Searchlight Exec Katie Goodson-Thomas On Being Priced Out Of Working With Filmmakers Like Emerald Fennell: “We Can’t Be Competitive With Netflix Or Amazon” — London Film Festival 

Searchlight Pictures celebrates three decades this year in the biz this year, but UK-based exec Katie Goodson-Thomas told a crowd this morning during a London Film Festival industry talk that the mini-studio is finding it increasingly difficult to compete on the market for projects thanks to the big streamers. 

Goodson-Thomas — who has worked in various positions at the Poor Things studio for 11 years — was asked by an audience member whether the company is ever priced out of projects they would have traditionally backed because of the growing influence of companies like Netflix and Amazon. The longtime exec promptly replied: “That happens on a daily basis.” 

“Really, it does. We can’t be competitive with Netflix or Amazon or Apple. Its just not gonna happen,” she said adding that she would personally like to work with new filmmakers like Emerald Fennell but Searchlight has been entirely priced out of a conversation with her. 

“She’s working on Wuthering Heights but we’re not going to be able to join that conversation,” Goodson-Thomas said of Fennel. “But I think she’s an extraordinary filmmaker and I want her films to be made so I’m proud they’re being made with people who can pay the money she would like.” 

Goodson-Thomas later added that she believes Searchlight has been able to remain steady despite the growing influence of streamers because of it’s “humanity and face-to-face” relationships with filmmakers at all levels of the production process. 

“I don’t think there’s a better distribution marketing team around. Internationally or globally,” she said. “They work so hard. Look at Poor Things. That film wasn’t easy and they just loved it. I’m so proud of the work they do and I just don’t see that at those places.” 

Goodson-Thomas told the packed industry forum crowd here in London that her Searchlight team consists of eight people, four of which she said are lawyers. She described the company’s DNA as “un-American and un-corporate” with team members throughout the company given a voice regardless of their seniority.

There have been no changes, she added, in the company’s creative ethos since it was acquired by Disney in the massive 2017 deal with it’s former parent fox.

“They give us total creative freedom and we get this huge powerhouse behind us,” she said. “They respect our taste and understand what we do. The thing they’ve made us more aware of is brand. They’re so brilliant at branding and have made us more aware of that.”

The London Film Festival runs until Sunday.