Made Up Stories is a film and television development and

production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...

founded in 2017 by producer

Bruna Papandrea Bruna Papandrea (born 1971) is an Australian Film producer, film and television producer and the founder of production company Made Up Stories (company), Made Up Stories. Prior to Made Up Stories (company), Made Up Stories, Papandrea co-founded ...

that " hampionswomen on and off the screen." The company has offices in Los Angeles and Sydney.

History

In 2012, Bruna Papandrea co-founded

Pacific Standard ''Pacific Standard'' was an American online magazine that reported on issues of social and environmental justice. Founded in 2008, the magazine was published in print and online for its first ten years until production of the print edition cease ...

with actress

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...

, a production company focusing on creating films made by and about women. Their first two projects at Pacific Standard were '' Gone Girl'' and ''

Wild Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...

'', both adapted from books whose rights were acquired before publication. Both films were released in 2014, receiving commercial success and extensive accolades. The company had finished production on ''

Hot Pursuit Hot pursuit is a legal term. Hot Pursuit may also refer to: Film and television * ''Hot Pursuit'' (1984 TV series), a 1984 NBC television series * ''Hot Pursuit'' (2006 TV series), a 2006 Court TV television series * ''Hot Pursuit'' (1987 film) ...

'' (2015), by the time the first two pictures were released. In 2016, Papandrea and Witherspoon announced that they were ending their partnership, though they would continue to work on the projects that were in the middle of production, including the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series '' Big Little Lies'' which was received 16

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominations and won eight, including Outstanding Limited Series. Papandrea launched Made Up Stories in January 2017 to carry on her mission in championing female filmmakers, adapting female-written novels and creating stories featuring multi-faceted female characters. The company is also committed to inclusivity in less-acknowledged departments behind-the-scenes such as transportation teams and gaffers. Papandrea has expressed intent to start a foundation, Made Up Solutions, to provide opportunities for women from low socio-economic and diverse backgrounds. In January 2021, the company made history: it became the first ever Australian production company to have the top two films at the Australian box office (with ''

Penguin Bloom ''Penguin Bloom'' is a 2020 Australian drama (film and television), drama film directed by Glendyn Ivin, from a screenplay by Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps, and is based on the book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive. It ...

'' and '' The Dry).'' In December 2022, Made Up Stories Chief Operating Officer and Producer Steve Hutensky's historical involvement in silencing victims of

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films inclu ...

during his time as an employee of

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a leadi ...

and

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior ...

was reported for the first time in the Australian Media.

Current projects

On the film side, Made Up Stories adapted '' The Dry'' based on the debut book of Australian novelist

Jane Harper Jane Harper (born 1980) is a British–Australian author known for her crime novels '' The Dry'', ''Force of Nature'' and ''The Lost Man'', all set in rural Australia. Early life Born in Manchester in the UK, Harper moved to Australia with her ...

. The film, directed by

Robert Connolly Robert Connolly (born 1967) is an Australian film director, producer and screenwriter based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. He is best known as the director and writer of the feature films ''Balibo (film), Balibo'', ''Three Dollars' ...

and starring

Eric Bana Eric Banadinović, (born 9 August 1968), known professionally as Eric Bana (), is an Australian actor and comedian. He began his career in the sketch comedy series '' Full Frontal'' before gaining notice in the comedy drama '' The Castle'' (19 ...

, was released in Australia on January 1 to a strong box office, making it one of the highest grossing Australian film opening weekends ever. The film was released by

IFC Films IFC Films is an American film production and distribution company based in New York. It is an offshoot of IFC owned by AMC Networks. It distributes mainly independent films under its own name, select foreign films and documentaries under its S ...

in North America on May 21, 2021. The company also produced the film ''

'', starring

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...

and

Andrew Lincoln Andrew James Clutterbuck (born 14 September 1973), known professionally as Andrew Lincoln, is an English actor. His first major role was as the character Egg in the BBC drama ''This Life'' (1996–1997). Lincoln later portrayed Simon Casey in ...

