Philip Knatchbull is a British film executive whose work spans film development, production, distribution, and exhibition. He is best known for his long association with Curzon, where he served as chief executive officer from 2006 to 2023. He returned to the company in 2024 as interim chairman before being appointed chief executive officer and chairman in 2026.
Knatchbull has also received executive producer credits on a number of film productions, including 45 Years (2015), Kneecap (2024), Ballad of a Small Player (2025), and I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning (2026).
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Early life
Knatchbull was born on 2 December 1961 in London, England. He is the son of film producer John Brabourne, whose productions included Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet and David Lean's A Passage to India and Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Through his paternal family, Knatchbull is a grandson of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
Career
After attending film school, Knatchbull established his own production company. When the business proved financially inconsistent, he left the film industry and moved into investment, running a technology and media investment fund. His investments included an online news service, an online music company and a French internet service provider.
In 2006, Knatchbull, through Knatchbull Communications Group, partnered with Act Entertainment Group in the acquisition of Artificial Eye, a leading United Kingdom distributor of arthouse and foreign-language films. At the time of the acquisition, Artificial Eye owned a library of more than 200 films and operated the Chelsea Cinema and the Renoir in London. The acquisition combined Artificial Eye's cinema operations with Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho and the Richmond Filmhouse under a new subsidiary, expanding the group's presence within the London arthouse cinema market.
In 2012, the Tabatznik Family Trust acquired a substantial equity stake in Curzon Artificial Eye through an investment in the company's parent group. As part of the transaction, Knatchbull signed a new three-year contract as group chief executive officer, while a new employee share option scheme was also introduced.
During his tenure, Curzon Cinemas, Curzon Film and Curzon Home Cinema were unified under the Curzon brand. The company expanded from an initial base of two venues to 20 cinemas across London and the United Kingdom. Knatchbull also oversaw the growth of Curzon Film as an independent film distributor in the United Kingdom and Ireland. During this period, the company released more than 400 films theatrically and distributed, winning numerous Academy Awards and British Academy Film and Television Awards. In 2020, Curzon Film released Parasite in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it became the highest-grossing subtitled film at the box office in those territories. Discussing the release of Parasite, Knatchbull stated that Curzon departed from its usual simultaneous release strategy and instead pursued a 16-week theatrical window in order to secure wider multiplex bookings for the film.
In 2010, Knatchbull launched Curzon Home Cinema, a streaming platform that enabled same-day releases for films in cinemas and on the platform. The service was originally launched as Curzon On Demand before being rebranded as Curzon Home Cinema in 2013.
By 2017, Curzon had expanded to 47 screens across 21 sites in the United Kingdom. Under Knatchbull's strategy, Curzon acquired both theatrical and home entertainment rights for films, enabling same-day releases in cinemas and online through Curzon Home Cinema. Knatchbull stated that the model expanded access to independent cinema for audiences unable to attend theatres while also reducing incentives for unlawful downloading during traditional release windows. He also described the platform as part of Curzon's broader ambition to establish itself as a national brand associated with independent cinema.
In 2019, Curzon was acquired by Cohen Media Group. Knatchbull remained chief executive officer following the acquisition.
Knatchbull stepped down as chief executive officer in 2023 after 17 years in the role. Following his departure, he worked on a memoir titled Swallowtail, described as "a memoir about my life which includes the whole Curzon story", and travelled in India with his wife.
In November 2024, Knatchbull returned to Curzon as interim executive chairman following the company's acquisition by Fortress Investment Group. His return followed the departure of Edward Fletcher, who had served as chief executive officer since November 2023. The change in leadership came after Fortress Investment Group acquired Curzon for $5 million following a legal dispute involving Cohen Media Group owner Charles S. Cohen and Fortress over an alleged default on a $534 million loan.
In a 2025 interview with Screen Daily following his return, Knatchbull described Curzon as "stable" and stated that the future of independent film distribution would increasingly involve multi-territory rights partnerships and international collaborations. He also discussed the Curzon CM Development Fund, a partnership with Madman Entertainment in Australia and Cineart in Belgium established to develop films and secure local distribution rights in multiple territories. The fund had 12 films in development and four films in production, including Bad Apples and Ballad of a Small Player.
In July 2026, Knatchbull was serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Curzon. In the same month, Curzon was reported to be developing a flagship venue as part of Knatchbull's plan to broaden the company's neigborhood cinema model. The venue would include three auditorims, podcast studios, a writers' room and a full-service restaurant.
Industry perspective
In 2016, Knatchbull opined that global cinema admissions could decline significantly as audiences increasingly shifted toward alternative viewing models and streaming platforms. Speaking at Screen International's Exhibitors' Forum, Knatchbull stated that audiences "want to consume films in a different way" and argued that cinema operators needed to adapt to changing viewing habits and younger audiences.
In 2019, Knatchbull supported greater flexibility in theatrical release windows during industry debates surrounding streaming platforms and cinema exhibition. Responding to criticism from cinema chain Vue regarding Netflix's release strategy for Roma, Knatchbull stated that Curzon had seen growth in both cinema attendance and engagement with Curzon Home Cinema, adding that "it is not evident that streaming has to be in conflict with cinema-going". He also called for greater emphasis on audience choice and criticised the limitations of the traditional 16-week theatrical release window.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Knatchbull further supported flexible distribution models combining theatrical exhibition and streaming platforms, stating that Curzon's vertically integrated structure — combining cinemas, film distribution and streaming through Curzon Home Cinema — allowed the company to adapt more quickly to cinema closures. He also stated that the pandemic accelerated broader industry changes surrounding theatrical release windows and streaming distribution.
In 2025, Knatchbull commented on the potential impact of artificial intelligence on independent film distribution and exhibition while speaking at the CinemaVision 2030 conference in Berlin alongside Cannes Film Festival general delegate Thierry Frémaux. Knatchbull stated that AI-assisted dubbing and voice replication technologies could help international and local-language films reach wider audiences across multiple territories, describing this as "a massive opportunity for independent films to find a much wider global audience". In 2026, Knatchbull stated that although Curzon would not immediately adopt artificial intelligence internally, he believed AI could reduce film production costs by 20–30 percent and lower barriers to entry for emerging filmmakers, potentially encouraging greater investment in independent film production.
Industry awards
In 2017, Curzon received the British Academy Film Awards for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in recognition of its contribution to British film exhibition and distribution.
Accepting the award on behalf of Curzon, Knatchbull described the company's role as helping filmmakers "get their incredible films seen" and reaffirmed Curzon's commitment to supporting independent and international cinema. During the speech, Knatchbull also expressed concern about the potential impact of Brexit on European Union cultural support and film funding for independent cinema in the United Kingdom. He also stated that Curzon would continue to support “challenging new films with bold, diverse and authentic voices” through its cinemas and digital platforms.
Personal life
Knatchbull married Wendy Amanda Leach in 2002. They have two sons: Frederick "Freddy" Knatchbull, a model, British Army Reserve member and television personality, and John Robin "Rocky" Knatchbull. From a previous marriage, Knatchbull has one daughter: Daisy Knatchbull, a fashion designer, and a step son Tom Vereker. He is also step father to Wendy's daughter, Phoebe Knatchbull, who works in public relations.