Disney+ Boosts UK Scripted Shows, Hires Top Execs from ‘Wreck,’ ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’

Disney+ is expanding its scripted division in the United Kingdom.

The streaming service has named Ron O’Berst, the executive producer of What It Feels Like For a Girl, as its new Director of Scripted Originals UK. Joining him is Laura Klimke, previously a development executive for Wreck, who now takes on the role of Senior Development Manager for Scripted Originals UK.

This development follows a significant move by Angela Jain, Disney+ EMEA’s Head of Content, who elevated four executives and introduced a lineup of European originals at Series Mania in March, six months ago.

The UK commissioning team at Disney+ has previously produced acclaimed titles such as the ‘bonkbuster’ Rivals and the comedy-drama Alice and Steve. O’Berst is set to enhance the production of local UK content for both Disney+ and Hulu. Recent European projects include Breslau from Poland, Bref.2 in France, This is Not Hollywood in Italy, and Invisible in Spain.

Based in London, both O’Berst and Klimke will directly report to Lee Mason, Vice President of Scripted Content for Disney+ EMEA. Their focus will be to scout, develop, and greenlight projects aimed at Disney+ and Hulu viewers.

“With the expansion of our Originals collection, Ron and Laura bring a wealth of creative acumen, strong industry connections, and a shared commitment to fostering unique creative talent,” Jain commented. “Their hiring represents a crucial component of our strategic initiative to assemble a top-tier originals team that will deliver increased content diversity and maintain creative excellence, meeting our audiences’ expectations.”

Prior to his new role, O’Berst was with Hera Pictures, where he was an executive producer for the BAFTA-nominated BBC Three drama What It Feels Like for a Girl, recently picked up by Prime Video. His past roles include Story Producer for Mary & George on Sky Atlantic and Starz, Head of Development at Drama Republic, and Head of Scripted Development at BBC Worldwide, after starting his career at Channel 4 and Discovery Networks International.

“I’ve always respected Angela, Lee, and their team’s exceptional taste in projects, and I’m eager to contribute as Disney continues its global expansion with an impressive array of upcoming titles,” O’Berst mentioned.

Klimke comes from Pure Fiction Television, where she served as an executive producer. She has also spent four years as Head of Development at Euston Films, working on Neil Cross’s Hard Sun for BBC and The Sister for ITV. Her latest project was the comedy-horror drama Wreck, which aired on BBC Three for two seasons.

“Disney is crafting some of the most ambitious and captivating British dramas with top-tier talent, and I am excited to help discover and develop the next batch of series that will captivate and surprise our audience,” she stated.