Nicholas Weinstock’s Invention Studios Bows Film, TV Development Programs in Australia and Kenya (EXCLUSIVE)
Invention Studios has launched two film and television development programs in Australia and Kenya dedicated to supporting top local writers and creators and bringing their projects to the world market.
Repped by CAA, Invention Studios was founded by CEO Nicholas Weinstock, the well-established producer of hit series such as “Severance” and “Escape at Dannemora.”
More from Variety
“We are thrilled to be expanding our international work to find the greatest emerging creators capable of developing wildly original and world-class movies and shows,” said Weinstock. “The talent, smarts, and ambition of writers and directors in fast-rising markets like Australia and Kenya are obvious. We’re proud and excited to be building innovative launchpads to help those creators generate game-changing films and series that can take the world by surprise — and by storm.”
In Australia, Invention is launching a comedy incubator program devoted to furthering the Australian comedy tradition of classics like “Kath & Kim,” “Muriel’s Wedding” and “Summerheights High” and more recent comedy hits such as “Kevin from Accounts,” “Heartbreak High” and “Deadloch.” This program will pair new voices in Australian comedy for the first time with the development resources, creative guidance, packaging abilities, and worldwide distribution relationships of a Hollywood-based production company.
Invention SVP D’Souza, who is also helping to oversee the Australian initiative, previously worked as the head of development at Melissa McCarthy’s and Ben Falcone’s On the Day Productions, where she was a producer on movies including “Life of the Party,” “The Happytime Murders,” “Superintelligence,” “Thunderforce” and “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed” and series including “Nobodies” and “God’s Favorite Idiot.” CEO Weinstock is no stranger to comedy either, having developed and produced movies and TV including the films “Bridesmaids,” “Alex Strangelove,” “The Package,” “Plus One,” “Dinner in America,” “Queenpins” and the new release “Thelma” as well as television series including “In the Dark,” “High Desert” and “Severance.”
The program is being steered locally by Australian comedy writer/producer Hannah Reilly, who is based in Sydney but currently interning at Invention in Los Angeles on an executive exchange program through Screen Australia. Reilly wrote and directed the stage musical “The Deb” and subsequently developed the screenplay, which will serve as Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut. Along with Reilly, Carmen Knox, an Australian creative producer with over 10 years of international experience in scripted development, production and literary management, will be on the ground working with the participants in Australia.
Under the Australian incubator program, five original Australian comedy projects by emerging writers will be nurtured through a creative development process and brought both to local Australian buyers and platforms and to global studios, networks, and streamers. The Australian creators will also be mentored, via Zoom sessions, by Hollywood-based writers, including Mitch Hurwitz (“Arrested Development”) and Stacy Traub (“Daisy Jones & the Six,” “Blackish”).
In Kenya, Invention has struck a first-of-its-kind Hollywood/Africa partnership — forged between Weinstock and Kenyan President William Ruto and his government — under which Invention will creatively support and develop a slate of new films and series by next-generation Kenyan creators. The Kenyan government will help to speed and facilitate those productions by lowering visa fees and other import and export costs and taxes, providing low-cost housing for productions, accelerating permits, and working with Invention to build the first-ever international accelerator for Kenyan creative content.
Under the Kenyan creative initiative, five Kenyan movie and TV writers have been selected — from the nearly 200 applicants who submitted writing samples and project proposals in May — to engage in a development process with Invention executives in Los Angeles and Nairobi, during which their movies and shows will be nurtured from the concept stage through script writing and strategies on selling to platforms and global distribution.
The Kenyan creative initiative is being steered locally by Invention creative executive Nicole Magabo, based in Nairobi.
Invention say it also exploring the possibility of migrating this program to other fast-rising African entertainment markets, including Rwanda and Ghana.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
