ITV Studios unveiled on Tuesday that it has acquireda majority stake in Moonage Pictures, one of the U.K.s fastest-growing independent producers of high-end drama, including global hitsThe GentlemenandA Good Girls Guide to Murder.

Moonage Pictures was established in 2018 by Will Gould, Matthew Read and Frith Tiplady and produces original, inventive content for UK and international markets.

The Gentlemen,directed by Guy Richie, debuted as Netflixs number one show and quickly became one of the most-viewed TV shows of 2024.A Good Girls Guide to Murder,adapted for the BBC and Netflix reached the streamers global top-10 most-watched list. They also recentlylaunched the acclaimed adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusass epic novelThe Leopardfor Netflix. Other production credits include:Bodies, the limited series starring Stephen Graham (Netflix Global Top Ten); Emily Mortimers adaptation ofThe Pursuit of Lovefor BBC One andAmazon;The Famous Fivefor the BBC,co-createdwith Nicolas Widing Refn;Curfewfor Sky One; NetflixsObsessionandsci-fiIntergalacticfor Sky One.

The company is already working on second seasons forThe Gentlemen,A Good Girls Guide to MurderandThe Famous Five.

As part of the acquisition, BBC Studios has exited its stake in Moonage and will continue to distribute returning series includingA Good Girls Guide to MurderandThe Famous Five. International distribution of new Moonage Pictures series will be handled by ITV Studios.

Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios, said: Will, Matthew and Frith have built a formidable scripted production company with a very strong slate of first class shows ranging fromThe GentlementoA Good Girls Guide To Murder. Theyre an incredibly talented team and we feel incredibly fortunate theyre joining ITV Studios. I cant wait to work with them.

Frith Tiplady, Managing Director Moonage Pictures, said: Weve loved every minute of the past seven years collaborating with exceptional writers, directors, and production teams to create work were immensely proud of. Its been a real adventure. Now, as Moonage enters its next chapter, were thrilled to be joining forces with ITV Studios. This partnership opens up exciting new possibilities, and we cant wait to see what we can achieve together.

The acquisition is a further milestone in ITVs strategy of expanding its international content business, with Moonage Pictures becoming the latest in a line of production companies to join the group in recent years.

This includes the recent acquisition of acclaimed drama producer Eagle Eye Drama, the multi-award winning Hartswood Films, Nicola Shindlers Quay Street Productions, Happy Prince, led by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Ben Stephensons Poison Pen Studios and premium natural history and factual entertainment prodco, Plimsoll Productions.