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Matthew Stillman

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British entrepreneur (born 1967)
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Matthew Stillman
Born28 September 1967
London, England
EducationUniversity College School, London; Sussex University (UK)
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur and film producer
SpouseKate Driver

Matthew Stillman (born September 28, 1967) is a British entrepreneur, CEO and founder of 2020 Group (also known as 2020 Content) and film producer . The group owns over 30 companies in 16 countries, operating under 10 brands.

Companies in the group have produced films such as Maria, Poor Things, Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Chronicles of Narnia and The Bourne Identity; series such as Wheel of Time, Interview with the Vampire, Dune: The Prophecy and Wednesday; music videos for Beyonce, Megan Thee Stallion, Thom Yorke, Kanye West, David Bowie and Madonna.; and commercials for clients including Adidas, Google, Guinness, Apple and Audi.

Wednesday, produced by the Stillking Icon team in Romania, became the most-watched Netflix series in its first week and went on to win four Primetime Emmys and Poor Things, produced in Budapest by Pioneer Stillking, won four Oscars, two Golden Globes, and five BAFTAs, among other awards.

In 2000, The Hollywood Reporter named Stillman in its International Power 50 list of the fifty "biggest power players" in global entertainment and media.

Early life and education

Stillman grew up in Richmond, south-west London. His father imported products from China, while his mother worked for Air France at Heathrow Airport. He has two siblings. He was educated at University College School, and the University of Sussex, where he studied politics, graduating in 1991.

Career

Early career

After unsuccessfully trying to break into the film industry in London, Stillman visited Prague in 1992 with a friend, Nick Spikings, to explore the possibility of setting up a production company in the city. Beginning with "$500 and a typewriter" and renting an office at Barrandov Studios for $150 a month, the two friends set up a company called Stillking. They then started a nightclub, Ubiquity, to provide cash flow over the company's first summer.

Stillking

Stillman won Stillking's first business working on a music video for k.d. lang, then produced a TV commercial for Dentsu. More work on TV commercials followed. In 1994, Stillman chose an unknown Czech film student, Ivan Zachariáš, to make a film about UN peacekeepers for a 50th-anniversary commercial for the UN. The project marked a breakthrough for both Stillking and Zachariáš.

By 1995, Stillking was working on around ninety commercials a year. Film-makers were coming to Prague in large numbers, attracted by the combination of low costs, attractive locations and high production standards, and over the next decade the company thrived and expanded. Offices were in due course opened in Budapest (Pioneer Stillking), Bucharest (Icon Stillking), Belgrade (Stillking WIP), Malaga (Anima Stillking), Cape Town, Ljubljana and Mexico City. By 1999 the company was turning over around $20m a year and by 2002 about $168m.

In 1995, Stillking made its first network mini-series: The Ring, for NBC, starring Nastassja Kinski, was released in 1996. The same year Stillking worked on its first feature film, Plunkett & Macleane (released 1999) with Working Title Films. Stillking subsequently set up its own development arm for producing its own English-language films.

The company has become one of Europe's most significant production entities, participating in over 150 film and TV projects, including Maria, Poor Things, Casino Royale, The Bourne Identity, Van Helsing, Red Sparrow, Wanted, Interview with the Vampire, Wednesday ,Carnival Row and The Witcher.

It has also continued to produce music videos, including work for Beyonce, Kanye West and Madonna; and commercials for clients such as Guinness, Audi, Coca-Cola, Mercedes, Apple and Stella Artois.

In 1997, the American heiress Elisabeth Goth purchased a minority stake in the company (reportedly 20 per cent) for an undisclosed sum.

Stink

In 1997, Stillking combined with the production company Blink Ltd to create Stink, a London-based venture that produces TV commercials. Stink went on to receive numerous awards for its work, including more than 100 Cannes Lions, more than 50 D&AD pencils and the first ever Film Grand Prix for an interactive piece of work. Its clients have included Honda, Gucci, Apple, Nike and Facebook.

2020 Group

In 2014 the Stillking Films holding company was renamed 2020 Group. The group, which is sometimes referred to as 2020 Content, now has over 30 daughter companies, in 16 countries, and is one of the largest private companies involved in the production of content in advertising, film and television. Stillman is founder and CEO.

On The Corner Films / Box To Box Films

In 2017 Stillman became an investor and director of On The Corner Films, with Asif Karpadia and James Gay Rees and Box To Box Films. The companies specialize in documentaries and factual entertainment, and their award-winning productions include Diego Maradona (2019), Drive To Survive, Full Swing, Break Point, Six Nations, Surfing and Tour de France.

In 2024, On The Corner Films and Box To Box Films received a minority investment from Bruin Capital, an investment company focused on global sports, media and technology.

Illuminated Content

In 2018, in collaboration with Liev Schreiber, Stillman launched Illuminated Content, a Gotham-based venture to develop, produce and finance TV and movie projects. In 2019 the company produced Human Capital, and announced a collaboration with David Carver to produce The Place I Belong, a biopic of the golfer Moe Norman and the documentary Meeting Zelenskyy in 2024.

Other activities

Stillman is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta). He is a member of Founders Forum, the community for global entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors in the digital, media and technology sectors.