, directed by Glendyn Ivin, based on the true story of the Bloom family from the book of the same name by

Bradley Trevor Greive Bradley Trevor Greive (born 22 February 1970) is an Australian author. He has written 24 books which have been translated into 27 different languages, and have been sold in 115 different countries, several of which have appeared in the ''New Y ...

. It premiered at the 2020

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

and was released in Australia cinemas on January 21, topping the box office for its opening weekend, and in other key countries, including the United States by

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

on January 27. It was announced on February 22, that the company was adapting Jessica Knoll's novel '' Luckiest Girl Alive'' in partnership with

Picturestart Erik Feig is an American film executive and producer. In May 2019, Feig launched Picturestart with backing from Warner Bros., Endeavor Content, and Bron Studios and access to Scholastic Corporation's IP. He served as co-president of the Lionsg ...

for film at

. It will star

Mila Kunis Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis (born August 14, 1983) is an American actress. Born in Chernivtsi and raised in Los Angeles, she began playing Jackie Burkhart on the Fox television series ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006) at the age of 14. Since ...

, and be directed by Mike Barker. On the television side, Made Up Stories produced the recent

miniseries ''The Undoing'', starring

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

and

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

, which debuted on October 25, 2020, and became the most viewed show for the network in 2020. The company also produced the

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...

thriller drama series ''

Tell Me Your Secrets ''Tell Me Your Secrets'' is an American thriller drama television series created by Harriet Warner that was set to premiere on TNT before premiering on Amazon Prime Video on February 19, 2021. The series was also written by Warner who executive ...

,'' released on February 19, created by Harriet Warner, and starring

Lily Rabe Lily Rabe (born June 29, 1982) is an American actress. She is best known for her multiple roles on the FX anthology horror series ''American Horror Story'' (2011–2021). For her performance as Portia in the Broadway production of ''The Merchan ...

Amy Brenneman Amy Frederica Brenneman (born June 22, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She worked extensively in television, coming to prominence as Detective Janice Licalsi in the ABC police drama series ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–1994). Brenneman nex ...

Hamish Linklater Hamish Linklater (born July 7, 1976) is an American actor and playwright. He is known for playing Matthew Kimble in ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'', Andrew Keanelly in ''The Crazy Ones'', and Clark Debussy in ''Legion''. He is the son of ...

, and

Enrique Murciano Enrique Ricardo Murciano (born July 9, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his role as FBI agent Danny Taylor in the CBS mystery drama series ''Without a Trace'' from 2002 to 2009. Early life and education Born and raised in Miami, Flor ...

. They also produced the new

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

hit series, ''

Nine Perfect Strangers ''Nine Perfect Strangers'' is a 2018 novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty. It was published on September 18, 2018 by Macmillan Australia. It is a ''New York Times'' Bestseller. Synopsis Nine people from different walks of life attend a ...

'', based on the book by Liane Moriarity. The series, written by

David E. Kelley David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney, known as the creator of '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', '' Picket Fences'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''The Practice'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Publi ...

, stars

and

Melissa McCarthy Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and tw ...

, along with numerous other high-profile actors, debuted on August 18th with the premiere quickly becoming the most-watched Hulu original ever. The company is currently in production on two

series. The first project, ''

Pieces of Her ''Pieces of Her'' is a thriller novel by American author Karin Slaughter, published on August 21, 2018 by William Morrow and Company and HarperCollins Publishers.Karin Slaughter Karin Slaughter (born January 6, 1971) is an American Crime fiction, crime writer. She has written 21 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, ''Blindsighted'' (2001), was pub ...

, features an all-female creative team including director Minkie Spiro and executive producers

Lesli Linka Glatter Lesli Linka Glatter (born July 26, 1953) is an American film and television director. She is best known for her work on the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' and the Showtime series ''Homeland'', for which she's received eight Primetime Emmy Award nomi ...

, Charlotte Stoudt and

. The show stars

Toni Collette Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, includ ...

and

Bella Heathcote Isabella Heathcote (born 27 May 1987) is an Australian actress and model. She began her acting career in 2008. The following year, she had a recurring role as Amanda Fowler on the television soap opera ''Neighbours''. Heathcote has since portr ...

. The second project is the six-episode

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

, ''

Anatomy of a Scandal ''Anatomy of a Scandal'' is a British thriller drama streaming television miniseries developed by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson, based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. The series consists of six episodes, and premiere ...

