EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Dockery hired as head of development; company launches writing programme.

Mann Made Films, the Manchester-based production company behind assassin thriller The Tournament, is set to expand its operations in the UK.

The outfit, owned by Scott Man and James Edward Barker, has hired former Granada and Lime Pictures story writer and story editor Daniel Dockery to act as their head of development. The position is effective immediately.

In his new role, Dockery will oversee Mann Made’s development slate and spearhead a new writing programme.

Jonathan Frank, writer of 2009’s The Tournament, which starred Robert Carlyle and Ving Rhames, will also join the firm.

Frank has come on board as head writer for the writing initiative, which is being launched to attract Northern-based talent and develop commercial genre titles for the international market.

Frank will assist in the development of Mann Made projects and has a first-look deal with the company on his new script ideas.

He will mentor first time writers and directors from the north of England to take their scripts from development to production.

Mann Made is currently working with first time writer-directors Clive Tonge and Shaun Robert Smith as well as more experienced names such as Michael J Bassett, Nick Rowntree and Neil Marshall.

Mann and Barker also operate Veneration Music, based near Maidstone TV Studios in Kent, where they are developing a recording facility to support post-production on lower budget feature films in the UK.

Scott Mann is represented at Aperture Entertainment and Independent Talent,

and with Barker by Marc Von Arc at Nelson Davis Wetzsteinz legal services.