Italian producers Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli are entering the Mediawan fold after recently exiting Fremantle to jointly form a new independent outfit.
The two producers will both be in Cannes as executive producers with Fremantle movies premiering in the Cannes competition, Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Limonov” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” respectively.
Mediawan, the production powerhouse that now comprises more than 85 labels around the world, is in the process of acquiring a 51% majority stake in Gianani and Mieli’s Rome-based Our Films company under a deal that will officially close in September, according to several sources.
Gianani and Mieli, who declined to be interviewed for this article, are still closely tied to Fremantle even after exiting their Fremantle-owned banners, Wildside and the Apartment, earlier this year. As previously announced, they have a co-production deal with Fremantle under which they will continue to shepherd a number of projects that they had in the Fremantle pipeline.
The two producers will both be in Cannes as executive producers with Fremantle movies premiering in the Cannes competition, Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Limonov” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” respectively.
Mediawan, the production powerhouse that now comprises more than 85 labels around the world, is in the process of acquiring a 51% majority stake in Gianani and Mieli’s Rome-based Our Films company under a deal that will officially close in September, according to several sources.
Gianani and Mieli, who declined to be interviewed for this article, are still closely tied to Fremantle even after exiting their Fremantle-owned banners, Wildside and the Apartment, earlier this year. As previously announced, they have a co-production deal with Fremantle under which they will continue to shepherd a number of projects that they had in the Fremantle pipeline.
- 5/14/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton is set to receive Variety’s International Visionary Award at the Cannes Film Festival where the company will have multiple films playing across the Official Selection.
The award will pay tribute to Capton’s trailblazing track record at the helm of Mediawan, the company he founded with investment banker Mathieu Pigasse and telecom billionaire Xavier Niel in late 2015. Mediawan is now a global production powerhouse encompassing more than 85 labels around the world, having just announced its acquisition of Leonine, a leading German distribution-production company.
The combined group comprises Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Bob Marley: One Love”) in the U.S., France’s On Entertainment (“Miraculous”), Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi (“Beating Hearts”), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, Italy’s Palomar (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), as well as Drama Republic and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K and Wiedemann & Berg Film (“The Lives Of Others...
The award will pay tribute to Capton’s trailblazing track record at the helm of Mediawan, the company he founded with investment banker Mathieu Pigasse and telecom billionaire Xavier Niel in late 2015. Mediawan is now a global production powerhouse encompassing more than 85 labels around the world, having just announced its acquisition of Leonine, a leading German distribution-production company.
The combined group comprises Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Bob Marley: One Love”) in the U.S., France’s On Entertainment (“Miraculous”), Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi (“Beating Hearts”), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, Italy’s Palomar (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), as well as Drama Republic and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K and Wiedemann & Berg Film (“The Lives Of Others...
- 4/29/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
France’s Mediawan has acquired German group Leonine Studios.
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm Kkr. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO...
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm Kkr. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
French studio Mediawan and Germany’s Leonine have signed a deal to merge their operation, forming one of Europe’s biggest film and TV companies.
The all-stock transaction, announced Sunday, will create a mini-major with companies and operations across 13 countries and annual revenues of more than €1 billion ($1.06 billion). Mediawan took a 25 percent stake in Leonine back in 2020. Both companies are backed by private equity group Kkr. The agreement is conditional on regulatory approval.
Mediawan boss Pierre-Antoine Capton will be CEO of the new, merged group, with Leonine head Fred Kogel leading operations in German-speaking territories. Kogel will also join Mediawan’s executive committee.
Both Mediawan, launched in 2015 by Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, and Leonine, which Kogel founded in 2019, have followed similar strategies of tapping private equity funding to buy up independent production and distribution companies in Europe. Among the titles produced by Mediawan-owned labels include Netflix hit Call My Agent,...
The all-stock transaction, announced Sunday, will create a mini-major with companies and operations across 13 countries and annual revenues of more than €1 billion ($1.06 billion). Mediawan took a 25 percent stake in Leonine back in 2020. Both companies are backed by private equity group Kkr. The agreement is conditional on regulatory approval.
Mediawan boss Pierre-Antoine Capton will be CEO of the new, merged group, with Leonine head Fred Kogel leading operations in German-speaking territories. Kogel will also join Mediawan’s executive committee.
Both Mediawan, launched in 2015 by Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, and Leonine, which Kogel founded in 2019, have followed similar strategies of tapping private equity funding to buy up independent production and distribution companies in Europe. Among the titles produced by Mediawan-owned labels include Netflix hit Call My Agent,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
European powerhouse Mediawan has acquired Leonine, a leading production and distribution group active in German-speaking markets.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr whose stake in Mediawan will still be below 50%, according to a source close to the company.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr whose stake in Mediawan will still be below 50%, according to a source close to the company.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K.
- 4/28/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Pierre-Antoine Capton, the co-founder and CEO of Mediawan, was named Knight of the Legion of Honor by French President Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony held at the Elysée Palace in Paris.
