Christine Langan
Encyclopedia
Christine Langan is an English film producer
who has been Creative Director of BBC Films
since April 2009.
After graduating from Cambridge University
in 1987 and working in advertising for three years, Langan joined Granada Television
's drama serials department where she script edited daytime soap operas. From there, she transferred to Granada's newly created comedy department, where she developed the acclaimed television series Cold Feet
, and other one-off comedies. In 2000, she left Granada to become a freelance producer, and produced the romantic comedy series Rescue Me for the BBC
. She returned to Granada in 2002, where she produced the acclaimed dramas The Deal (2003) and Dirty Filthy Love
(2004). She made her feature film production debut on Pierrepoint
(2005), which got her a Carl Foreman Award nomination at the 60th British Academy Film Awards
. Langan also produced The Queen
(2006) for Granada, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
.
In 2006, Langan became an executive producer at BBC Films
, developing features such as The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The Duchess
(2008). In April 2009, she was appointed Creative Director of BBC Films, giving her control of a £12 million annual budget and which projects are commissioned for development. By 2010, Langan had led BBC Films to a record 13 nominations at the British Academy Film Awards
, which included In the Loop
(2009), Fish Tank
(2009) and An Education
(2009).
Langan lives in London with her partner, writer Christian Spurrier, and their two children.
, England. Her mother and father, a dinner lady
and a bricklayer respectively, already had three children. Growing up, Langan became interested in television production after seeing Lew Grade
's name in the credits of several programmes. She attended a Catholic grammar school and read English at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
.
After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987, Langan spent three years working as a copywriter for an advertising company. She also contributed film reviews to BBC Radio 2
's Cinema 2 programme. In 1990, Langan began her career in film production as an assistant developer for Tessa Ross at British Screen. The following year, she responded to an advertisement for a script editor at Granada Television
's drama serials department, located in Manchester
. She was hired by David Liddiment
, and worked mainly on Granada's daytime soap operas.
at Granada's newly created comedy department, where she script-edited September Song, the television adaptation of An Evening with Gary Lineker
, and the second series of Rik Mayall Presents. In 1995, she was associate producer on The Perfect Match, a one-off comedy drama written by former BBC radio producer Mike Bullen
. The Perfect Match was broadcast in September 1995, and shortly afterwards, Harries asked Langan to develop more ideas from Bullen.
They devised Cold Feet
, another one-off comedy drama based on the love lives of Bullen himself and his friends. Langan produced Cold Feet, guiding Bullen through his script drafts, and hiring Father Ted
director Declan Lowney
to shoot it. Cold Feet was broadcast in March 1997 as one of four Comedy Premieres
on ITV (two others of which Langan script edited). It received poor ratings and little critical reaction. However, in May 1997, it won the Rose d'Or
at the Montreux International Television Festival. ITV Network Centre commissioned a series of Cold Feet
in August, which Langan also produced. For the series, Langan tried to achieve a written and visual style that differed from regular sitcoms by avoiding "one-liners and quick laughs" and hiring directors who had done little television work before. Cold Feet premiered as a series in November 1998, and Langan stayed until the third series in 2000. She and Bullen received a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series
in 2000. Also in 1998, Langan worked on her first feature film, script editing the Parker Posey
-led The Misadventures of Margaret.
In 1999, Langan was made an executive producer in the department. She oversaw several productions, including Passion Killers (1999, starring Ben Miller
), Safe as Houses (2000, starring Ricky Tomlinson
), and the pilot episode of David Nicholls
' I Saw You (2000, starring Paul Rhys
and Fay Ripley
). In 2000, Langan was offered a position at the BBC
's drama department, which had been rearranged that year. The trade magazine Broadcast reported the BBC had made a "substantial offer" to her. Granada's director of programmes Grant Mansfield countered the BBC's bid by offering Langan the position of deputy controller of drama, operating under Andy Harries, who had recently been appointed controller of the same department. Langan accepted neither offer, and instead became a freelance producer after her contract with Granada expired.
