Sony Buys Into ‘Safe House’ and Alex Rider Producer Eleventh Hour Films

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Sony Pictures Television has made an Eleventh Hour investment, taking a minority stake in the U.K.-based producer behind “Safe House,” “New Blood,” and the upcoming Alex Rider teen-spy series.

Sony and Eleventh Hour Films are working together on the Alex Rider project and have previously teamed on UFO drama “ Rendlesham ,” and “The Caine Mutiny,” an an eight-part event series adapted by Anthony Horowitz from the Herman Wouk novel.

Distribution of EHF projects will be handled by Sony as part of the deal. The U.K. shingle is run by Jill Green, Eve Gutierrez, Paula Cuddy and Nicole Finnan. Green previously set up and ran Greenlit Productions, producing ITV’s detective series “Foyle’s War,” drama series “Collision,” and George Clooney feature film “The American.

With Sony it is working up an eight-part adaptation of “ Point Blanc ,” the second book in Horowitz’s young adult Alex Rider series. SPT’s International Distribution and Production units are fully funding the project, with EHF producing.

“We are thrilled to be deepening our relationship with the passionate and visionary women of EHF, who are among the sharpest and most motivated producers we’ve met,” said Wayne Garvie (pictured), president of international production for SPT. “We look forward to seeing their strong roster of projects develop further and helping them achieve their future vision for the business.”

Finnan, EHF’s managing director, added: “This is an exciting and natural extension of our already strong relationship with Wayne and his team. It will help fulfill EHF’s ambition for our content to have a truly global reach and adds greater strategic muscle worldwide.”