Capton was honored alongside other French figures who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s cultural landscape, including the filmmaker Costa Gavras, actor and novelist Marlène Jobert, contemporary artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, historian Pierre Nora, choreographer Claude Bessy, journalist Jean-Claude Narcy and conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus.
A former indie TV producer who rose through the ranks, Capton co-founded Mediawan with telco billionaire Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse in 2015 and has turned it into an international powerhouse with a raft of strategic acquisitions, including France’s Ab Productions, the U.K.’s Drama Republic, Italy’s Palomar and Brad Pitt’s Plan B. The company, which is backed by Kkr and recently signed a €100m TV development deal with Entourage Ventures,...
Capton was honored alongside other French figures who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s cultural landscape, including the filmmaker Costa Gavras, actor and novelist Marlène Jobert, contemporary artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, historian Pierre Nora, choreographer Claude Bessy, journalist Jean-Claude Narcy and conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus.
A former indie TV producer who rose through the ranks, Capton co-founded Mediawan with telco billionaire Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse in 2015 and has turned it into an international powerhouse with a raft of strategic acquisitions, including France’s Ab Productions, the U.K.’s Drama Republic, Italy’s Palomar and Brad Pitt’s Plan B. The company, which is backed by Kkr and recently signed a €100m TV development deal with Entourage Ventures,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Burgeoning Paris-based film and TV content group Mediawan has acquired a majority stake in French production company 24 25 Films.
Led by co-founding producers Thibault Gast and Matthias Weber, the company has a proven track record in producing mainstream box office hits in France.
Successes include Yann Gozlan’s 2021 Pierre Niney-starring mystery thriller Black Box, which grossed $9.4 million at the French box office, as well as the director’s previous film A Perfect Man.
Further productions include Thomas Kruithof’s political drama Promises as well as the award-winning comedy In The Game by Robin Sykes.
Its new action-comedy Cash by Jérémie Rozan, starring Raphaël Quenard, Agathe Rousselle and Igor Gotesman, has been in the number one slot on Netflix in France, since its launch on the platform on July 6.
24 25 Films joins a growing number of successful cinema-skewed companies operating under the Mediawan banner including Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Brad Pitt’s Plan B,...
Led by co-founding producers Thibault Gast and Matthias Weber, the company has a proven track record in producing mainstream box office hits in France.
Successes include Yann Gozlan’s 2021 Pierre Niney-starring mystery thriller Black Box, which grossed $9.4 million at the French box office, as well as the director’s previous film A Perfect Man.
Further productions include Thomas Kruithof’s political drama Promises as well as the award-winning comedy In The Game by Robin Sykes.
Its new action-comedy Cash by Jérémie Rozan, starring Raphaël Quenard, Agathe Rousselle and Igor Gotesman, has been in the number one slot on Netflix in France, since its launch on the platform on July 6.
24 25 Films joins a growing number of successful cinema-skewed companies operating under the Mediawan banner including Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Brad Pitt’s Plan B,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Mediawan has been shaking the foundations of the film and TV world in France and Europe since it was launched in 2015 by producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, billionaire entrepreneur Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse.
Raising an initial $342 million (300 million euros) by listing shares on the Euronext Paris stock exchange in 2016, the Paris-based group has since gathered some 70 film and TV production labels under its umbrella as well as secured the backing of U.S. investment firms Kkr and Atwater Capitol.
High-profile acquisitions have included the television division of Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp; Lagardère Studios and its 25 labels, including Spain’s Boomerang Group; French production houses Chapter 2, Chi-Fou-Mi, Radar Films and Call My Agent creator Mon Voisin Productions as well as Italian producer Palomar.
Elisabeth d’Arvieu
In 2021, it took a majority stake in the U.K.’s Drama Republic, while on the eve of Cannes, it bought Submarine, the Amsterdam and...
Raising an initial $342 million (300 million euros) by listing shares on the Euronext Paris stock exchange in 2016, the Paris-based group has since gathered some 70 film and TV production labels under its umbrella as well as secured the backing of U.S. investment firms Kkr and Atwater Capitol.
High-profile acquisitions have included the television division of Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp; Lagardère Studios and its 25 labels, including Spain’s Boomerang Group; French production houses Chapter 2, Chi-Fou-Mi, Radar Films and Call My Agent creator Mon Voisin Productions as well as Italian producer Palomar.
Elisabeth d’Arvieu
In 2021, it took a majority stake in the U.K.’s Drama Republic, while on the eve of Cannes, it bought Submarine, the Amsterdam and...
- 5/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
European production group Mediawan, which recently made headlines when it acquired a majority stake in Brad Pitt’s outfit Plan B Entertainment, has sealed another M&a deal, taking a majority stake in Submarine, the Dutch-based producers of Amazon Prime series Undone from Bojack Horseman creators Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob Waksberg.
Submarine’s credits also include “A Dream of a Thousand Cats,” an episode of Netflix and Warner Bros. Television’s The Sandman, Richard Linklater’s latest film Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (also on Netflix), and the Emmy Award-winning documentaries Last Hijack and Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World.