As a freelancer, Langan developed three more episodes of I Saw You for Granada. Her only other project was producing David Nicholls' romantic comedy series Rescue Me with Tiger Aspect Productions
for BBC One
. As well as producing it, she made her credited directorial debut on the final episode. The six-part series, starring Sally Phillips
, was broadcast in 2002. It was not a ratings success, and the BBC did not commission a second series.
, starring Anna Friel
. At the end of 2002, she began developing Peter Morgan
's The Deal, a dramatisation of the political rise of Tony Blair
and Gordon Brown
. Although initially giving full backing, the ITV network backed out during pre-production. Channel 4
picked up the film from Granada, and it was broadcast in September 2003. The Deal was presented with the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama in 2004. The same year, she produced the one-off drama Dirty Filthy Love
, which was also nominated for the BAFTA for Best Single Drama.
In 2005, Langan's feature debut Pierrepoint
was released at major film festivals. Based on the life of British hangman Albert Pierrepoint
(played by Timothy Spall
), Pierrepoint got Langan a nomination for the Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 60th British Academy Film Awards
in 2007. 2006 saw the theatrical release of The Queen
, a feature film follow-up to The Deal, that focused on the impact the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
had on Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II
. Michael Sheen
reprised his role as Tony Blair from The Deal, and Helen Mirren
played Elizabeth. The film was produced by Granada in co-operation with the ITV network, and was released in late 2006 to critical acclaim. In 2007, it won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
. Of Langan's work on Pierrepoint and The Queen, a Variety
writer said, "both pics are a tribute to her tactful skill at working with tricky but talented writers and directors to take stories that could easily have been confined to the small screen and give them real cinematic depth and breadth".
. Although approached to join BBC Films some years before, only in 2007 did she feel it was the time to "concentrate more exclusively on film". She immediately began overseeing editing work on The Other Boleyn Girl, which was already in post-production. She also began developing The Damned United
, a film based on David Peace
's novel
that fictionalised the 44 days Brian Clough
managed Leeds United A.F.C.
in 1974. The film was adapted by Peter Morgan, executive produced by Andy Harries, and starred Michael Sheen as Clough. On why she continues to work with the same people on her projects, Langan said, "The reason I return to working with the same people is that you have invested time, energy and thought and care into these relationships and that can pay dividends—The Queen is an example of those relationships paying dividends".
Following David M. Thompson
's announcement that he would be retiring from the post of head of BBC Films in September 2007, Langan was widely-expected to take over his duties. Confirmation was made the following month when she was appointed Commissioning Editor of the company, taking over the day-to-day duties of BBC Films and reporting to Jane Tranter
, the Controller of Fiction at the BBC. When Tranter transferred to a BBC Worldwide
position in Los Angeles in 2009, the BBC decided not to fill the Controller of Fiction vacancy with a single person. Instead, the responsibilities were divided between four people; Langan became Creative Director of BBC Films, responsible for "editorial strategy and commissioning", and also joined the BBC Fiction board.
By 2010, Langan was overseeing a £12 million annual budget at BBC Films, and had executive produced high-profile films such as In the Loop
(Armando Iannucci
, 2009), Fish Tank
(Andrea Arnold
, 2009), and An Education
(Lone Scherfig
, 2009). BBC Films received 13 nomination at the 63rd British Academy Film Awards
, described in the London Evening Standard as a record number. In 2010, Langan also executive produced The Special Relationship
—the final part of Peter Morgan's "Blair trilogy"—and StreetDance, the first British feature film to be made in 3D. The Guardian recognised Langan's achievements at BBC Films by ranking her at number 36 in its inaugural Film Power 100 list in September 2010.
Through 2011, Langan executive produced Ralph Fiennes
' directorial debut Coriolanus, the Marilyn Monroe
biopic My Week with Marilyn
, and Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Lionel Shriver
's novel We Need to Talk About Kevin
. The project was in development hell
since 2007 until Langan realised BBC Films was trying to get too big a budget to make it with. Ramsay rewrote the script in 2010 to allow a lower budget.
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
who has been Creative Director of BBC Films
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
since April 2009.
