Jane Featherstone creates new prodco

Former Kudos boss Jane Featherstone has unveiled her new production company, which is named Sister Pictures.

Featherstone left Endemol Shine Group-owned Kudos in spring last year after producing series such as Hustle, Broadchurch and The Tunnel.

Joining Featherstone from her former firm is Katie Carpenter, who is named head of development at Sister. Carpenter was development executive at Kudos.

Featherstone’s new firm will become a coproducer on the third season of Broadchurch along with Chris Chibnall’s Imaginary Friends and Kudos. Featherstone will remain executive producer.

Sister already has a “number of projects” in development, as it targets both UK and international buyers. One is a drama set in the world of divorce lawyers, The Split, which The Hour creator Abi Morgan has penned.

“This is a great time to be starting again, with such a range of global opportunities in scripted,” said Featherstone, who was also co-chairman of Shine Group before it merged with Endemol and Core Media Group.

“My passion is working with writers and I am relishing the prospect of establishing Sister Pictures as an independent home where I can continue to collaborate with some of the big names in drama as well as having the opportunity to support the next raft of authors in making some brilliant television,” she adds.

Diederick Santer and Dan Isaacs replaced Featherstone at Kudos, with Santer coming across from another UK-based Endemol Shine drama prodco, Lovely Day, and Isaacs promoted from his COO post at Kudos.

Another key former Endemol Shine producer, Colette Foster, recently launched her own production company, Full Fat Television, with backing from FremantleMedia.

Today’s news comes soon after Endemol Shine president Tim Hincks announced his intention to leave the company later this year.