at Werner Film Productions serve as executive producers on Last Seen.
• Apple TV+flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary streaming platform partner distributing 60Forty Films productions globally including Slow Horses, Hijack, Down Cemetery Road, and Last Seen.
• Emma ThompsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy Award-winning actress Emma Thompson serves as executive producer and star of Down Cemetery Road series.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• See-Saw Films: See-Saw Films is a UK/Australian independent production company co-producing Slow Horses and The Essex Serpent with 60Forty Films. Both companies operate as prestige scripted drama producers for premium streamers (Apple TV+, Netflix) with overlapping executive producer teams and a shared book-to-screen adaptation model.
• Bad Wolf: Bad Wolf is a Cardiff-based scripted drama producer (His Dark Materials, Industry, Doctor Who) with deep HBO/Sky relationships. Comparable to 60Forty Films as a UK indie focused on high-end genre scripted content for premium platforms, with similar scale and headcount profile.
• Sister Pictures: Sister Pictures (Chernobyl, The Split, This Is Going to Hurt) is a UK scripted drama indie producing prestige, often limited-run series for streamers and broadcasters. Comparable to 60Forty Films in scale, genre ambition, and platform-direct distribution strategy.
• Left Bank Pictures: Left Bank Pictures (The Crown, Jack Ryan) is a UK scripted drama producer with longstanding relationships with Sony Pictures Television and streamers. Comparable as a mid-sized UK indie producing premium scripted content for global buyers.
• Mammoth Screen: Mammoth Screen (Enola Holmes, Poldark, Noughts + Crosses) is an ITV Studios-owned UK scripted drama producer. Comparable as a UK literary/book-to-screen adaptation specialist serving streamers and broadcasters with a similar prestige positioning.
• House Productions: House Productions (Sherwood, The Fear Index) is a UK indie producing prestige limited-run drama for BBC, FX, and streamers. Comparable in scale, prestige positioning, and literary adaptation focus to 60Forty Films.
• Warp Films: Warp Films is a UK indie producer of scripted drama (This Is England, Time, The Virtues) for BBC, Channel 4, and FX. Comparable as a UK-based prestige scripted drama specialist with a similar headcount profile.
• Heyday Films: Heyday Films (the Harry Potter films, Marriage Story, Paddington) is a UK/US scripted film and TV producer. Comparable in founder-led structure, prestige content focus, and deep relationships with major studios and platforms.

Broad incumbents

• All3Media: All3Media is one of the UK's largest independent production groups, owning numerous scripted producers (e.g., Company Pictures, New Pictures). A broader incumbent in the same space, with deeper capital and diversified output across scripted and unscripted content.

Others

• Apple Studios: Apple Studios is Apple TV+'s in-house production entity and 60Forty Films' primary commissioning buyer. Relevant as the strategic counterparty driving 60Forty's slate, and increasingly active as a direct producer (e.g., Killers of the Flower Moon), shaping competitive dynamics for outsourced UK producers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/60fortyfilms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 60Forty Films