After graduating from Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1987 and working in advertising for three years, Langan joined Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
's drama serials department where she script edited daytime soap operas. From there, she transferred to Granada's newly created comedy department, where she developed the acclaimed television series Cold Feet
Cold Feet
Cold Feet is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his award-winning 1997 Comedy Premiere of the same name. The storyline follows three couples experiencing the...
, and other one-off comedies. In 2000, she left Granada to become a freelance producer, and produced the romantic comedy series Rescue Me for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. She returned to Granada in 2002, where she produced the acclaimed dramas The Deal (2003) and Dirty Filthy Love
Dirty Filthy Love
Dirty Filthy Love is a British single television drama starring Michael Sheen as an architect living with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome....
(2004). She made her feature film production debut on Pierrepoint
Pierrepoint (film)
Pierrepoint , is a 2005 British film directed by Adrian Shergold about the life of British executioner Albert Pierrepoint....
(2005), which got her a Carl Foreman Award nomination at the 60th British Academy Film Awards
60th British Academy Film Awards
The 60th British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts took place on 11 February 2007, and honoured the best films of 2006....
. Langan also produced The Queen
The Queen (film)
The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II...
(2006) for Granada, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
BAFTA Award for Best Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
.
In 2006, Langan became an executive producer at BBC Films
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
, developing features such as The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The Duchess
The Duchess (film)
The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
(2008). In April 2009, she was appointed Creative Director of BBC Films, giving her control of a £12 million annual budget and which projects are commissioned for development. By 2010, Langan had led BBC Films to a record 13 nominations at the British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square...
, which included In the Loop
In the Loop (film)
In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
(2009), Fish Tank
Fish Tank (film)
Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film directed by Andrea Arnold. The film won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the 2010 BAFTA for Best British Film. It was filmed in the Mardyke Estate in Havering, the town of Tilbury, and the A13, and funded by BBC Films and the UK...
(2009) and An Education
An Education
An Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,...
(2009).
Langan lives in London with her partner, writer Christian Spurrier, and their two children.
Background
Christine Langan was born in January 1965 in Edmonton, LondonEdmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
, England. Her mother and father, a dinner lady
Lunch Lady
Lunch lady is an American slang term for a woman who cooks and serves food in a school cafeteria; the equivalent British English term is "dinner lady". In Britain, a dinner lady also patrols the school playgrounds during the lunch breaks to maintain order amongst the children...
and a bricklayer respectively, already had three children. Growing up, Langan became interested in television production after seeing Lew Grade
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
's name in the credits of several programmes. She attended a Catholic grammar school and read English at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
.
After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987, Langan spent three years working as a copywriter for an advertising company. She also contributed film reviews to BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Cinema 2 programme. In 1990, Langan began her career in film production as an assistant developer for Tessa Ross at British Screen. The following year, she responded to an advertisement for a script editor at Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
's drama serials department, located in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. She was hired by David Liddiment
David Liddiment
David Liddiment is a non-executive director of the independent production company All3Media, the largest independent production house in the UK...
, and worked mainly on Granada's daytime soap operas.
Granada comedy
In 1993, Langan returned to London to work for Andy HarriesAndy Harries
Andrew D. M. Harries is a British television and film producer. After graduating from Hull University in the 1970s, Harries began his television career on the Granada Television current affairs series World in Action, before moving on to freelance work...
at Granada's newly created comedy department, where she script-edited September Song, the television adaptation of An Evening with Gary Lineker
An Evening with Gary Lineker
An Evening with Gary Lineker is a 1991 stage play, adapted for television in 1994, by Arthur Smith and Chris England.The action takes place against the backdrop of the 1990 Football World Cup semi-final, between England and West Germany, which is taking place in Italy while Monica and Bill are on...
, and the second series of Rik Mayall Presents. In 1995, she was associate producer on The Perfect Match, a one-off comedy drama written by former BBC radio producer Mike Bullen
Mike Bullen
Mike Bullen is an English-born screenwriter. Bullen grew up in the West Midlands of England, attending the Solihull School and later Magdalene College, Cambridge. He left with a degree in history of art and became a radio producer for the BBC World Service...
