“Christian Vesper is stepping down as CEO of global drama and film at Fremantle after a decade with the company. Vesper joined Fremantle from Sundance TV, where he oversaw the network’s push into international co-productions, with series like Top of the Lake and Deutschland 83. Vesper was brought in to RTL Group-owned Fremantle by Andrea”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Vesper was brought in to RTL Group-owned Fremantle by Andrea Scrosati, Group COO and CEO of Continental Europe, to bolster the company’s push into high-end TV series and feature films.
Over the next 10 years, Fremantle, best known for its shiny-floor reality TV formats like American Idol and The X Factorbecame a leading independent film producer, backing such features as Poor Things, Bugonia, Queer, Mariaand Pillion and series such as Joe Wright’s Mussolini: Son of the Centuryand Swedish drama Faithless from Tomas Alfredson. Most recently, Vesper worked to set up the Fox Network revival of Baywatch.
During Vesper’s tenure, Fremantle inked numerous creative partnerships with production labels including Emma Stone and Dave McCary’s Fruit Tree Productions; Kristen Stewart, Dylan Meyer and Maggie McLean’s Nevermind Pictures; Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula; Rachel Weisz and Polly Stokes’ Astral Projection; Edward Berger’s Nine Hours; Johan Renck and Michael Parets’ Sinestra Films; Sarah Condon’s Fair Harbour; Richard Yee and Krishnendu Majumdar’s Me+You Productions.
“After 10 years with Fremantle, I have decided that the time is right to step down from my role as CEO of Film and Drama,” Vesper said in a statement. “I would like to thank you [Fremantle CEO] Jennifer Mullin and Andrea Scrosati for their incredible support, ambition and creative spirit, enabling us to build our film and drama capabilities. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together, and the fact we will deliver our 100th film this year underlines the progress made…Now is the perfect moment for my next adventure, and I am excited for the journey ahead.”
Scrosati will take over Vesper’s position at Fremantle’s drama and film division on an interim basis.
“I would like to personally thank Christian for his unwavering commitment and contribution to Fremantle over the past decade,” Scrosati said in a statement. “With Christian at the helm, we have established our drama and film business and delivered both consistent success and critical acclaim. Our scripted portfolio is today a key component of our business and recognized across the industry.”
The films made under Vesper’s tenure met with exceptional critical acclaim. Over the past five years, Fremantle has produced or co-financed more than 80 films that have won a total of 4 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, and 5 BAFTAs.
But Fremantle’s big drama push was part of a broader strategy by parent company RTL to boost the division’s revenue to above $3 billion annually. That strategy has hit major headwinds amid shifts in the television market, including a pullback by global streamers in original acquisitions and increased competition from YouTube. In the first nine months of 2025, Fremantle booked revenues of just over $1.5 billion (€1.35 billion), down 5.1 percent from a year earlier and nowhere near the original €3 billion target.