#Sony Pictures Television Hires Big Talk’s Matthew Justice to Lead U.K., European Operations

In what is likely to be considered a major poach, Sony Pictures Television has hired Mathew Justice — a seasoned U.K. industry vet and currently managing director of the ITV Studios-owned Big Talk — for the newly-created role of executive vice-president, head of U.K. and Europe.

Reporting into SPT president of international productions Wayne Garvie, Justice will directly manage the company’s International Studio operations and European co-productions business, as well as working closely with SPT International Production’s wholly-owned and joint venture production companies in the region, which includes Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials, Industry), Eleven Films (Sex Education) and Left Bank Pictures (The Crown). He joins later this year.

“Joining Wayne and the team at SPT is an opportunity that dreams are made of,” said Justice. “The SPT labels are outstanding, so it is a rare honor to get to work with them and the people behind them. Helping to grow the SPT U.K. and European business is an extremely appetising prospect and I cannot wait to get stuck in. I leave Big Talk, my home for the past 16 years in the very best of hands and will look on with admiration and pride as they continue to excel in everything they do.”

Justice has served as managing director at Big Talk since 2007, when he joined with Kenton Allen to co-run the award-winning film and television production company, which was originally founded in 1994.

Over the last 16 years, Justice and the team have been responsible for a significant slate of films Attack the Block, Sightseers, Cuban Fury and Man Up, and critically acclaimed, popular TV shows including Free Agents, Rev, Him & Her, Raised by Wolves, Mum, Cold Feet, Friday Night Dinner, The Goes Wrong Show and The Outlaws.

Most recently he has been executive producing season 3 of Stephen Merchant’s hit comedy thriller The Outlaws for BBC/Amazon, the Noel Fielding as British highwayman Dick Turpin series for Apple TV+ and Dinner with the Parents for Amazon Freevee. Justice has been not just a producer but also the commercial face of Big Talk, in 2013 leading the negotiations that saw its sale to ITV Studios.

“These are fantastic times at SPT and they just got better,” said Garvie. “Matthew is a highly respected figure in the UK television and film industry – together he and Kenton Allen have built Big Talk into a significant international player. A smart operator, a strategic thinker and, just as importantly, a very good person, Matthew brings just what we need to build our U.K. and Europe business into an even greater force. Everyone at Sony and our labels are really excited about him joining the team.”