Pulse founder Thomas Benski turns Lumina into 75-show-a-year group
Thomas Benski is running his second act at full speed.
His international media organisation Lumina Media now touches around 75 productions a year, working across talent and IP (intellectual property, the rights behind films, shows and formats), innovation, the creator economy and youth sports, according to a Deadline profile published 13 October 2026.
Benski knows scale. He formed Pulse Films with Marisa Clifford in 2005, sold the UK-based company to Vice Media in 2016 and stepped back in 2022 after 16 years. Vice took full control at that point, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter in March 2022. Benski and Clifford remain in dispute with Vice over payments linked to the sale.
Lumina launched in December 2024 with bases in London, New York, Paris and Los Angeles, as reported by Screen Daily at the time. Two years on, the group has offices on both sides of the Atlantic and in the Middle East, including London.
Inside Lumina sits Magna Studios, the multidisciplinary production business led by Clifford and Davud Karbassioun. Lumina helped launch Carrousel Studios at an early stage, the company founded by actor Omar Sy and director Louis Leterrier. It has also backed Wayward Films from ’71 director Yann Demange and Strike, the maker of Jamie Johnson FC.
Last year Lumina took a stake, meaning a minority ownership share, in Benedict Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch Productions. That deal added an actor-led company with a long development slate to a group already organised around talent-backed businesses.
The reach goes beyond film and television. Investments include AI firm Perplexity and gaming company Creators Corp, where Benski and Clifford put in a $2 million strategic investment reported by Variety in December 2024. Its venture capital arm, the unit that backs early-stage firms for a share, has put money into swimwear label Hunza G and luxury handbag maker Métier.
Carrousel shows how the model works in practice. Sy, Leterrier and Benski launched the production group with backing from CAA Media, with former Wild Bunch executive Cécile Gaget hired to lead it, The Hollywood Reporter reported in April 2024.
Benski arrives with credits many viewers will know. He produced Gangs of London for television, plus the films American Honey and The Witch. He and Clifford are BAFTA and Grammy-nominated producers.
What makes this stand out is the shape of it. Lumina is not a single studio. For viewers, this means more talent-led companies with the cash to develop stories and keep crews working through to delivery.