Among their upcoming projects are drama series The Kollective written by Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero showrunner Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Rvaglia; and Safe Harbor a true-crime-inspired series by Ozark co-creator Mark Williams.
“We are delighted to welcome within Mediawan a team as creative and renowned as the Submarine team,...
Submarine’s credits also include “A Dream of a Thousand Cats,” an episode of Netflix and Warner Bros. Television’s The Sandman, Richard Linklater’s latest film Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (also on Netflix), and the Emmy Award-winning documentaries Last Hijack and Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World.
Among their upcoming projects are drama series The Kollective written by Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero showrunner Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Rvaglia; and Safe Harbor a true-crime-inspired series by Ozark co-creator Mark Williams.
“We are delighted to welcome within Mediawan a team as creative and renowned as the Submarine team,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brut, the influential digital media publisher which became one of the main partners for the Cannes Film Festival last year, has just finalized its fourth funding round for approximately $40 million.
The company, founded by Guillaume Lacroix, Renaud Le Van Kim and Laurent Lucas six years ago, has enlisted a pair of powerful financial backers: CMA Cgm, the world’s third-largest container shipping company owned by billionaire businessman Rodolphe Saadé, which also recently nabbed 10% of France’s second biggest commercial network M6, and the daily newspaper La Provence; and MoonPay, a leading Miami-based financial service company for web3 whose investors include former tennis star Maria Sharapova, as well as Snoop Dogg, Drake and Justin Bieber, among others. Aryeh B. Bourkoff’s LionTree advised the deal with MoonPay.
With this fourth round, Brut has raised nearly $140 million since its launch, and has been able to keep its former investors on board, including James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems,...
The company, founded by Guillaume Lacroix, Renaud Le Van Kim and Laurent Lucas six years ago, has enlisted a pair of powerful financial backers: CMA Cgm, the world’s third-largest container shipping company owned by billionaire businessman Rodolphe Saadé, which also recently nabbed 10% of France’s second biggest commercial network M6, and the daily newspaper La Provence; and MoonPay, a leading Miami-based financial service company for web3 whose investors include former tennis star Maria Sharapova, as well as Snoop Dogg, Drake and Justin Bieber, among others. Aryeh B. Bourkoff’s LionTree advised the deal with MoonPay.
With this fourth round, Brut has raised nearly $140 million since its launch, and has been able to keep its former investors on board, including James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The trio behind Mediawan, the French company which recently acquired a majority stake in Brad Pitt’s Plan B, have made an offer to buy Cgr Cinema, France’s second biggest multiplex chain, Variety has confirmed.
The bid has been made by Pierre-Antoine Capton and French telecom tycoon Xavier Niel, the co-founders of Mediawan. Capton and Niel are being backed by a consortium which includes Matthieu Pigasse, a big-time financier who is the third co-founder of Mediawan, among others. The offer values Cgr Cinemas below €500 million ($300 million), according to a source closed to discussions.
The British fund Aermont Capital has also made an offer, according to the French news site “L’informé.”
Cgr Cinemas comprises 74 multiplexes and represented an estimated 12% market share of theatrical admissions in 2022, according to the Cnc.
Cgr Cinemas’s owners, Luc Raymond and Charles Raymond, put the exhibition chain on the market in 2021. Along with the exhibition part of the business,...
The bid has been made by Pierre-Antoine Capton and French telecom tycoon Xavier Niel, the co-founders of Mediawan. Capton and Niel are being backed by a consortium which includes Matthieu Pigasse, a big-time financier who is the third co-founder of Mediawan, among others. The offer values Cgr Cinemas below €500 million ($300 million), according to a source closed to discussions.
The British fund Aermont Capital has also made an offer, according to the French news site “L’informé.”
Cgr Cinemas comprises 74 multiplexes and represented an estimated 12% market share of theatrical admissions in 2022, according to the Cnc.
Cgr Cinemas’s owners, Luc Raymond and Charles Raymond, put the exhibition chain on the market in 2021. Along with the exhibition part of the business,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Companies aim to finance series with international potential.
France’s Mediawan Group has partnered with Paris-based investment firm Entourage Ventures on a €100 million fund to develop global series.
The aim of the agreement is to finance TV series with “strong international potential” over the next 4-6 years, according to a joint statement from the groups on Monday.
Under the deal, Mediawan Group’s distribution subsidiary Mediawan Rights will partner with Entourage to co-develop, co-produce and co-distribute series geared towards global audiences. Both financing and revenue will be shared 50/50 between the two partners with Mediawan handling distribution of the series and...
France’s Mediawan Group has partnered with Paris-based investment firm Entourage Ventures on a €100 million fund to develop global series.
The aim of the agreement is to finance TV series with “strong international potential” over the next 4-6 years, according to a joint statement from the groups on Monday.
Under the deal, Mediawan Group’s distribution subsidiary Mediawan Rights will partner with Entourage to co-develop, co-produce and co-distribute series geared towards global audiences. Both financing and revenue will be shared 50/50 between the two partners with Mediawan handling distribution of the series and...
