Amber Templemore-Finlayson and Katie Ellwood, collectively known as Bert and Bertie, respectively, are British film and television directors. They are best known for directing the film Troop Zero. They also directed a block of episodes for the Disney+ series Hawkeye and Our Flag Means Death. Ellwood is also known individually as the co-creator of The Getaway franchise, the basis for the crime drama series Gangs of London.
Career Templemore and Ellwood met in 2005 in London when Templemore was making a short film series to go along with The Getaway video game, and Ellwood was the game's writer. Ellwood had previously worked for Sony Computer Entertainment as an assistant producer and script consultant. Their first project was the short film Phobias. The two have also directed commercials for McDonald's.
In 2019, they directed the comedy-drama film Troop Zero. They were inspired to create it after realizing the social and cultural impact it could have on young girls, saying that they felt "there had never been a film about a group of young girls that go on an adventure to achieve something by working together and succeeding". They convinced producer Todd Black at Escape Artists to help, and after being approved by Escape Artists, producer Ted Hope and his Amazon Originals team let them pitch the film. For the pitch, they created Birdie Scout manuals filled with ideas on how to create the film. They also made a "rip-o-matic" of reference movies to give Amazon Studios a sense of "the comic yet emotional tone of the movie", and chose 20 images defining the film they wanted to create. After its completion, the duo were hired again by Amazon to rewrite and direct Eurydice, a retelling of the Greek myth described as "Terminator meets Thelma & Louise."
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the duo were actively developing the biopic feature A Special Relationship written by Simon Beaufoy and set to star Rachel Weisz as Elizabeth Taylor. The heavily-researched film was set to chronicle Taylor's journey from actress to activist through her friendship with her assistant Roger Wall.
In July 2020, it was announced they would direct a block of episodes for the Disney+ series Hawkeye, which premiered in November 2021.
In February 2021, it was announced that the two would direct Queen Bitch & The High Horse, a film about the largest municipal fraud in American history. Cate Blanchett and her production company Dirty Films will produce, along with New Republic Pictures.
In August 2022, it was announced that the duo has signed to direct a feature film adaptation of the Disneyland attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
In November 2022, Templemore was set to solo-direct Keke Palmer in the action-comedy Moxie, while Ellwood was announced in May 2023 to be directing the cybercrime action thriller Gargoyle, as well as her own script about Esther Williams' LSD trip. Other contemporary projects included The Queen, based on the magazine article and book by Josh Levin.
Templemore and Ellwood directed two episodes of the first season of the Apple TV+ series Silo. Templemore solo directed seven episodes of Silos second and third season. They directed two episodes of the 2023 Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry.
As of 2025, Ellwood was in pre-production on and attached to solo direct the feature Back Together, from the original script by Erin Cardillo about an indecisive woman who goes backwards in time. That year she also boarded a film adaption of Hannah Gold's bestselling novel The Last Bear; casting for which was said to be underway.
After directing some television, Ellwood officially returned to feature filmmaking with Eleven Missing Days, starring Felicity Jones as Agatha Christie.
Personal lives Templemore and Ellwood are from London, and are based in Los Angeles and London as of January 2019. Templemore grew up in Johannesburg, and Ellwood grew up in Leicester, England. They like to call themselves "the Berts" and have not revealed why they chose the names Bert and Bertie.
Their influences include the Coen brothers, Guillermo del Toro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro and Tim Burton.
Filmography Film Year Title Directors Writers Producers Notes 2006 Phobias Short film Antonio's Breakfast Short film, credited as Amber Templemore-Finlayson Glue Co-producer, credited as Amber Templemore-Finlayson 2009 The Taxidermist Short films 2012 Worm 2016 Dance Camp 2019 Troop Zero Eleven Missing Days Filming
Television
Year Title Notes2020Kidding "The Acceptance Speech", "A Seat on the Rocket" The Great "And You Sir, Are No Peter the Great", "Moscow Mule" 2021 Hawkeye "Echoes", "Partners, Am I Right?", "Ronin" 2022 Our Flag Means Death "We Gull Way Back", "Act of Grace" 2023–26 Silo Both (season 1): "The Relic", "The Flamekeepers"Bert (seasons 2–3): 7 episodes; credited as Amber Templemore 2023 Lessons in Chemistry "Living Dead Things", "Primitive Instinct" 2024 The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live "Years", "Gone" 2025 Twisted Metal Bertie: "VAVAVUM", "M4YH3M"; credited as Bertie Ellwood 2026 The Miniature Wife Bertie: "What Category Is Shrinking Your Wife", "Don't Freak Out!"; credited as Bertie Ellwood
Video games YearTitleNotes 2002 The Getaway Bertie only, credited as Katie Ellwood 2015 Just Cause 3
Awards Year Award Category Work Result 2006 British Academy Film Awards Best Short Film Antonio's Breakfast 2009 Rhode Island International Film Festival First Place: Best Cinematography The Taxidermist 2009 Palm Springs International ShortFest Best Live Action Over 15 Minutes 2012 Leeds International Film Festival Special Mention: Best British Short Worm They were also named one of Varietys 2019 Directors to Watch.
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