. The Perfect Match was broadcast in September 1995, and shortly afterwards, Harries asked Langan to develop more ideas from Bullen.
They devised Cold Feet
Pilot (Cold Feet)
Cold Feet is a British television pilot directed by Declan Lowney. It stars James Nesbitt and Helen Baxendale as Adam and Rachel, a couple who meet and fall in love, only for the relationship to break down when he gets cold feet. John Thomson, Fay Ripley, Hermione Norris and Robert Bathurst appear...
, another one-off comedy drama based on the love lives of Bullen himself and his friends. Langan produced Cold Feet, guiding Bullen through his script drafts, and hiring Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
director Declan Lowney
Declan Lowney
Declan Lowney is an Irish television and film director. After directing a short film in 1980, Lowney worked for Radio Telefís Éireann, and directed musical events such as the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, and The Velvet Underground's Live MCMXCIII...
to shoot it. Cold Feet was broadcast in March 1997 as one of four Comedy Premieres
Comedy Premieres
Comedy Premieres was a programming strand of four one-off television comedies, produced by Granada Television for the ITV network and broadcast throughout 1997.- Premieres :- Production :...
on ITV (two others of which Langan script edited). It received poor ratings and little critical reaction. However, in May 1997, it won the Rose d'Or
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
at the Montreux International Television Festival. ITV Network Centre commissioned a series of Cold Feet
Cold Feet
Cold Feet is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his award-winning 1997 Comedy Premiere of the same name. The storyline follows three couples experiencing the...
in August, which Langan also produced. For the series, Langan tried to achieve a written and visual style that differed from regular sitcoms by avoiding "one-liners and quick laughs" and hiring directors who had done little television work before. Cold Feet premiered as a series in November 1998, and Langan stayed until the third series in 2000. She and Bullen received a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series
British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series
The British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards , the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry...
in 2000. Also in 1998, Langan worked on her first feature film, script editing the Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
-led The Misadventures of Margaret.
In 1999, Langan was made an executive producer in the department. She oversaw several productions, including Passion Killers (1999, starring Ben Miller
Ben Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
), Safe as Houses (2000, starring Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
), and the pilot episode of David Nicholls
David Nicholls (writer)
-Background:Nicholls is the middle of three siblings. He attended Barton Peveril sixth-form college at Eastleigh, Hampshire, from 1983 to 1985 , and playing a wide range of roles in college drama productions...
' I Saw You (2000, starring Paul Rhys
Paul Rhys
Paul Rhys is a British television, film and theatre actor.Rhys was born in Wales and studied at RADA, leaving with the Bancroft Gold Medal in 1987. While there, he obtained his first major screen role, in Absolute Beginners . Since then he has seldom been off the stage and screen...
and Fay Ripley
Fay Ripley
Fay Ripley is an English actress and recipe author. Born in Wimbledon, London, Ripley is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama . Her first professional role was in the chorus of a pantomime version of Around the World in 80 Days...
). In 2000, Langan was offered a position at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's drama department, which had been rearranged that year. The trade magazine Broadcast reported the BBC had made a "substantial offer" to her. Granada's director of programmes Grant Mansfield countered the BBC's bid by offering Langan the position of deputy controller of drama, operating under Andy Harries, who had recently been appointed controller of the same department. Langan accepted neither offer, and instead became a freelance producer after her contract with Granada expired.
As a freelancer, Langan developed three more episodes of I Saw You for Granada. Her only other project was producing David Nicholls' romantic comedy series Rescue Me with Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions is a British television production company, particularly noted for its situation comedies. Co-founded by producer Peter Bennett-Jones, its productions have included popular hits such as The Vicar of Dibley and Mr. Bean...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. As well as producing it, she made her credited directorial debut on the final episode. The six-part series, starring Sally Phillips
Sally Phillips
-Career:Sally Phillips was the only woman in the 1990 Oxford Revue THRASH which also starred Ed Smith. She did nine consecutive Edinburgh Festivals, appearing in shows such as Ra-Ra-Rasputin, Arthur Smith's version of Hamlet and Cluub Zarathustra with Simon Munnery, Stewart Lee, Richard Thomas,...