'', based on the book by Sarah Vaughan, created and written by

and

Melissa James Gibson Melissa James Gibson is a Canadian-born playwright based in New York. Life The child of former BC Liberal MLA Gordon Gibson and journalist Valerie Gibson, Melissa James Gibson grew up in North Vancouver. She graduated from Columbia University an ...

, and directed by SJ Clarkson. The show is being produced in partnership with 3Dot Productions' Liza Chasin, and stars

Sienna Miller Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...

Michelle Dockery Michelle Suzanne Dockery (born 15 December 1981) is an English television and film actress. She is best known for her leading performance as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV television period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2015), for which ...

Rupert Friend Rupert William Anthony Friend (born 9 October 1981) is an English actor. He first gained recognition for his roles in '' The Libertine'' (2004) and '' Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont'' (2005), both of which won him awards for best newcomer. He port ...

, and

Naomi Scott Naomi Scott (born 6 May 1993) is an English actress and singer. Born in Hounslow, she rose to prominence for her performances in the television film '' Lemonade Mouth'' (2011) and the science fiction series '' Terra Nova'' (2011). In 2015, Scree ...

. Additionally, the company is producing '' Long Slow Exhale'' for

Spectrum Originals Spectrum is a trade name of Charter Communications, used to market consumer and commercial cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company. The brand was first introduced in 2014; prior to that, these serv ...

and

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

, along with

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

Pam Veasey Pamela Renea Veasey (born May 25, 1962) is an American television writer, producer, and director. Career Veasey graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Journalism and Political Science. She began her writing career i ...

, director Anton Cropper, and co-executive producer John Dove. The basketball drama series stars

Rose Rollins Rose Rollins (born April 30, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Tasha Williams in the Showtime (TV network), Showtime drama series, ''The L Word'' (2007–09) and as Valerie Anderson in the American Broadcasting Company, AB ...

. The company also produced '' Roar'' for

Apple TV+ Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...

, based on the book by

Cecelia Ahern Cecelia Ahern (born 30 September 1981) is an Irish novelist, known for her works like '' PS, I Love You''; ''Where Rainbows End''; and '' If You Could See Me Now''. Born in Dublin, Ahern is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold o ...

and adapted as an

by '' Glow'' creators

Liz Flahive Liz Flahive is an American playwright, television producer and writer. Beginning her career as a playwright, Flahive wrote two plays, ''From Up Here'' and ''The Madrid''. She acted as a producer, executive story editor, and writer on ''Nurse Jack ...

and

Carly Mensch Carly Mensch is an American playwright, television writer, and producer. She created an Off-Broadway play called ''Len, Asleep in Vinyl'', which was later adapted into a film, '' Len and Company''. She also created a play ''Oblivion'', which pla ...

. Produced in partnership with

Blossom Films Blossom Films is a production company founded by American-born Australian actress Nicole Kidman in 2010. The first production by the company was the film '' Rabbit Hole'', based on the play of the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire. History In 201 ...

, the series will star

Cynthia Erivo Cynthia Erivo (; born 8 January 1987) is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Grammy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Awa ...

Merritt Wever Merritt Carmen Wever (born August 11, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for starring as a perennially upbeat young nurse in ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015), an intrepid widow in the Netflix period miniseries '' Godless'' (2017), and a de ...

, and

Alison Brie Alison Brie Schermerhorn (born December 29, 1982) is an American actress. Her breakthrough came with the role of Trudy Campbell in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), which won her a Screen Actors Guild Award. She gained recognition fo ...

. And the company is also producing the genre-bending series ''Wolf LIke Me'' for

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

in the US and

Stan Stan or STAN may refer to: People * Stan (given name), a list of people with the given name ** Stan Laurel (1890–1965), English comic actor, part of duo Laurel and Hardy * Stan (surname), a Romanian surname * Stan! (born 1964), American author ...

in Australia. The show is created and directed by

Abe Forsythe Abraham Forsythe (born 26 July 1981) is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe. Career He first appeared on the TV series ''The Miraculous Mellops (TV series), Th ...

