Fremantle has signed a first look and development deal with Astral Projection, the production company from Academy Award winning actress Rachel Weisz and British executive producer Polly Stokes.
The three-year deal will see Fremantle become the primary home for all of Astral Projection’s television and film projects, with the producer working closely with both Fremantle’s Global Drama division and international distribution team.
The partnership was spearheaded by Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s CEO of Global Drama and Seb Shorr, COO of Global Drama.
Astral Projection co-produced Dead Ringers, the six-part psychological thriller for Amazon, created by Alice Birch, in which Weisz played both lead roles in the gender-swapped reimagining of the 1988 David Cronenberg film. Stokes, a former Creative Executive at Film4, and Weisz have a long-standing relationship and are building a slate of projects, across television and film, with Rebecca Servadio as Astral’s literary consultant.
This is the latest creative partnership to be announced by Fremantle following its recent first look development deal with Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee’s UK production house Me+You Productions which was secured following a collaboration on TV drama Alice & Jack.
Fremantle also has first look deals in place with the likes of All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger and his label Nine Hours, Angelina Jolie, and Pablo Larraín’s Fabula.
Weisz said: “We are thrilled to have found such experienced and trusting partners in Fremantle. As soon as we met Christian and Seb, we knew they were a perfect fit for our taste and energy and that this would be a brilliant home for Astral.”
Christian Vesper, CEO Global Drama at Fremantle, said: “We’ve been admirers of Polly and Rachel’s careers for some time. The breadth, scale and acclaim of their combined body of work across both television and film is truly impressive and I’ve no doubt this is going to be a fruitful and exciting partnership. I couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the Fremantle family and start collaborating on world-class projects together.”
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
Broadband subscription growth rebounds to hit 1.6 billion
Global fixed broadband subscribers reached 1.591 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 1.06% on the previous quarter and 4.15% year-on-year, according to research by analysts Point Topic.
Western Europe streaming revenue to hit $75bn by 2031
Western Europe's total streaming revenue is set to rise from $53.3bn in 2026 to $74.9bn by 2031, up 41%, according to 3Vision's Video Markets Tracker forecasts.
Spotify to add AI Persona badges on AI-generated artist profiles
Spotify is to start adding ‘AI Persona’ badges on some artist profiles from September 2026 to give listeners more transparency about whether the artist behind the music was a real person.
Disney+ strikes broadcasting deal with Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast
Disney+ has signed a one-year agreement to broadcast The Overlap network's Stick to Football podcast and a new show, named Stick to United with Wayne Rooney.
Paramount says Warner Bros Discovery deal has secured global regulatory approval
Paramount Skydance Corporation has claimed it secured regulatory clearance for its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery in all countries that have investigated the deal.
.jpg)