- 2/6/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Companies aim to finance series with international potential.
France’s Mediawan Group has partnered with Paris-based investment firm Entourage Ventures on a €100 million fund to develop global series.
The aim of the agreement is to finance TV series with “strong international potential” over the next 4-6 years, according to a joint statement from the groups on Monday.
Under the deal, Mediawan Group’s distribution subsidiary Mediawan Rights will partner with Entourage to co-develop, co-produce and co-distribute series geared towards global audiences. Both financing and revenue will be shared 50/50 between the two partners with Mediawan handling distribution of the series and...
France’s Mediawan Group has partnered with Paris-based investment firm Entourage Ventures on a €100 million fund to develop global series.
The aim of the agreement is to finance TV series with “strong international potential” over the next 4-6 years, according to a joint statement from the groups on Monday.
Under the deal, Mediawan Group’s distribution subsidiary Mediawan Rights will partner with Entourage to co-develop, co-produce and co-distribute series geared towards global audiences. Both financing and revenue will be shared 50/50 between the two partners with Mediawan handling distribution of the series and...
- 2/6/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Pierre-Antoine Capton, the CEO of Mediawan who recently engineered the company’s high profile acquisition of Brad Pitt’s Plan B, said both companies have already started working together on some projects.
“We are working on our first development and co-production projects between Plan B and our French companies, and these are happening organically,” said Capton on stage at the day-long conference organized by French TV and film promotion org Unifrance.
“It’s very interesting for everyone, and producers (from Mediawan) who now have access to Plan B’s teams are raving about the level of standards that a company like Plan B has, being an independent production company which has won the most Oscars with such quality projects,” Capton continued. “We have a lot to learn and I think it will benefit our French ecosystem,” he added.
Launched in 2015 by Capton, tech tycoon Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse,...
“We are working on our first development and co-production projects between Plan B and our French companies, and these are happening organically,” said Capton on stage at the day-long conference organized by French TV and film promotion org Unifrance.
“It’s very interesting for everyone, and producers (from Mediawan) who now have access to Plan B’s teams are raving about the level of standards that a company like Plan B has, being an independent production company which has won the most Oscars with such quality projects,” Capton continued. “We have a lot to learn and I think it will benefit our French ecosystem,” he added.
Launched in 2015 by Capton, tech tycoon Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mediawan CEO and co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton has said his company’s acquisition of Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment in late December heralds an opportunity for all content creators in France and Europe to forge stronger links and footprints in the U.S.
“I’m very happy we did this deal with Brad Pitt. There are lots of French producers who have contacted me since and said, ‘It’s fantastic for the whole sector because you’re going to represent us and allow others to make it too’,” he said.
“It’s true. Today, we’re getting access a lot more easily,” he said.
Beyond expanding Paris-based Mediawan’s footprint into the U.S., the endgame of the acquisition was to give more access to French and European talents to international markets, through working with a production company of the calibre of Plan B, he explained.
“It will also require...
“I’m very happy we did this deal with Brad Pitt. There are lots of French producers who have contacted me since and said, ‘It’s fantastic for the whole sector because you’re going to represent us and allow others to make it too’,” he said.
“It’s true. Today, we’re getting access a lot more easily,” he said.
Beyond expanding Paris-based Mediawan’s footprint into the U.S., the endgame of the acquisition was to give more access to French and European talents to international markets, through working with a production company of the calibre of Plan B, he explained.
“It will also require...
- 1/10/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.S. theatrical market has never been more volatile for specialty films, even star-studded ones, but the appeal of Hollywood A-listers hasn’t faded — at least when it comes to finding investors.
Brad Pitt’s Plan B is the latest star-driven production company to be scooped up by deep-pocketed buyers, joining After Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc.
A majority stake of the company, which largely produces movies that often win laurels but seldom turn a profit, was acquired by Mediawan in a deal valued at approximately 300 million. Half of it was paid in cash and the other half in shares of Mediawan.
“We’re seeing some huge acquisition prices for companies that are fronted by a very well known, bankable star, so this is part of a trend where the value is really always linked to the talent,” said Claire Enders at London-based Enders Analysis.
Brad Pitt’s Plan B is the latest star-driven production company to be scooped up by deep-pocketed buyers, joining After Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc.
A majority stake of the company, which largely produces movies that often win laurels but seldom turn a profit, was acquired by Mediawan in a deal valued at approximately 300 million. Half of it was paid in cash and the other half in shares of Mediawan.
“We’re seeing some huge acquisition prices for companies that are fronted by a very well known, bankable star, so this is part of a trend where the value is really always linked to the talent,” said Claire Enders at London-based Enders Analysis.
- 12/14/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Brad Pitt’s Plan B may have a new owner in Mediawan. But Pierre-Antoine Capton, the head of the conglomerate behind “Call My Agent!,” says he plans to take a hands-off approach to overseeing the Oscar-winning company he just bought.
“Plan B will continue to operate independently with the same leadership,” Capton told Variety shortly after the deal closed.