, and is starring

Josh Gad Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical ''The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action adap ...

and

Isla Fisher Isla Lang Fisher (; born 3 February 1976) is an Australian actress and author. Born to Scottish parents in Oman, she moved to Australia at age six where she began appearing in television commercials. Fisher came to prominence for her portrayal ...

. The company is also producing the seven-part dramatic series, ''The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart'', based on Holly Ringland's debut novel, for

. The show is created and written by

Sarah Lambert Sarah Lambert is an Australian actress, writer, director and producer, working primarily in television. She is the writer and showrunner of the 2019 television adaptation of the Marele Day novel, ''Lambs of God'' for Lingo Pictures and Foxte ...

, directed by Glendyn Ivin, and stars

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (; born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. A figure in science fiction and popular culture, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Gram ...

Productions

Films

Television Series

Projects in Development

* Film adaptation of the thriller novel ''As Long As We Both Shall'' ''Live'' by JoAnn Chaney * Adaptation of the

historical epic Epic films are a style of filmmaking with large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The usage of the term has shifted over time, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply synonymous with big-budget filmmaking. Like epics in ...

''The Lost Queen'' by Signe Pike for television * TV series based on the

Jessica Knoll ''Luckiest Girl Alive'' is a 2015 New York Times Bestselling mystery novel written by the American author Jessica Knoll, and is her debut work. It was first published on May 12, 2015, by Simon & Schuster in the United States, and Pan Macmillan ...

novel ''The Favorite Sister'' * A limited TV series on

Tina Brown Christina Hambley Brown, Lady Evans (born 21 November 1953), is an English journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host, and author of '' The Diana Chronicles'' (2007) a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, '' The Vanity Fair Diari ...

based on her book '' The Vanity Fair Diaries'' * Film adaptations of the YA

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

books ''Stepsister'' and ''Poisoned'' by

Jennifer Donnelly Jennifer Donnelly (born August 16, 1963) is an American writer of young adult fiction best known for the historical novel '' A Northern Light''. ''A Northern Light'' was published as ''A Gathering Light'' in the U.K. There, it won the 2003 Ca ...

with Lynette Howell Taylor's 51 Entertainment * The multi-generational novel ''The Last Anniversary'' by

Liane Moriarty Liane Moriarty (born 15 November 1966) is an Australian author. She has written nine novels, including the ''New York Times'' best sellers '' Big Little Lies'' and ''Nine Perfect Strangers'', which were adapted into television series for HBO and ...

* TV adaption of

Christina Baker Kline Christina Baker Kline (born 1964) is an American novelist. She is the author of seven novels, including ''Orphan Train'', and has co-authored or edited five non-fiction books. Kline is a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Fellowship recipient. Back ...

's new book ''The Exiles'' * TV show based on Greer Macallister's historical thriller ''Woman 99'' with

Nina Dobrev Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva ( bg, Николина Каменова Добрева, ; born January 9, 1989), credited professionally as Nina Dobrev ( ), is a Canadian actress. She is best known for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on ...

* TV adaption of Marie Lu's ''

Warcross ''Warcross'' is a young adult science fiction novel by Marie Lu, which was published on September 17, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons. ''Warcross'' is the first book in the duology of the same name. The second, ''Wildcard'', was released September 18, ...

'' with John Cameron * TV adaption of Christopher Paolini's first adult novel, the

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

'' To Sleep in a Sea of Stars'' with Snoot Entertainment *TV adaption of Elizabeth Acevedo's dual-narrative YA novel, ''Clap When You Land'' *Film adaptation of Gordon Reece's debut novel, ''Mice'', in partnership with Nicole Kidman's

*Film adaptation of Erin French's memoir, ''Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking Life From Scratch'' *TV adaption of Kirsten Miller's upcoming novel, ''The Change'', in partnership with

Raelle Tucker Raelle Tucker is an American playwright, television writer, producer, and showrunner, best known for her work on HBO's ''True Blood'', Netflix's '' Jessica Jones'', and for the Facebook Watch series '' Sacred Lies'', which she created based on Step ...

References

{{reflist Television production companies of the United States Film production companies of the United States Mass media companies established in 2017 Made Up Stories