partnerships

Argo Films prides itself on working with the best in the business and has established several formal partnerships with collaborators in the UK, the US and Asia. Each of these partner businesses is passionate about authentic storytelling, with an approach that totally aligns with our own. They also bring different perspectives and insights, a network of local talent and industry contacts and sometimes even investment and budget efficiencies. For us, the whole is so often greater than the sum of its parts.

Sympatico is a partnership between Argo Films and Double Vision, the award-winning Malaysian production company, part of the Vision New Media group, headed by CEO Min Lim. Double Vision’s credits include Asian versions of the hit global series Liar and The Bridge, the latter of which was the first Malaysian drama to be shown on Stan in Australia.  

Sympatico will develop and produce bold, authentic and entertaining film and television content that smashes stereotypes and organically integrates East and West for global audiences. Projects underway include high-end TV series Emergency, a gripping espionage thriller set in a 1951 Malaya battling for independence; Berjalai, a film based on a true story of an Iban tracker and a British soldier being hunted through the jungle in the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s; and The Family, a dark comedy film about Malaysian thieves who get more than they bargain for when they hold an American family – who are actually serial killers – hostage in their own home. 

Promethean is a new production label established between Argo Films and Richard Johns’ long-term friend and collaborator, E. Elias Merhige, one of America’s most influential auteur film directors. Elias and Richard first worked together as director and producer on Shadow of the Vampire (2000), starring Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich, which was nominated for two Oscars and a Golden Globe award, amongst others. However, Elias first captivated arthouse audiences with his influential film Begotten (1991), which renowned philosopher and activist Susan Sontag hailed as "one of the ten most important films of modern times".

Promethean’s first project is a feature film, Howl, a beautiful, heart-breaking drama about love and survival. It tells the moving story of Harry, a friendly family dog that inadvertently gets left at home during an extreme winter after his owners die in a car crash. Told from Harry’s point of view, he goes through a rollercoaster survival ride until he meets his greatest challenge, an orphaned wolf-cub. Eventually, they overcome their mutual fear and suspicion and learn to cooperate and collaborate, becoming the closest of friends. Howl is written by Christopher Monger (Temple Grandin, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain), with Doug Allan (Frozen Planet) on board as cinematographer, and Andrew Simpson (The Revenant, Game of Thrones) as the wolf whisperer. 

So Many Stories is a collaboration between Argo Films’ Richard Johns and another long-term friend - Jules Williamson, an award-winning drama and documentary director based in the UK’s North-East region. After starting life as an actress, Jules chose a life behind the camera and has worked with many influential people and companies, including David Puttnam and Working Title. Her passion for stories has led to finding and developing projects such as Prisoners in Time, the BBC drama starring John Hurt about Eric Lomax, author of ‘The Railway Man’. She is, however, perhaps best known for directing the 2021 feature film Off the Rails. Inspired by her own life story, the comedy-drama stars the late Kelly Preston in her final role, along with Dame Judi Dench, Sally Phillips, Jenny Seagrove and Ben Miller.

So Many Stories’ focus is on developing stories with global appeal that have their roots in the North East of England. It currently has a healthy slate of TV drama projects in development, derived from a mix of bestselling novels and original ideas.