That doesn’t mean Capton isn’t looking to change some things. He says Plan B’s new chapter will include more TV and collaborations with Europe. Capton, a well-connected TV producer who launched Mediawan in 2015 with telco billionaire Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse, began talks with Plan B a year ago and engineered the deal which is expected to formally close in January. Under the pact, Plan B was paid half in shares of Mediawan and half in cash. The deal values Plan B at about 300 million.
Mediawan had...
“Plan B will continue to operate independently with the same leadership,” Capton told Variety shortly after the deal closed.
That doesn’t mean Capton isn’t looking to change some things. He says Plan B’s new chapter will include more TV and collaborations with Europe. Capton, a well-connected TV producer who launched Mediawan in 2015 with telco billionaire Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse, began talks with Plan B a year ago and engineered the deal which is expected to formally close in January. Under the pact, Plan B was paid half in shares of Mediawan and half in cash. The deal values Plan B at about 300 million.
Mediawan had...
- 12/12/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The deal also see the launch of Mediawan US.
French media company Mediawan has taken a majority stake in Brad Pitt’s production house Plan B Entertainment as the group bolsters its English-language production efforts with new division Mediawan US.
Following speculation about the deal on Friday (December 9), Mediawan issued a statement confirming the news which said the two companies “have entered into a definitive agreement for Mediawan to buy a significant stake in Plan B”.
It added: “By joining forces with Plan B, Mediawan expands beyond its core European markets into the US.”
Mediawan CEO and co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton,...
French media company Mediawan has taken a majority stake in Brad Pitt’s production house Plan B Entertainment as the group bolsters its English-language production efforts with new division Mediawan US.
Following speculation about the deal on Friday (December 9), Mediawan issued a statement confirming the news which said the two companies “have entered into a definitive agreement for Mediawan to buy a significant stake in Plan B”.
It added: “By joining forces with Plan B, Mediawan expands beyond its core European markets into the US.”
Mediawan CEO and co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
The global economy might be on the brink of shambles, but the celebrity-entertainment industrial complex shows no sign of slowing down. Big stars, who have already amassed fame and fortune in front of the camera, are increasingly securing generational wealth for their work behind the camera.
The latest move comes courtesy of Plan B Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Brad Pitt, which has been sold to French media conglomerate Mediawan, the companies announced Friday afternoon.
Mediawan said that it has acquired a majority stake in Plan B in a deal that reportedly values the studio in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. Pitt will retain a minority stake in the firm, which was behind films like She Said and Moonlight and TV shows like The Underground Railroad and The Oa. Mediawan backers Kkr, Atwater Capital, Bpifrance, MacSf, and Société Générale...
The global economy might be on the brink of shambles, but the celebrity-entertainment industrial complex shows no sign of slowing down. Big stars, who have already amassed fame and fortune in front of the camera, are increasingly securing generational wealth for their work behind the camera.
The latest move comes courtesy of Plan B Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Brad Pitt, which has been sold to French media conglomerate Mediawan, the companies announced Friday afternoon.
Mediawan said that it has acquired a majority stake in Plan B in a deal that reportedly values the studio in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. Pitt will retain a minority stake in the firm, which was behind films like She Said and Moonlight and TV shows like The Underground Railroad and The Oa. Mediawan backers Kkr, Atwater Capital, Bpifrance, MacSf, and Société Générale...
- 12/9/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment is selling a 60 percent majority stake to the French media giant Mediawan in a deal that values the film company behind “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave” in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The news was formally announced late Friday after news of the deal broke early Friday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but CNBC, which first reported the news, reported that Plan B is said to be worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars range but below 500 million.
Plan B first announced an intention to explore a sale of its assets or an investor back in October, and the sale is the latest example in a wave of M&a activity across Hollywood over the last few years. That’s included everything from the sale of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine to Candle Media to LeBron James...
The news was formally announced late Friday after news of the deal broke early Friday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but CNBC, which first reported the news, reported that Plan B is said to be worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars range but below 500 million.
Plan B first announced an intention to explore a sale of its assets or an investor back in October, and the sale is the latest example in a wave of M&a activity across Hollywood over the last few years. That’s included everything from the sale of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine to Candle Media to LeBron James...
- 12/9/2022
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment is on track to sell a majority stake to Mediawan, the pan-European media conglomerate. The deal is expected to close this weekend, Variety has confirmed.
Plan B Entertainment, which is run by Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner, hired Moelis & Co. to shop for a buyer or potential investors last month. The company was founded in 2001 by Pitt and Jennifer Aniston shortly after the pair married. Pitt eventually took over the banner after the two divorced in 2005. Its credits include “The Departed,” “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave,” all of which won the Oscar for best picture. The company recently produced “She Said,” a look at the journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story, as well as “Blonde,” an off-beat drama about Marilyn Monroe.
Mediawan was founded in 2015 by Pierre-Antoine Capton, telecom billionaire Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse. The company, which is financially backed by...
