Plan B Europe expands with SPT and House execs

Mediawan-backed producer Plan B Europe has hired former Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and House Productions execs to its senior ranks.

Maria Fleischer joins as executive producer at the London-based subsidiary of Plan B Entertainment, while Charlie Silver has been named development producer.

Fleischer had stints at Origin Pictures and Fox Searchlight in the UK before becoming head of development at DNA Films and TV, and was most recently vice-president of original development at Sony.

Silver joins Plan B Europe following an eight-year stint at House Productions, where he worked on James Graham’s Sherwood for the BBC and Stephen Butchard’s The Good Mothers for Disney+/Hulu.

He also had film credits on Andrea Arnold’s Bird and Danny Boyle’s Ink, which is currently in post-production.

The appointments come after former Clerkenwell exec Ed Macdonald joined Plan B last year to head up the company’s European division. Plan B is led by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.

Its slate includes F1 The Movie, Adolescence and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, with the European unit focused on expanding its film and television activities across the UK and Europe. Multiple undisclosed projects are in paid development, but details are under wraps.

Macdonald said: “As we continue to grow our distinctive slate in the UK and across Europe, Maria and Charlie are two exceptional additions. With their sharp editorial instincts and key relationships, I am absolutely thrilled to be welcoming them to the Plan B family.”

Distribution addition

In related Mediawan news, Robyn Hurd has joined the French group’s distribution arm as senior vice-president of sales and co-productions for the UK and Scandinavia.

Hurd was most recently SVP of content sales for EMEA at Fox Entertainment Global and before that led regional sales for A+E Networks.

The appointment comes six months after Mediawan relocated the leadership of its global distribution activities to London and appointed former All3Media International exec Sally Habbershaw as its chief distribution officer, reporting to Elisabeth d’Arvieu, Mediawan’s group chief content officer.