Co founder of LuckyChap Entertainment, Australian actressMargot Robbie.
The company was established byMargot Robbie,Tom Ackerley, Sophia Kerr and Josey McNamara.[4] Robbie, an Australian actress, was primarily known as a film star, playing major roles inWolf of Wall Street,Suicide Squad andThe Legend of Tarzan.[7] In 2018, she discussed how she previously had an interest in obtaining creative control from behind the camera, and how forming LuckyChap Entertainment gave her the ability to pursue this.[8]
Robbie and Kerr grew up together on theGold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The British pair McNamara and Ackerley worked together for years asassistant directors. Robbie and Ackerley met on the set of the 2015 filmSuite Française in 2013, and began dating in 2014, and were married in 2016.[9] After getting drunk together at the London premiere ofThe Wolf of Wall Street, the four co-founders decided to move into a house together inClapham,London. There, they conceived the idea of starting a production company.[10] The name "LuckyChap" relates toCharlie Chaplin, though Robbie said that none of them could remember its exact meaning.[11] Brett Hedblom serves as LuckyChap's Vice President of television.[12]
In 2017, LuckyChap Entertainment released their first major motion picture productionI, Tonya, based on the life of American competitive ice skaterTonya Harding, played by Robbie. It had a budget of $11million and was their first theatrical release.[13]I, Tonya earned anAcademy Award for Allison Janney as Best Supporting Actress, aBAFTA and aGolden Globe Award, along with several nominations.[5] L. Rose ofThe Hollywood Reporter described the movie's success as a demonstration of LuckyChap Entertainment's "instant credibility".[4]
In 2018, LuckyChap released their next filmTerminal, in partnership withBeagle Pug Films and Highland Film Group. Theneo-noir thriller film, written and directed by Vaughn Stein and starringMargot Robbie, was filmed and produced prior toI, Tonya.[14] It was unsuccessful at thebox offices, grossing $843,970[15] in comparison toI, Tonya's gross of $53,939,297.[16]
In 2019, the company, along with Automatik Entertainment andParamount Pictures, premieredDreamland, a 1930s-set action drama, which was filmed in 2017.[17] Robbie stars as anoutlaw on the run, with a teenage boy as a sidekick.[18] Also in 2019, the company took part in Film Victoria's Placement Program, this program involved a young female producer from Film Victoria undertaking a six-month placement at LuckyChap.[19]
Subsequently, LuckyChap began involvement in television production. Brett Hedlom became Vice President of television.[12] They sold the comedy seriesDollface toHulu in 2018, and then began production and released the show in 2019. The show is also produced byABC Signature Studios and Clubhouse Pictures, and starsKat Dennings—a recently single young woman who comes to terms with her imagination and old friendships.[20]
LuckyChap Entertainment had a first-look deal withWarner Bros. Pictures andWarner Bros. Television to develop and produce films and television series.[26] In this deal they partnered withMattel Films, the new theatrical film division ofMattel, andWarner Bros Pictures, to co-produceBarbie (2023), in which Robbie starred asBarbie.[27] The film's initial planned 2017 release was repeatedly delayed.[28] It was released on 21 July 2023, simultaneously withOppenheimer, leading to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon.[29]Barbie grossed over US$1.4 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023[30] and LuckyChap's most successful production to date.[31]
LuckyChap has described itself as a company that aims to promote female stories from female storytellers, stating that they are filling a gap caused by gender inequality in the film industry, particularly in terms of writers and directors.[32][4]
In 2019, LuckyChap partnered withChristina Hodson, the writer of action films includingBirds of Prey (2020) andBumblebee (2018), to form the 'Lucky Exports Pitch Program' (LEPP).[33] The month-long program consisted of six female writers, including four women of color, in a writers' room.[10] The writers workshopped ideas for action film projects.[33]
As well as ensuring their crews are primarily female, LuckyChap have described that they aim to work on female-focused storylines.[34] LuckyChap executiveMargot Robbie said that she always gravitated towards playing male character roles, as she felt their storylines were better.[4] A. Setianto and M. Win describedBirds of Prey as intricately exploring the issues women face in trying to gain, independence.[35] while N. Curtis and V. Cardo described Quinn as a female character who has control over her own body and sexuality.[36]
The initial headquarters consisted of a small office space located on theWarner Bros lot inLos Angeles. After outgrowing their initial office space, LuckyChap decided to move into a bigger office inDowntown Los Angeles, where they designed an "open, collaborative environment", according toArchitectural Digest.[37] LuckyChap Entertainment said of the construction that they made an effort to keep afeminine aesthetic in the office, with features like their custom-made neon LuckyChap Entertainment sign.[37]
The company also sold their television projectShattered Glass toNBC under the Warner Bros Deal.[38] Robbie and Hedblom decided to work with theABC, Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield from the Australian production company Hoodlum,ABC Studios International, and Robbie's agent Aran Michael from Aran Michael Management, on a 10-part seriesShakespeare Now.[39] The series is to be a modern adaptation ofShakespeare, told from female perspectives and led by an all-female production team.[27] In December 2020, the company signed a first look deal withAmazon Studios for TV projects.[12] The company is co-producing thedramedyNetflix seriesMaid (2021), inspired byStephanie Land's memoirMaid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive. It is also produced by Molly Smith Metzler,John Wells Productions andWarner Bros Television.[40] LuckyChap Entertainment andScott Free Productions are co-producing a film based on the Disney attractionBig Thunder Mountain Railroad. The script is being written by Michele andKieran Mulroney, and it will be directed byBert and Bertie.[41] The company is also producing the Christmas comedyNaughty, which will be directed byOlivia Wilde.[42] In March 2024, it was announced that the company andVertigo Entertainment will produce afilm based on the life simulation gameThe Sims.[43]
