In a shock move for the U.K. industry, Netflix has poached Ollie Madden, director of Film4 and Channel 4 drama, to become its new director of U.K. Film.
Madden, who oversaw a slate at Film4 that included Oscar-winning features such as “Poor Things,” “The Zone of Interest” and “The Favourite,” will be joining content team overseen by Anne Mensah in Netflix’s London office. He will both lead the streamer’s U.K. film slate and act as the primary U.K. contact for films on Dan Lin’s slate where the IP, talent and production are based in the U.K., with the exception of family features for North America, such as the Narnia and Dahl franchises. He will also develop a select portfolio of filmmaker-led series.
Madden is set to leave Film4 and start his new position in October.
A long-term Film4 exec having joined the production arm of U.