Wildside’s Lorenzo Mieli & The Apartment’s Mario Gianani to exit, Fremantle ‘finalising’ new partnership

My Brilliant Friend (Source: Fremantle)

Italian production chiefs Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani, founders of The Good Mothers firm Wildside and My Brilliant Friend‘s The Apartment, are to exit their Fremantle-owned companies.

The news, which was first revealed late last year by The Hollywood Reporter Italy, has been confirmed by Fremantle, which told TBI it is “finalising a way to continue to work together in a different structure.”

Details of the duo’s next move have not been revealed but local reports suggest they are exploring setting up a new company together. It is unclear if Fremantle will be involved in the venture.

Fremantle will retain 100% ownership of both Wildside and The Apartment, with the new structure and leadership of those companies set to be confirmed shortly. Wildside recently hired former Sky Studios exec Sonia Rovai as its COO.

Mieli and Gianani worked together at Wildside prior to its acquisition by Fremantle in 2015. It is behind shows including HBO’s We Are Who We Are and Disney+ series The Good Mothers.

Gianani set up The Apartment in 2020, with its slate including Priscilla and The New Pope.