Bert and Bertie | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bert (left) and Bertie premiering their short filmPhobias in 2006 | |
| Born | Bert: Amber Templemore-Finlayson Bertie: Katie Ellwood |
| Occupation(s) | Directors, writers, producers |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Notable work | Troop Zero,Hawkeye |
Amber Templemore-Finlayson andKatie Ellwood, collectively known asBert and Bertie, respectively,[1][2][3] are British film and television directors. They are best known for directing the filmTroop Zero. They also directed a block of episodes for theDisney+ seriesHawkeye andOur Flag Means Death. Ellwood is also known individually as the co-creator ofThe Getaway franchise, the basis for the crime drama seriesGangs of London.
Templemore and Ellwood met in 2005 inLondon when Templemore was making a short film series to go along withThe Getaway video game, and Ellwood was the game's writer.[2][4] Ellwood had previously worked forSony Computer Entertainment as an assistant producer and script consultant.[5] Their first project was the short filmPhobias.[4] The two have also directed commercials forMcDonald's.[6][7]
In 2019, they directed the comedy-drama filmTroop Zero. They were inspired to create it after realizing the social and cultural impact it could have on young girls, saying that they felt "there had never been a film about a group of young girls that go on an adventure to achieve something by working together and succeeding".[8][4] They convinced producerTodd Black atEscape Artists to help, and after being approved by Escape Artists, producerTed Hope and his Amazon Originals team let them pitch the film.[8] For the pitch, they created Birdie Scout manuals filled with ideas on how to create the film. They also made a "rip-o-matic" of reference movies to giveAmazon Studios a sense of "the comic yet emotional tone of the movie", and chose 20 images defining the film they wanted to create.[8] After its completion, the duo were hired again by Amazon to rewrite and directEurydice, a retelling of the Greek myth described as "Terminator meetsThelma & Louise."[2]
Before theCOVID-19 pandemic, the duo were actively developing the biopic featureA Special Relationship written bySimon Beaufoy and set to starRachel Weisz asElizabeth Taylor. The heavily-researched film was set to chronicle Taylor's journey from actress to activist through her friendship with her assistantRoger Wall.[9]
In July 2020, it was announced they would direct a block of episodes for the Disney+ seriesHawkeye, which premiered in November 2021.[10][11]
In February 2021, it was announced that the two would directQueen Bitch & The High Horse, a film about the largest municipal fraud in American history.[12]Cate Blanchett and her production company Dirty Films will produce, along withNew Republic Pictures.[13][12]
In August 2022, it was announced that the duo has signed to direct a feature film adaptation of theDisneyland attractionBig Thunder Mountain Railroad.[14]
In November 2022, Templemore was set to solo-directKeke Palmer in the action-comedyMoxie,[15] while Ellwood was announced in May 2023 to be directing thecybercrime action thrillerGargoyle, as well as her own script aboutEsther Williams'LSD trip.[16][17]
Templemore and Ellwood directed two episodes of the first season of the Apple TV+ seriesSilo. Templemore solo directed four episodes ofSilo's second season.[18] They directed two episodes of the 2023 Apple TV+ seriesLessons in Chemistry.
As of 2025, Ellwood was in pre-production on and attached to solo direct the featureBack Together, from the original script byErin Cardillo about an indecisive woman who goes backwards in time.[19] Other recent projects includedThe Queen, based on the magazine article and book byJosh Levin.[20]
Templemore and Ellwood are fromLondon,[8] and are based inLos Angeles and London as of January 2019.[2] Templemore grew up inJohannesburg,[8] and Ellwood grew up inLeicester, England.[8] They like to call themselves "the Berts"[21][2] and have not revealed why they chose the names Bert and Bertie.[21]
Their influences include theCoen brothers,Guillermo del Toro,Jean-Pierre Jeunet,Marc Caro andTim Burton.[2]
| Year | Title | Directors | Writers | Producers | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Phobias | Yes | Yes | No | Short film | |
| Antonio's Breakfast | No | No | Bert | Short film, credited as Amber Templemore-Finlayson | ||
| Glue | No | No | Bert | Co-producer, credited as Amber Templemore-Finlayson | ||
| 2009 | The Taxidermist | Yes | Yes | No | Short films | |
| 2012 | Worm | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2016 | Dance Camp | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2019 | Troop Zero | Yes | No | No | ||
| TBA | Big Thunder Mountain | Yes | No | No | [16] | |
| Moxie | Bert | No | No | [18] | ||
| Gargoyle | Bertie | No | No | [16] | ||
| Esther | Bertie | Bertie | No | [16] |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kidding | "The Acceptance Speech", "A Seat on the Rocket" |
| The Great | "And You Sir, Are No Peter the Great", "Moscow Mule" | |
| 2021 | Hawkeye | "Echoes", "Partners, Am I Right?", "Ronin" |
| 2022 | Our Flag Means Death | "We Gull Way Back", "Act of Grace" |
| 2023–25 | Silo | Both: "The Relic", "The Flamekeepers" Bert: Four episodes; credited as Amber Templemore |
| 2023 | Lessons in Chemistry | "Living Dead Things", "Primitive Instinct" |
| 2024 | The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live | "Years", "Gone" |
| 2025 | Twisted Metal | Bertie: "VAVAVUM", "M4YH3M"; credited as Bertie Ellwood |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Getaway | Bertie only, credited as Katie Ellwood |
| 2015 | Just Cause 3 |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Short Film | Antonio's Breakfast | Won | [22][23] |
| 2009 | Rhode Island International Film Festival | First Place: Best Cinematography | The Taxidermist | Won | [24] |
| 2009 | Palm Springs International ShortFest | Best Live Action Over 15 Minutes | Won | [25] | |
| 2012 | Leeds International Film Festival | Special Mention: Best British Short | Worm | Won | [26] |
They were also named one ofVariety's 2019 Directors to Watch.[27][2]
Follows the life story of Olympic swimmer turned Hollywood Icon, Esther Williams, told through the lens of the clinical LSD trip she took in 1958.
The story of Linda Taylor, a Chicago resident who gained infamy in the 1970s for her ability to manipulate the welfare system.