Former ABC exec starts new production company

Former ABC Director of Television at the ABC Richard Finlayson has established a new production company, Wooden Horse, with former Hopscotch and eOne Australia exec Jude Troy.

Based in Darlinghurst, the company will span development, production, acquisition, distribution, commissioning, commercial negotiations and business building. Alexandra Cameron has been appointed development and production coordinator.

Stan comedy The Other Guy Season 2 is the first show produced under the Wooden Horse banner in partnership with Aquarius Films. The same team are also working together on the feature adaptation of Okine’s novel Being Black n’ Chicken n’ Chips.

With Finlayson’s projects from his company Headland Media, there are eight projects in various stages of development: a six-part drama for Stan written by Jane Allen (Cleverman) and based on a true crime set in Cape York; a comedy series written by James O’Loghlin (collaborators include Alison Bell, Tristram Baumber and Natesha Somasundaram) and a literary adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel by Emily Maguire, An Isolated Incident.

Wooden Horse has also secured the adaptation rights from Curtis Brown for award-winning young novelist JP Pomare’s In the Clearing – a psychological thriller that draws inspiration from the infamous Australian cult, The Family.

The team are also working with Polly Williams and Entertainment One in the UK on a British Australian co-production created by Giula Sandler (Glitch, White House Farm).

“Our partnership is a case of the whole being more than the sum of its parts,” said Finlayson. “Jude has an outstanding reputation for creative judgement and indomitable energy. Most of all, we both believe in the incredible potential of the Australian television industry and our focus will be on working with the best writers and talent, finding the best people and partners to grow with us to bring great projects to life.”

Troy added, “I’m delighted to partner with Richard on Wooden Horse. He is greatly respected among our industry peers and his experience and relationships are unparalleled. Our skills complement each other perfectly and I look forward to shaping the company alongside him. At Wooden Horse, we believe in strength through collaboration and I can’t think of a better person to partner with. We also hope to leverage our local and international relationships to collaborate externally with the best of the best.”