Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, who head US-based Plan B production company with Brad Pitt, discussed their recent London-based European subsidi
Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, who head US-based Plan B production company with Brad Pitt, discussed their recent London-based European subsidiary in London and whether Trump’s latest film tariff threat will change their strategy at the BFI London Film Festival this weekend.
“We’re doing a lot of stuff here already,” Kleiner told Screen at the UK premiere of Philippa Lowthorpe’s H Is For Hawk on October 12. Plan B produced the feature alongside Film4. “So it feels like the right moment.”
Former Clerkenwell Films executive producer Ed McDonald will head up Plan B Europe. “Ed is really brilliant at television, I think it’s going to help us expand even more here, and also leaning towards Europe too,” Kleiner continued, teasing that more UK-based projects will be announced shortly.
Gardner added that hiring McDonald was like “finding long lost family” and emphasised Plan B’s global approach.
“We’ve been together over 20 years, so that’s always a very bespoke and time-intensive process,” said Gardner.
“Also, we love it here, and we have partners in Paris [Mediawan has a 60% stake in the company] and we love making things all over the world. It just seemed like an incredible opportunity, if we found the right person from here.”
The producer also noted that if Donald Trump’s 100% tariff on films made outside the US were to go ahead, it may change the locations of future projects. “I don’t know if we’re going to make [films outside of the US] if they cost twice as much but we’re always going to try and make things all over the world because that’s the best thing for cinema,” she added.
Claire Foy stars in H Is For Hawk, which is adapted from Helen McDonald’s memoir about tending to a Goshawk after the death of her father. Plan B had been attached to the project since 2017 when Lena Headey was originally set to direct.
“It wasn’t the simplest film to get made,” Kleiner revealed. “But a lot of people were really determined to get this thing across.
“It’s a film that deals with complicated emotions and it isn’t super snappy. It proceeds at a very deliberate pace but it’s all very intentional. So it sometimes that takes a while for things to get across.”
Lionsgate UK is releasing H Is For Hawk in UK and Ireland cinemas.
COMMENTS