Banijay releases Occupied’s Yellow Bird in UK

Banijay Group is bringing its Swedish production group Yellow Bird to the UK as it looks to strengthen its international position in scripted.

Yellow Bird Productions UK will focus on developing and creating original series with a Scandi tone to the UK. Yellow Bird Sweden’s series Occupied has already been successful in the UK market, according to the group.

The new entity will be a part of Banijay Studios International, which coordinates all of Banijay’s scripted activity and is headed up by group head of fiction Takis Candilis, who joined last year after leaving Lagardere Studios.

The prodco’s current chief creative officer, Berna Levin (pictured), will head up the UK business having been part of Yellow Bird in Sweden since its launch. During that time she has been an integral part of international projects from Millenium Trilogy to Headhunters.

Yellow Bird UK will keep close ties to the Stockholm-based sister, run by managing director Johannes Jenson.

The creation of the new London-based prodco marks the continued push in scripted set out by Candilis and group COO Peter Langenberg, who also brought in scripted prodcos Blacklight TV and Fearless Minds. The group also expects to announce further additions to its scripted list in coming months.

Levin said: “Yellow Bird has always had the ambition of creating high-end drama for an international market and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished so far.

“Having already worked closely with talent and broadcasters in the UK, this feels like the natural next step and I’m very excited to be joining such an impressive and talented creative community. I look forward to many fruitful collaborations as we continue our quest to find great stories, and bring fantastic characters to life.“