Plan B Entertainment, which is run by Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner, hired Moelis & Co. to shop for a buyer or potential investors last month. The company was founded in 2001 by Pitt and Jennifer Aniston shortly after the pair married. Pitt eventually took over the banner after the two divorced in 2005. Its credits include “The Departed,” “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave,” all of which won the Oscar for best picture. The company recently produced “She Said,” a look at the journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story, as well as “Blonde,” an off-beat drama about Marilyn Monroe.
Mediawan was founded in 2015 by Pierre-Antoine Capton, telecom billionaire Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse. The company, which is financially backed by...
- 12/9/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment is in advanced talks to sell a significant stake to Mediawan, the fast-rising French production and distribution group, Variety has confirmed.
Mediawan, which is financially backed by New York-based private equity firm Kkr, is not the only bidder and negotiations are not exclusive at this point. Bloomberg first reported about the talks.
Founded in 2015 by Pierre-Antoine Capton, telecom billionaire Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, the company has been ramping up its presence within the competitive English-language market through the acquisition (with Leonine Studios) of Drama Republic in the U.K. and recently announced a joint venture with “The Son” filmmaker Florian Zeller and former CAA executive Federica Sainte-Rose to launch an L.A.-based production vehicle called Blue Monday Pictures. Mediawan already boasts a strong presence in Europe with stakes in some of France’s most successful production banners, including Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter...
Mediawan, which is financially backed by New York-based private equity firm Kkr, is not the only bidder and negotiations are not exclusive at this point. Bloomberg first reported about the talks.
Founded in 2015 by Pierre-Antoine Capton, telecom billionaire Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, the company has been ramping up its presence within the competitive English-language market through the acquisition (with Leonine Studios) of Drama Republic in the U.K. and recently announced a joint venture with “The Son” filmmaker Florian Zeller and former CAA executive Federica Sainte-Rose to launch an L.A.-based production vehicle called Blue Monday Pictures. Mediawan already boasts a strong presence in Europe with stakes in some of France’s most successful production banners, including Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter...
- 10/31/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Germany’s Rtl Group is holding on to its controlling stake in M6 Group, France’s second largest commercial TV entity.
The decision, which was announced on Monday evening local time, follows Rtl Group parent company Bertelsmann’s strategic review of its options after the German broadcasting giant received several “financially attractive offers” for its 48.3 stake in M6.
Thomas Rabe, CEO of Rtl Group, said: “Rtl Group has been a strategic shareholder in Groupe M6 for 35 years. Groupe M6 is one of the best-run TV companies in Europe with an excellent management team, led by its CEO Nicolas de Tavernost. In 2021, Groupe M6 achieved record operating results. We will continue to pursue our strategy to build national media groups of sufficient size to compete with the U.S. platforms.”
The company was believed to be courting offers from three major bidders.
These include a vehicle comprising Xavier Niel, the French...
The decision, which was announced on Monday evening local time, follows Rtl Group parent company Bertelsmann’s strategic review of its options after the German broadcasting giant received several “financially attractive offers” for its 48.3 stake in M6.
Thomas Rabe, CEO of Rtl Group, said: “Rtl Group has been a strategic shareholder in Groupe M6 for 35 years. Groupe M6 is one of the best-run TV companies in Europe with an excellent management team, led by its CEO Nicolas de Tavernost. In 2021, Groupe M6 achieved record operating results. We will continue to pursue our strategy to build national media groups of sufficient size to compete with the U.S. platforms.”
The company was believed to be courting offers from three major bidders.
These include a vehicle comprising Xavier Niel, the French...
- 10/3/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
French broadcaster M6 is no longer for sale.
In the past few minutes, owner Rtl Group, which itself is owned by Bertelsmann, has decided against selling its controlling 48.3 stake in the company following the breakdown of M6’s merger with TF1 due to competition concerns.
A number had been interested after Rtl put M6 on the sales block including a consortium led by Banijay chairman Stéphane Courbit, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mfe-MadeForEurope and French telecommunications billionaire Xavier Niel, and Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky.
Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe said the decision was taken following a review of strategic options after he received several attractive offers. Rtl has owned the network for 35 years.
“Groupe M6 is one of the best-run TV companies in Europe with an excellent management team, led by its CEO Nicolas de Tavernost,” he added. “In 2021, Groupe M6 achieved record operating results. We will continue to...
In the past few minutes, owner Rtl Group, which itself is owned by Bertelsmann, has decided against selling its controlling 48.3 stake in the company following the breakdown of M6’s merger with TF1 due to competition concerns.
A number had been interested after Rtl put M6 on the sales block including a consortium led by Banijay chairman Stéphane Courbit, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mfe-MadeForEurope and French telecommunications billionaire Xavier Niel, and Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky.
Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe said the decision was taken following a review of strategic options after he received several attractive offers. Rtl has owned the network for 35 years.
“Groupe M6 is one of the best-run TV companies in Europe with an excellent management team, led by its CEO Nicolas de Tavernost,” he added. “In 2021, Groupe M6 achieved record operating results. We will continue to...
- 10/3/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
German media group Bertelsmann is expected to weigh in over the weekend on the offers it received for Rtl Group’s 48.3 stake in M6 Group, France’s second largest commercial TV group.
