Universal International Studios will make Matchbox Pictures

Australian production company Matchbox Pictures is closing after almost twenty years.

The studio was founded in 2008 by Tony Ayres, Penny Chapman, Helen Bowden, Michael McMahon and Helen Pankhurst and is known for ‘House of Gods’, which won a best actor for Kamel El Basha at Series Mania in 2024, ‘Dog Park’ and ‘The Survivors’.

Universal International Studios (then known as NBCU) took a majority stake in Matchbox in 2011 before fully acquiring it in 2014.

In a statement, the parent company said: “After an extensive review of the business and the broader production landscape, Matchbox will close after eighteen years (12 years since the acquisition of NBCU). Universal International Studios maintains its commitment to Australia, but as strategic priorities shift, the studio is evolving its business model in the region. Going forward, the company will evaluate production opportunities and work with local producers and talent on a case-by-case basis as new projects emerge.”

Variety understands that Ayres’ standalone prod-co Tony Ayres Productions will also close. Ayres launched the company in 2018, backed by Universal.

In a statement, the CEO of industry body Screen Producers Australia paid tribute to the company, saying: “The closure of Matchbox Pictures marks the end of a remarkable chapter in the modern Australian screen industry. For almost two decades, Matchbox has helped redefine what Australian television and film could be: ambitious, internationally confident and unapologetically local in spirit.”

“Many writers, producers and artisans have made careers through its productions, and its legacy will continue through the people and projects it has nurtured. Matchbox has shown that Australian stories can resonate far beyond our borders, and that contribution will continue across the industry.”