Screen WM, the regional screen agency, is proud to announce their investment in the next series of Kudos Film and Television’s major international TV drama, Hustle, through the agency’s Advantage Media Production Fund, supported by Advantage West Midlands.
The investment means that Hustle will relocate to Birmingham, with the city’s many and varied locations providing a new backdrop for the popular drama which is broadcast across the world. This is a major coup for the city and forms part of a wider strategy by Screen WM to secure and create a more sustainable screen media sector in the West Midlands.
The relocation of Hustle, a drama series about a team of con artists who target the rich and the greedy, to Birmingham is fantastic news for the region. The series will bring an estimated £1.2 million into the regional economy and will provide jobs for local crew.
This announcement follows hot on the heels of recent news also announced by Screen WM and Film Birmingham about the relocation of BBC drama Survivors to the West Midlands.
The Hustle team are due to move to Birmingham and will be living in the city for the duration of the filming. This latest announcement positions the West Midlands as an important hub for UK drama production and Birmingham is preparing to welcome the Hustle cast and crew to the city.
In addition to financial investment, Screen WM have played a significant role in attracting the new series of Hustle to the West Midlands, working closely with Film Birmingham, providing locations and crew support. The producers were attracted to the West Midlands on the basis of the region’s diverse locations, excellent facilities and experienced crew as well as the key funding from Screen WM through the Advantage Media Production Fund.
Simon Crawford Collins, Joint Managing Director of Kudos said: “We are hugely excited about Hustle’s move to Birmingham. It’s a transformed city whose cool new locations have rarely been used for TV dramas and we will hope it will become a hub for Kudos’s output for many years to come.”
Lee Thomas Exec Producer, for Screen WM says: “We are delighted that Kudos has made Birmingham their home for the next series of Hustle. The word seems to be out about the deep vein of production talent based in our region; and crews who’ve been willing to work around the country in the past are now able to work closer to home. Hustle is celebrated not just in the UK, but by loyal audiences around the world which only adds to our pride at this announcement.”