Bertelsmann put M6 Group back on the market a little over a week ago, after its planned merger with Bouygues-owned TF1 Group was abandoned due to a number of competition concerns raised by France’s anti-trust board.
Bertelsmann’s chief executive Thomas Rabe asked to receive non-binding offers by Sept. 23 to test the market and received offers from three major bidders, according to Le Point.
These include a vehicle comprising Xavier Niel, the French billionaire behind the telecom group Iliad who co-founded Mediawan, and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mfe-MadeForEurope; as well as a consortium including Stéphane Courbit, chairman of TV powerhouse Banijay, Rodolphe Saadé, the French shipping billionaire, and Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, chairman of...
Bertelsmann put M6 Group back on the market a little over a week ago, after its planned merger with Bouygues-owned TF1 Group was abandoned due to a number of competition concerns raised by France’s anti-trust board.
Bertelsmann’s chief executive Thomas Rabe asked to receive non-binding offers by Sept. 23 to test the market and received offers from three major bidders, according to Le Point.
These include a vehicle comprising Xavier Niel, the French billionaire behind the telecom group Iliad who co-founded Mediawan, and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mfe-MadeForEurope; as well as a consortium including Stéphane Courbit, chairman of TV powerhouse Banijay, Rodolphe Saadé, the French shipping billionaire, and Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, chairman of...
- 9/30/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
A consortium led by Banijay chairman Stéphane Courbit is leading the race to acquire French broadcaster M6, according to reports, with shares in the Bertelsmann-owned network spiking on news of several planned offers.
Bloomberg News cited an unnamed source saying Courbit and his partners, who include shipping mogul Rodolphe Saade and businessman Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere, have offered an all-cash €20 (20) a share for owner Bertelsmann’s stake in the channel, which was set to merge with French rival TF1 Group until the agreement collapsed under the weight of regulatory scrutiny last week.
This would value the 48 stake at around €1.22Bn. M6’s share price has risen from around €13.35 on Friday to well over €15 this morning in Europe, with Courbit’s offer therefore representing a significant premium.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mfe-MadeForEurope has reportedly teamed with French telecommunications billionaire Xavier Niel, who co-founded Mediawan, to bid for...
Bloomberg News cited an unnamed source saying Courbit and his partners, who include shipping mogul Rodolphe Saade and businessman Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere, have offered an all-cash €20 (20) a share for owner Bertelsmann’s stake in the channel, which was set to merge with French rival TF1 Group until the agreement collapsed under the weight of regulatory scrutiny last week.
This would value the 48 stake at around €1.22Bn. M6’s share price has risen from around €13.35 on Friday to well over €15 this morning in Europe, with Courbit’s offer therefore representing a significant premium.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mfe-MadeForEurope has reportedly teamed with French telecommunications billionaire Xavier Niel, who co-founded Mediawan, to bid for...
- 9/26/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
German media group Bertelsmann has put its TV group M6, France’s second-biggest commercial broadcaster, back on the market following its abandoned merger with TF1.
Bertelsmann’s chief executive Thomas Rabe told the Financial Times that he has asked to receive non-binding offers by Friday to “test the market” after being “inundated with expressions of interest.”
Bertelsmann’s Rtl Group owns a 48.3 stake in M6
Among those expected to bid are a consortium of high-profile French entrepreneurs including Rodolphe Saadé, the French shipping billionaire; Stéphane Courbit, chairman of TV powerhouse Banijay; and Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, chairman of the investment vehicle Fimalac, Variety has confirmed.
The Financial Times reports that some other players that bid during the last auction and lost — including Xavier Niel, the telecom billionaire and co-founder of Mediawan, and Silvio Berlusconi’s conglomerate MediaForEurope — are believed to be considering renewed bids.
M6 saw its share drop by...
Bertelsmann’s chief executive Thomas Rabe told the Financial Times that he has asked to receive non-binding offers by Friday to “test the market” after being “inundated with expressions of interest.”
Bertelsmann’s Rtl Group owns a 48.3 stake in M6
Among those expected to bid are a consortium of high-profile French entrepreneurs including Rodolphe Saadé, the French shipping billionaire; Stéphane Courbit, chairman of TV powerhouse Banijay; and Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, chairman of the investment vehicle Fimalac, Variety has confirmed.
The Financial Times reports that some other players that bid during the last auction and lost — including Xavier Niel, the telecom billionaire and co-founder of Mediawan, and Silvio Berlusconi’s conglomerate MediaForEurope — are believed to be considering renewed bids.
M6 saw its share drop by...
- 9/22/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Oscar-winning French director Florian Zeller (The Father, The Son) has signed a multiyear deal with fast-growing European production company Mediawan (Call My Agent!) to develop and produce films and high-end TV series across an array of platforms.
Mediawan will finance and produce the films and series, co-producing with Blue Morning Pictures, the production outfit Zeller recently founded with former CAA agent Federica Sainte-Rose. Zeller won an Oscar for the screenplay to The Father, his feature debut as a director, and an adaptation of his own French play of the same name.