, was broadcast in 2002. It was not a ratings success, and the BBC did not commission a second series.
Granada drama
In September 2002, Langan signed a new contract to develop new projects at Granada's combined drama, film and comedy department. Her first production was the romantic comedy television film WatermelonWatermelon (television film)
Watermelon is a 2003 television film, directed by Kieron J. Walsh.The screenplay is by Colin Bateman. The film is inspired by the novel by Marian Keyes.It stars Anna Friel, Jamie Draven, Ciaran McMenamin, Sean McGinley, and Brenda Fricker....
, starring Anna Friel
Anna Friel
Anna Louise Friel is an English actress. She rose to fame in the UK as Beth Jordache on the Channel 4 soap Brookside.-Early life:...
. At the end of 2002, she began developing Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
's The Deal, a dramatisation of the political rise of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. Although initially giving full backing, the ITV network backed out during pre-production. Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
picked up the film from Granada, and it was broadcast in September 2003. The Deal was presented with the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama in 2004. The same year, she produced the one-off drama Dirty Filthy Love
Dirty Filthy Love
Dirty Filthy Love is a British single television drama starring Michael Sheen as an architect living with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome....
, which was also nominated for the BAFTA for Best Single Drama.
In 2005, Langan's feature debut Pierrepoint
Pierrepoint (film)
Pierrepoint , is a 2005 British film directed by Adrian Shergold about the life of British executioner Albert Pierrepoint....
was released at major film festivals. Based on the life of British hangman Albert Pierrepoint
Albert Pierrepoint
Albert Pierrepoint is the most famous member of the family which provided three of the United Kingdom's official hangmen in the first half of the 20th century...
(played by Timothy Spall
Timothy Spall
Timothy Leonard Spall, OBE is an English character actor and occasional presenter.-Early life:Spall, the third of four sons, was born in Battersea, London. His mother, Sylvia R. , was a hairdresser, and his father, Joseph L. Spall, was a postal worker...
), Pierrepoint got Langan a nomination for the Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 60th British Academy Film Awards
60th British Academy Film Awards
The 60th British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts took place on 11 February 2007, and honoured the best films of 2006....
in 2007. 2006 saw the theatrical release of The Queen
The Queen (film)
The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II...
, a feature film follow-up to The Deal, that focused on the impact the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
had on Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
reprised his role as Tony Blair from The Deal, and Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
played Elizabeth. The film was produced by Granada in co-operation with the ITV network, and was released in late 2006 to critical acclaim. In 2007, it won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
BAFTA Award for Best Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
. Of Langan's work on Pierrepoint and The Queen, a Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
writer said, "both pics are a tribute to her tactful skill at working with tricky but talented writers and directors to take stories that could easily have been confined to the small screen and give them real cinematic depth and breadth".
BBC Films
In September 2006, Langan made a low-key departure from Granada to take up a position as an executive producer with BBC FilmsBBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
. Although approached to join BBC Films some years before, only in 2007 did she feel it was the time to "concentrate more exclusively on film". She immediately began overseeing editing work on The Other Boleyn Girl, which was already in post-production. She also began developing The Damned United
The Damned United
The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling novel The Damned Utd, a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's tenure as manager of Leeds United...
, a film based on David Peace
David Peace
David Peace is an English author. Known for his novels GB84, The Damned Utd, and Red Riding Quartet, Peace was named one of the Best of Young British Novelists by Granta in their 2003 list...
's novel
The Damned Utd
The Damned Utd is a novel by British author David Peace. The main plot depicts a fictionalised account of Brian Clough's brief spell as manager of Leeds United football club in 1974.-Plot:...
that fictionalised the 44 days Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
managed Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in 1974. The film was adapted by Peter Morgan, executive produced by Andy Harries, and starred Michael Sheen as Clough. On why she continues to work with the same people on her projects, Langan said, "The reason I return to working with the same people is that you have invested time, energy and thought and care into these relationships and that can pay dividends—The Queen is an example of those relationships paying dividends".
Following David M. Thompson
David M. Thompson
David Marcus Thompson is a British film and television producer.Thompson moved to London in 1978, and worked for the BBC as a film programmer and documentary maker. He was the founding head of BBC Films...
