Slow Horses (Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Apple TV)
Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta’s 60Forty Films has inked an overall deal with Apple TV+, Variety can exclusively reveal.
They are already in production on upcoming Apple TV+ thriller series “Hijack,” starring Idris Elba, which they are producing alongside Idiotlamp Productions and Elba’s company Green Door Pictures.
“Hijack” tells the story of Sam Nelson (played by Elba), an accomplished business negotiator whose quick-thinking, smooth-talking skills become crucial when the plane he is on is hijacked.
Laurenson and Kousetta have worked closely with Apple for a number of years, including on Gary Oldman-starrer “Slow Horses” (pictured above) and “The Essex Serpent,” starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, both of which the duo lead exec produced.
They return as exec producers on seasons three and four of “Slow Horses,” which have already started shooting in London with returning cast Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden and Christopher Chung.
Laurenson and Kousetta launched 60Forty in February 2021 after departing U.K./Australia production outfit See-Saw Films (See-Saw produced “Slow Horses” and “The Essex Serpent”).
While at See-Saw, where Laurenson was head of television and Kousetta was COO of television, the duo oversaw projects including Jane Campion’s “Top of the Lake: China Girl” and “The End,” starring Harriet Walter and Frances O’Connor (Sky Atlantic and Foxtel).
They won a Primetime Emmy for short form series “State of the Union,” which stars Chris O’Dowd and Rosamund Pike.
“We’ve had a wonderful time working with the brilliant people at See-Saw and we will miss them all,” Laurenson and Kousetta said when they announced their departure. “We are excited to start this new venture and are really happy to be continuing our collaboration with See-Saw on the projects we are exec producing.”
Variety's K.J. Yossman contributed to this post.
https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/apple-tv-60forty-first-look-deal-1235351179/