Stillman was one of 1,280 British business leaders who signed a letter backing Britain Stronger In Europe on the eve of the UK's 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Filmography (selected)

Works for cinema involving Stillman's companies
Year Title Company
2024 Nosferatu Stillking Prague
2024 Maria Pioneer Stillking Budapest
2024 Better Man Stillking WIP Belgrade
2024 Lee Pioneer Stillking Budapest
2024 White Bird: A Wonder Story Stillking Prague
2024 The Union Stillking WIP Belgrade
2024 First Omen Stillking WIP Belgrade
2024 Spaceman Stillking Prague
2024 Tarot Stillking WIP Belgrade
2023 Poor Things Pioneer Stillking Budapest
2023 Fair Play Stillking WIP Belgrade
2023 Extraction 2 Stillking Prague
2022 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Stillking WIP Belgrade
2022 Hellraiser Stillking WIP Belgrade
2022 The Gray Man Stillking Prague
2022 Chevalier Stillking Prague
2020 Radioactive Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2020 Harry Haft Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2020 Voyagers Icon Stillking, Bucharest
2020 Violence of Action Icon Stillking, Bucharest
2019 Human Capital Illuminated Content, New York
2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home Stillking Prague
2019 Diego Maradona On The Corner Films, London
2019 The King Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2018 Ophelia Stillking Prague
2018 Red Sparrow Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2018 Colette Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2017 Interlude in Prague Stillking Prague
2017 Atomic Blonde Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2016 Underworld: Blood Wars Stillking Prague
2016 Don't Breathe Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2015 Child 44 Stillking Prague
2013 Snowpiercer Stillking Prague
2011 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Stillking Prague
2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Stillking Prague
2008 Wanted Stillking Prague
2008 Quantum of Solace Stillking Santiago de Chile
2008 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Stillking Prague
2006 Casino Royale Stillking Prague
2006 The Illusionist Stillking Prague
2006 Last Holiday Stillking Prague
2006 Tristan + Isolde Stillking Prague
2005 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Stillking Prague
2005 Doom Stillking Prague
2005 Kinky Boots Stillking Miro, Milan
2005 Everything Is Illuminated Stillking Prague
2004 AVP: Alien vs. Predator Stillking Prague
2004 Van Helsing Stillking Prague
2004 The Prince and Me Stillking Prague
2004 EuroTrip Stillking Prague
2003 Shanghai Knights Stillking Prague
2002 xXx Stillking Prague
2002 The Bourne Identity Stillking Prague
2002 Bad Company Stillking Prague
2001 From Hell Stillking Prague
2000 Mists of Avalon Stillking Prague
2000 Dungeons & Dragons Stillking Prague
1999 The Idiot Returns Stillking Prague
1999 Plunkett & Macleane Stillking Prague
Works for television involving Stillman's companies
Year Title Type Company
2024 Interview with the Vampire TV series (S2) Stillking Prague
2024 We Were The Lucky Ones TV mini-series Icon Stillking Romania
2024 Dune: The Prophecy TV series Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2024 Shardlake TV series Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2023 All The Light We Cannot See TV mini-series Pioneer Stillking Budapest
2023 The Continental TV mini-series Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2023 A Small Light TV mini-series Stillking Prague
2022 Wednesday TV series Icon Stillking Romania
2024-2025 Wheel of Time TV series (S3) Stillking Prague
2021-2024 FBI International TV series (S1-4) Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2021 Hunters TV series (S2) Stillking Prague
2018-2023 Das Boot TV series (S1-4) Stillking Prague
2019 Miracle Workers TV series – involved in 1 episode Stillking Prague
2019 The Witcher TV series Stillking Prague
2019 Whiskey Cavalier TV series - 13 episodes Stillking Prague
2019 Carnival Row TV series - 6 episodes Stillking Prague
2019 Treadstone TV series Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2018 Das Boot TV series - 9 episodes Stillking Prague
2018 The Romanoffs TV series - 1 episode Icon Stillking, Bucharest
2017-2019 Knightfall TV series - 15 episodes Stillking Prague
2017 Genius TV series - 10 episodes Stillking Prague
2016-2017 Mars TV series - 4 episodes Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2016-2017 Maigret TV series - 4 episodes Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2016 Spark TV series Stillking Prague
2015 Legends TV series – 10 episodes Stillking Prague
2015 Sons of Liberty TV mini-series Icon Stillking, Bucharest
2014 Houdini TV movie & Mini-Series Pioneer Stillking, Budapest
2013-2014 Crossing Lines TV series - 18 episodes Stillking Prague
2013 Terapie TV series - 14 episodes Stillking Prague
2012 Missing TV series - 10 episodes Stillking Prague
2009 Masterwork TV series Pilot Stillking Prague
2009 The Philanthropist TV series - 2 episodes Stillking Prague
2005 Revelations TV mini-series - 5 episodes Stillking Prague
2005 Colditz TV movie Stillking Prague
2002 Young Arthur TV series Pilot Stillking Prague
1999 Passion's Way TV movie Stillking Prague
1997 Into Thin Air: Death on Everest TV movie Stillking Prague
1996 The Ring TV mini-series and movie Stillking Prague

Personal life

In 2004, Stillman married Katherine Driver, a manager and producer who is sister of the actress Minnie Driver. They live in London.

Stillman enjoys cycling and appreciates the clothes of designers such as Acne and John Pearse. The fashion website Mr Porter includes him in its Style Council, a directory of "the world’s best-connected men". Stillman is a director of the children’s cancer charity, the Pink Bubble Foundation.

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