British director Tim McNaughton has signed with Arts & Sciences for commercial representation in the U.S. and U.K.
His filmmaking sensibilities, while often comic, are not confined to humor in their expression, with a rich visual execution that makes his work stand out. McNaughton’s approach can be seen in the entertaining 2023 Morrisons’ Christmas commercial featuring a chorus of oven gloves singing the ‘80s hit “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship; his viral, award-winning turn for MoneySuperMarket, “Dirty Dancing” starring Skeletor and He-Man as improbable dance partners; and the slapstick, deadpan comedy of Little Caesars’ “Fainting.” Indeed, no stranger to North America, as well as Little Caesars, McNaughton has already garnered awards for his work on Fox Sports and H&R Block, among others.
McNaughton initially found fame as one half of the directing team (and crime-fighting duo), The Bobbsey Twins from Homicide, but in recent years, he has been flying the flag for the pair in Europe while his other half, Freddy Mandy, flew south to conquer the southern hemisphere. The decision this year to split was a mutual one for the lifelong best friends, who will now forge their own paths to, in McNaughton’s words, “explore their individual artistic expressions and make twice as much money.” Outside of directing, the pair will still combine for occasional team sports such as playing soccer and drinking.
McNaughton is no stranger to Arts & Sciences, having been repped commercially by the company while part of The Bobbsey Twins. Prior to that the duo had been repped by Blink in the U.K. and Ruffian in the U.S.
Mal Ward, managing director and partner at Arts & Sciences, said, “Tim’s an extraordinary director. He’s a sharp filmmaker with incredible taste and vision. He and Freddy have divided and conquered across the globe–literally and figuratively–and I’m excited by what’s to come as we partner with Tim on his journey.”
When asked for comment about the split, McNaughton’s ex-Bobbsey partner Mandy remarked, “Tim? Tell that guy he’s still got my lawnmower.”