's announcement that he would be retiring from the post of head of BBC Films in September 2007, Langan was widely-expected to take over his duties. Confirmation was made the following month when she was appointed Commissioning Editor of the company, taking over the day-to-day duties of BBC Films and reporting to Jane Tranter
Jane Tranter
Jane Tranter is an English television executive who has been the executive vice-president of programming and production at BBC Worldwide's Los Angeles base since January 2009...
, the Controller of Fiction at the BBC. When Tranter transferred to a BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
position in Los Angeles in 2009, the BBC decided not to fill the Controller of Fiction vacancy with a single person. Instead, the responsibilities were divided between four people; Langan became Creative Director of BBC Films, responsible for "editorial strategy and commissioning", and also joined the BBC Fiction board.
By 2010, Langan was overseeing a £12 million annual budget at BBC Films, and had executive produced high-profile films such as In the Loop
In the Loop (film)
In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
(Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
, 2009), Fish Tank
Fish Tank (film)
Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film directed by Andrea Arnold. The film won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the 2010 BAFTA for Best British Film. It was filmed in the Mardyke Estate in Havering, the town of Tilbury, and the A13, and funded by BBC Films and the UK...
(Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold OBE is a filmmaker and former actress from England, who made her feature film directorial debut in 2006 with Red Road.-Early TV work:...
, 2009), and An Education
An Education
An Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,...
(Lone Scherfig
Lone Scherfig
Lone Scherfig is a Danish film director. She graduated in 1984, and began her career as a director with "A Birthday Trip". She is part of the Dogme 95 film movement, which espouses a form of cinéma vérité She made her mark with the Dogme95-film, Italian for Beginners , a romantic comedy which...
, 2009). BBC Films received 13 nomination at the 63rd British Academy Film Awards
63rd British Academy Film Awards
The 63rd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 21 February 2010 and honoured the best films of 2009. The Hurt Locker took home the most awards, receiving 6 BAFTAS...
, described in the London Evening Standard as a record number. In 2010, Langan also executive produced The Special Relationship
The Special Relationship (film)
The Special Relationship is a 2010 American-British political film directed by Richard Loncraine from a screenplay by Peter Morgan. It is the third film in Morgan's informal "Blair trilogy", which dramatizes the political career of British Prime Minister Tony Blair , following The Deal and The...
—the final part of Peter Morgan's "Blair trilogy"—and StreetDance, the first British feature film to be made in 3D. The Guardian recognised Langan's achievements at BBC Films by ranking her at number 36 in its inaugural Film Power 100 list in September 2010.
Through 2011, Langan executive produced Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
' directorial debut Coriolanus, the Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
biopic My Week with Marilyn
My Week with Marilyn
My Week with Marilyn is a British drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Adrian Hodges. It stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Dougray Scott, Judi Dench and Emma Watson. Based on two books by Colin Clark, it depicts the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the...
, and Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Lionel Shriver
Lionel Shriver
-Early life and education:Lionel Shriver was born Margaret Ann Shriver on May 18, 1957 in Gastonia, North Carolina, to a deeply religious family . At age 15, she changed her name from Margaret Ann to Lionel because she did not like the name she had been given, and as a tomboy felt that a...
's novel We Need to Talk About Kevin
We Need to Talk About Kevin
We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver, published by Serpent's Tail, about a fictional school massacre. It is written from the perspective of the killer's mother, Eva Khatchadourian, and documents her attempt to come to terms with her son Kevin and the murders he committed...
. The project was in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
since 2007 until Langan realised BBC Films was trying to get too big a budget to make it with. Ramsay rewrote the script in 2010 to allow a lower budget.
