Emmy award-winning director Johan Renck and producer Michael Parets have launched a new production company Sinestra and signed a two-year television first-look deal with Fremantle.
Renck and Parets also announced their first TV collaboration with Fremantle in Mouth to Mouth. Based on the novel of the same name by Antoine Wilson, Mouth to Mouth is a thrilling ride into the raucous LA art scene of the 1990s. The book has received rave reviews, and most notably was included on Obama’s 2022 summer reading list as one of his favourite books of the year.
Renck is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker whose credits include the critically acclaimed limited series Chernobyl (HBO/Sky), which earned 19 Emmy nominations, 10 Emmy wins, including Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series and Outstanding Limited Series.
Renck directed all episodes and co-produced the BAFTA nominated limited series The Last Panthers (Sky/Canal+), starring John Hurt and Samantha Morton. He also directed pilots and episodes of the popular TV series Vikings, Bloodline, Shut Eye, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Halt And Catch Fire and Bates Motel. He is currently in pre-production on the pilot for Dune: The Sisterhood for HBO Max.
Renck most recently directed the highly anticipated feature film Spaceman which will be released by Netflix in 2023 starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano.
Producer Michael Parets (Spaceman) will work alongside Renck at Sinestra. Parets most recently worked at Free Association running the film and TV unit where he developed and produced Spaceman for Netflix. Before that he worked for FilmNation.
Renck and Parets noted: “As we come together to launch Sinestra as a home for ambitious, bracing storytelling, we’re thrilled to have found the perfect partners in Fremantle. They know how to push artists and their audiences out of their comfort zones and into the invigorating creative space where true risk is rewarded. We can’t wait to see what kind of trouble we get into with them.”
Christian Vesper, President of Global Drama at Fremantle, added: “I have long been a fan of Johan and Michael’s work and it is a real privilege to welcome them, and the whole team at Sinestra, to the Fremantle family. We are in no doubt that together we will bring some exceptional projects to audiences around the world, and we are honoured that they have chosen to work with us.”
Fremantle will be the new home for all of Sinestra’s upcoming televisions projects. As part of the agreement, selected TV projects will be co-owned, co-developed and co-produced, with Fremantle leading on physical production, raising production finance and international sales. The deal was brokered by Fremantle’s Christian Vesper, President of Global Drama and Seb Shorr, Executive Vice President, Commercial & Business Affairs, Scripted and Renck’s team at Casarotto Ramsey & Assocs., CAA, Black Bear Pictures and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Antoine Wilson is represented by CAA.
