Award-winning writer/performer Sharon Horgan (Pulling, Dead Boss) and award-winning producer Clelia Mountford (A Young Doctor’s Notebook, Cockroaches) have announced the launch of Merman Films. 

Mountford will take the role of Managing Director of Merman Films globally and Horgan will be responsible for creative output. Merman will produce scripts by Horgan and will work with a roster of other writers, focusing on comedy and drama series and feature films for UK, US and international markets. Merman Films began as a co-production deal with Bwark, but will now be jointly owned by Horgan and Mountford, and run independently. 

Merman Films already has scripts in development with the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, CBS and HBO, with further announcements expected soon. The company also intends to extend its creative remit in the coming months into additional media platforms and other areas of entertainment and content. 

Mountford and Horgan met while working together on two series of The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret for IFC/Channel 4, which Mountford executive produced and Horgan starred in. Mountford also produced Horgan's directorial debut, The Week Before Christmas for Sky's Little Crackers strand. 

Sharon Horgan described the company's philosophy: “We want to make TV and film that reflects what we love to watch; comedy that can be a little bit grown up, drama that’s not afraid to be funny. Having spent years working with a host of amazing production companies and wonderfully creative people, I now look forward to bypassing all of that and going straight on the telly. I think that’s how it works.”

Clelia Mountford added: “I look forward to explaining to Sharon how television production actually works as we make shows that reflect our sensibility; challenging shows that are full of contradictions, daft and dark, often both at once.”

Sharon Horgan is currently filming a new series of Psychobitches for Sky.