Filmography
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Rik Mayall Presents | Script editor | 1 series of television series |
| 1993 | September Song | Script editor | 1 series of television series |
| 1994 | An Evening with Gary Lineker An Evening with Gary Lineker An Evening with Gary Lineker is a 1991 stage play, adapted for television in 1994, by Arthur Smith and Chris England.The action takes place against the backdrop of the 1990 Football World Cup semi-final, between England and West Germany, which is taking place in Italy while Monica and Bill are on... |
Script editor | Television film |
| 1994 | A Different Way Home | Script editor | 1 series of television series |
| 1995 | The Perfect Match The Perfect Match The Perfect Match is a British comedy-drama television film written by Mike Bullen and directed by Nick Hurran. It stars Saskia Reeves and Con O'Neill as Bridget and Phil, a couple whose marriage proposal is broadcast to football fans. It was first broadcast on the ITV network on 6 September 1995... |
Assistant producer | Television film |
| 1996 | True Love | Script editor | Television pilot |
| 1997 | Comedy Premieres Comedy Premieres Comedy Premieres was a programming strand of four one-off television comedies, produced by Granada Television for the ITV network and broadcast throughout 1997.- Premieres :- Production :... : Cold Feet Pilot (Cold Feet) Cold Feet is a British television pilot directed by Declan Lowney. It stars James Nesbitt and Helen Baxendale as Adam and Rachel, a couple who meet and fall in love, only for the relationship to break down when he gets cold feet. John Thomson, Fay Ripley, Hermione Norris and Robert Bathurst appear... |
Producer | Television pilot |
| 1997 | Comedy Premieres: The Grimleys | Script editor | Television pilot |
| 1997 | Comedy Premieres: King Leek | Script editor | Television pilot |
| 1998 | The Misadventures of Margaret The Misadventures of Margaret The Misadventures of Margaret is a 1998 French-British romantic comedy film directed by Brian Skeet and starring Parker Posey, Jeremy Northam and Craig Chester. It was based on the novel Rameau's Niece by Cathleen Schine. The bored wife of a Professor decides to write an erotic novel.-Cast:* Parker... |
Script editor | Feature film |
| 1998–2000 | Cold Feet Cold Feet Cold Feet is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his award-winning 1997 Comedy Premiere of the same name. The storyline follows three couples experiencing the... |
Producer/Executive producer | 3 series of television series |
| 1999 | Passion Killers | Executive producer | Television pilot |
| 2000 | Safe as Houses | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2000 | I Saw You | Executive producer | Television pilot |
| 2002 | I Saw You | Executive producer | 3-part television series |
| 2002 | Rescue Me | ||
| 2003 | Watermelon | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2003 | The Deal | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2004 | Dirty Filthy Love Dirty Filthy Love Dirty Filthy Love is a British single television drama starring Michael Sheen as an architect living with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome.... |
Executive producer | Television film |
| 2004 | Lie With Me | Executive producer | 2-part television serial |
| 2005 | Pierrepoint Pierrepoint (film) Pierrepoint , is a 2005 British film directed by Adrian Shergold about the life of British executioner Albert Pierrepoint.... |
Producer | Feature film |
| 2006 | The Queen The Queen (film) The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II... |
Producer | Feature film |
| 2008 | The Duchess The Duchess (film) The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2008 | The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2008 historical-drama film based on the novel of the same name by Irish writer John Boyne. Directed by Mark Herman and produced by David Heyman, it stars Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga and Rupert Friend.A Holocaust drama, the film... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2009 | Is Anybody There? | Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2009 | The Damned United The Damned United The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling novel The Damned Utd, a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's tenure as manager of Leeds United... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2009 | In the Loop In the Loop (film) In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2009 | Bright Star Bright Star (film) Bright Star is a 2009 film based on the last three years of the life of poet John Keats and his romantic relationship with Fanny Brawne. It stars Ben Whishaw as Keats and Abbie Cornish as Fanny... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2009 | Fish Tank Fish Tank (film) Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film directed by Andrea Arnold. The film won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the 2010 BAFTA for Best British Film. It was filmed in the Mardyke Estate in Havering, the town of Tilbury, and the A13, and funded by BBC Films and the UK... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2010 | StreetDance | Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2010 | The Special Relationship The Special Relationship (film) The Special Relationship is a 2010 American-British political film directed by Richard Loncraine from a screenplay by Peter Morgan. It is the third film in Morgan's informal "Blair trilogy", which dramatizes the political career of British Prime Minister Tony Blair , following The Deal and The... |
