Merman, Kapital launch UK-focused JV

Sharon Horgan’s new production firm Merman Films has created a joint venture with US indie Kapital Entertainment.

Horgan (pictured) and Kapital boss Aaron Kaplan have previously worked together on a number of American scripts, but will now develop US-created content for the UK market through Kapital’s new global division, Kapital International.

The JV already has a pair of projects on the go. Post Empire is billed as a six-episode dark comedy for the UK from James van der Beek (Dawson’s Creek), Roger Avery and author Brett Easton Ellis. It stars ven der Beek as the head of pyramid scheme that begins to collapse.

In the US, the pair is working on A Sort of Family, a multi-cam comedy for CBS thanks under development at CBS Television Studios. Horgan is working with British screenwriter Neil Forsyth on the project, which is about a single man that discovers he has a teenage son.

Merman was officially announced yesterday, with Clelia Mountford as managing director and Horgan as creative chief.