Netflix has hired Mohammed Adnan, a development producer on HBO Max’s Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, as manager of documentary series in the U.S.
Adnan joins from the UK’s Story Films, where he was Vice President of Development, based in New York.
Adnan said he will “work alongside some of the world’s most talented storytellers at a company that has fundamentally reshaped the documentary landscape,” in a post on LinkedIn. Recent hit Netflix doc series have included Michael Jackson: The Verdict, The American Experiment and Dynasty: The Murdochs.
He joins a Netflix commissioning team that includes original documentaries manager Chloe Gbai and original documentary series director Molly Harrington. He came from All3Media-backed Story Films, which has previously made the likes of The Manhattan Alien Abduction for Netflix. He previously worked for October Films heading up U.S. development and before that was at Pulse Films, where he was Global Head of Development. Story Films told us it has started recruiting for Adnan’s replacement.
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Adnan’s past credits include the Emmy-nominated Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, a big hit for the streamer that brought together stars and directors of the movies along with JK Rowling. Others include Inside Missguided: Made in Manchester, Desi Rascals and Don’t Scream.
“When the BBC greenlit my first documentary during my first TV job as a runner, I knew this was what I wanted to do for my career,” said Adnan. “That moment sparked a love for documentary storytelling that has taken me from the UK to the US, working with some of the smartest, most creative people in the industry along the way. After years of pitching, greenlights, and making films and series, I often wondered if I’d one day be on the other side of the commissioning process. Today is that day, as I join Netflix as Manager, Documentary Series.”
Story bosses Peter Beard and David Nath added: “Adnan is a truly talented creative and lovely person – we have been proud to have him as part of the team at Story. We know he will go on to further success at Netflix and we wish him all the very best in this next exciting chapter.”