Executive producer | Television film with territorial theatrical release |
| 2010 | Tamara Drewe Tamara Drewe (film) Tamara Drewe is a 2010 comedy film directed by Stephen Frears.The screenplay was written by Moira Buffini, based on the newspaper comic strip of the same name written by Posy Simmonds... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2010 | Africa United Africa United (2010 film) Africa United is a 2010 film directed by first-time UK film director Deborah 'Debs' Gardner-Paterson and starring Emmanuel Jal, Eriya Ndayambaje, Roger Nsengiyumva, Sanyu Joanita Kintu, Sherrie Silver and Yves Dusenge.-Synopsis:... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2010 | Made in Dagenham Made in Dagenham Made in Dagenham is a 2010 British film directed by Nigel Cole. The film stars Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike and Jaime Winstone. It dramatises the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that aimed for equal pay for women... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2011 | Jane Eyre Jane Eyre (2011 film) Jane Eyre is a 2011 British romantic drama film directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. The screenplay is written by Moira Buffini based on the 1847 novel of the same name by Charlotte Brontë... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2011 | Coriolanus | Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2011 | We Need to Talk About Kevin We Need to Talk About Kevin (film) We Need to Talk about Kevin is a 2011 British-American drama thriller film adapted and directed by Lynne Ramsay from American author Lionel Shriver's 2003 novel of the same name. A long process of development and financing began in 2005 and filming eventually commenced in April 2010, with Tilda... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2011 | Page Eight Page Eight Page Eight is a 2011 film written and directed for the BBC by the British writer David Hare, his first film as director since the 1989 film Strapless. The cast includes Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon, Tom Hughes, Ralph Fiennes, and Judy Davis. The film had its world premiere on 18 June... |
Executive producer | Television film |
| 2011 | My Week with Marilyn My Week with Marilyn My Week with Marilyn is a British drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Adrian Hodges. It stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Dougray Scott, Judi Dench and Emma Watson. Based on two books by Colin Clark, it depicts the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
| 2011 | 360 360 (film) 360 is an upcoming film starring Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins, and Jude Law. The film will, directed by Fernando Meirelles, is set to open the 2011 London Film Festival.-Production:... |
Executive producer | Feature film |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | British Academy Television Award | Best Drama Series British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series The British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards , the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry... |
Cold Feet Cold Feet Cold Feet is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his award-winning 1997 Comedy Premiere of the same name. The storyline follows three couples experiencing the... |
Nominated |
| 2003 | British Academy Television Award | Best Single Drama | The Deal | Won |
| 2004 | British Academy Television Award | Best Single Drama | Dirty Filthy Love Dirty Filthy Love Dirty Filthy Love is a British single television drama starring Michael Sheen as an architect living with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome.... |
Nominated |
| 2006 | British Academy Film Award | Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer | Pierrepoint Pierrepoint (film) Pierrepoint , is a 2005 British film directed by Adrian Shergold about the life of British executioner Albert Pierrepoint.... |
Nominated |
| 2006 | British Academy Film Award | Best Film BAFTA Award for Best Film This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards... |
The Queen The Queen (film) The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II... |
Won |
| 2006 | British Academy Film Award | Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film BAFTA Award for Best Film This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards... |
The Queen The Queen (film) The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II... |
Nominated |
| 2006 | Academy Award | Best Picture Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only... |
The Queen The Queen (film) The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II... |
Nominated |
| 2006 | Producers Guild of America Award Producers Guild of America Producers Guild of America is a trade organization representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 4,700 members of the producing establishment worldwide... |
Best Film | The Queen The Queen (film) The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II... |
Nominated |
Further reading
- BBC Press Office (March 2010). "Christine Langan biography". Press release. Retrieved on 30 August 2010.
- Entries by Christine Langan on About the BBC Blog. Retrieved on 30 August 2010.
- Neilan, Catherine (28 October 2010). "Made In... Shepherds Bush". Broadcast (Emap). Retrieved on 28 October 2010.
External links
- Christine Langan at United Agents
- Christine Langan at the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...