EXCLUSIVE: Vice-owned Pulse Films, the storied transatlantic production company behind Gangs of London, American Honey and The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is exiting the high-end TV and film game after 20 years.
Vice has made a number of layoffs in London as Pulse segues to become a commercials, music video and branded entertainment producer only, while Vice Studios will take on its future scripted projects under newly-installed studios chief Amy Powell in L.A.
The move signals the end of an era for Pulse, which has been responsible across two decades for movies like American Honey and Mogul Mowgli, hit Netflix doc The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann and Sky-AMC’s Gangs of London, the latter of which was just renewed for Season 4. Sky’s Atomic TV series and Saoirse Ronan movie Bad Apples are other recent projects. Future projects such as Gangs of London Season 4 will be housed with Vice Studios in L.A.
We understand there have been a number of layoffs in London. Jamie Hall, who had been running the newly-merged Vice Studios Group, which included Pulse, is moving to BBC Studios as scripted MD.
Meanwhile, Vice CFO Matthew Moore, who was based in London, recently left, replaced by Nate Brown. We are told Vice has recently hired a number of staff in L.A. and New York, while it plans to fill additional roles in the UK. A Vice UK high-end scripted footprint remains via McMafia indie Cuba Pictures, which it recently bought from UTA-owned Curtis Brown.
Pulse had been in flux since the exit of founder Thomas Benski, who launched IP-led media group Lumina and has since backed Magna Studios run by former Pulse bosses Marisa Clifford and Davud Karbassioun, which we are told has hired several ex-Pulse staff. Pulse’s latest accounts for full-year 2023 said the London-headquartered indie had 66 staff. During that year the company made £61.9M ($81.4M) in revenue – more than half of which came from the U.S. – along with a profit of £5.3M.
“To better position the studio for growth, we’ve consolidated our premium film and TV offering as a unified VICE Studios under the leadership of Amy Powell,” a Vice spokeswoman told Deadline. “We are confident we have the right team, vision, and resources to drive the global, premium and culturally resonant storytelling VICE is known for. Pulse Films is still a vibrant label with a thriving commercials, music video and branded entertainment offering within our brand group alongside production company London Alley, creative agency VIRTUE and comedy label Ruckus Films.”
Vice has had a rollercoaster few years, to say the least.
Following the company’s much-publicized bankruptcy in 2022, when it was sold for $350M to hedge fund and former investor Fortress, the group laid off hundreds of staff and restructured. Former Vice Media boss Bruce Dixon and Studios Co-President Danny Gabai told us Vice was coming back from the brink last year with a new $75M production finance facility that Vice says will power up to $500M in content spend over the next three to five years. Both Dixon and Gabai have since departed, replaced by NBCUniversal vet Adam Stotsky and Powell respectively.