Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in Irish film and drama production company Element Pictures from founders Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe.

Fremantle is part of RTL Group, which is owned by German media giant Bertelsmann, also home to book publisher Penguin Random House and leading music company BMG.

Element Pictures is the producer of his TV series Normal People and the upcoming Conversations With Friends, also adapted from a Sally Rooney novel.

Fremantle said the deal was spearheaded by Group COO Andrea Scrosati and Lorenzo De Maio of De Maio Entertainment.

Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe commented: “Element Pictures is 21 years old this year and it is incredibly exciting for us and our wonderful colleagues to be entering a new and ambitious phase of growth in partnership with our friends at Fremantle at a truly exhilarating time for our industry.

In Association with

“We are huge fans of the people at Fremantle, their vision for the future and the extraordinary talent they are working with across film and television. Collaborating closely with the brilliant team will allow us to build on and grow our existing relationships with the very best creators in the world and expand our capacity to make exceptional film and television drama for international audiences”.

Andrea Scrosati stated: “Ed, Andrew, and the amazing Element Pictures team have built an astonishing company, which has become one of Europe’s most exciting and innovative creative production companies. We look forward to working closely with their immensely talented creatives, helping to build on their slate of high-quality, sophisticated, and powerful productions.”

Fremantle’s aim is to increase full-year revenue to €3 billion by 2025. The investment in Element Pictures follows multiple acquisitions over the past 12 months.

De Maio Entertainment will be a strategic advisor and partner across Element Pictures’ slate, according to Fremantle.

Element Pictures' current television in production includes period drama The Gallows Pole (BBC/A24), and eight-part comedy drama The Dry (BritBox/RTE/ITV Studios/Screen Ireland).

Previous television includes the co-production of The Dublin Murders with the Fremantle backed Euston Films.

Current films in post-production include Sebastián Lelio’s The Wonder (Netflix); Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures); Stephen William’s historical biopic Chevalier (Searchlight Pictures); and Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daughter (BBC Films/A24).

Element Pictures was advised on the deal by law firm Philip Lee's Jonathan Kelly Rebecca Clabby and Mary Hennessy,

.Photo: Andrew Lowe (left ) and Ed Guiney