The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, received six Oscar nominations, including best picture, and won both for Zeller’s adapted screenplay and the best actor honor for Hopkins.
As an agent in CAA’s Media Finance department, Sainte-Rose was involved in the packaging and sales of such films as Audrey Diwan...
Oscar-winning French director Florian Zeller (The Father, The Son) has signed a multiyear deal with fast-growing European production company Mediawan (Call My Agent!) to develop and produce films and high-end TV series across an array of platforms.
Mediawan will finance and produce the films and series, co-producing with Blue Morning Pictures, the production outfit Zeller recently founded with former CAA agent Federica Sainte-Rose. Zeller won an Oscar for the screenplay to The Father, his feature debut as a director, and an adaptation of his own French play of the same name.
The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, received six Oscar nominations, including best picture, and won both for Zeller’s adapted screenplay and the best actor honor for Hopkins.
As an agent in CAA’s Media Finance department, Sainte-Rose was involved in the packaging and sales of such films as Audrey Diwan...
- 9/9/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The proposed merger between French broadcasting groups TF1 and M6 has hit a potential obstacle after France’s competition authority raised concerns about the deal.
Leading commercial broadcasters TF1 Group, M6 Group and their respective parent companies Bouygues and the Rtl Group first announced they were in merger negotiations in May 2021.
They said their aim was to create a commercial broadcasting giant – spanning TV, radio, digital, content production and technology – with the breadth and scale to compete against the global platforms.
The authority, which announced in March of this year that it was investigating the merger, released its findings late Tuesday (July 26). It said it had identified “significant competition problems” and was “not favourable” to the merger in its current format.
The TF1 Group, parent company Bouygues and M6 released identical statements in response to the report. They downplayed its significance but at the same time noted that antitrust measures...
Leading commercial broadcasters TF1 Group, M6 Group and their respective parent companies Bouygues and the Rtl Group first announced they were in merger negotiations in May 2021.
They said their aim was to create a commercial broadcasting giant – spanning TV, radio, digital, content production and technology – with the breadth and scale to compete against the global platforms.
The authority, which announced in March of this year that it was investigating the merger, released its findings late Tuesday (July 26). It said it had identified “significant competition problems” and was “not favourable” to the merger in its current format.
The TF1 Group, parent company Bouygues and M6 released identical statements in response to the report. They downplayed its significance but at the same time noted that antitrust measures...
- 7/27/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Paris-based global music streaming platform Deezer has secured a public market listing on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, only to see its share price plunge on its opening trading day.
Deezer, a rival to Spotify and Apple Music as it operates in around 180 markets worldwide, saw its stock close down 30 percent at 6.00 Euros per-share after opening its first day of trading at 8.50 Euros. At one point earlier in the day, shares in Deezer were trading at 5.79 Euros.
The French music-streaming platform is available to customers in the U.S. and boasts an on-demand streaming music catalog of around 90 million songs. Through its Euronext Paris listing, Deezer is looking to continue its global market penetration with product innovation and brand differentiation, the company said on Tuesday.
“Through merging with I2PO and going public, we have created a solid foundation to execute our strategic plan,...
Paris-based global music streaming platform Deezer has secured a public market listing on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, only to see its share price plunge on its opening trading day.
Deezer, a rival to Spotify and Apple Music as it operates in around 180 markets worldwide, saw its stock close down 30 percent at 6.00 Euros per-share after opening its first day of trading at 8.50 Euros. At one point earlier in the day, shares in Deezer were trading at 5.79 Euros.
The French music-streaming platform is available to customers in the U.S. and boasts an on-demand streaming music catalog of around 90 million songs. Through its Euronext Paris listing, Deezer is looking to continue its global market penetration with product innovation and brand differentiation, the company said on Tuesday.
“Through merging with I2PO and going public, we have created a solid foundation to execute our strategic plan,...
- 7/5/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mediawan Rights, the commercial arm of the European media powerhouse, is set to expand its scope with the launch of a sales division dedicated to light entertainment programming. Estelle Bodén, an industry veteran, has been appointed head of distribution of this newly-created unit.
Bodén will report to Valérie Vleeschhouwer, managing director of Mediawan Rights, and will be in charge of developing and structuring this new initiative.
Boasting 25 years of experience, the executive previously worked at Strix Television, the outfit behind hit reality TV formats such as “The Farm” and “The Bar.” In 2004, Bodén co-founded Friday TV whose portfolio included factual formats around the world, notably “Clash of the Choirs,” “Single Moms” and “Minute to Win It” which aired on NBC in the U.S. and traveled to more than 50 territories. She also co-created the Swedish company Elk Entertainment, which was acquired by ITV Studios in 2017.
Under Vleeschhouwer’s leadership, Mediawan...
Bodén will report to Valérie Vleeschhouwer, managing director of Mediawan Rights, and will be in charge of developing and structuring this new initiative.
Boasting 25 years of experience, the executive previously worked at Strix Television, the outfit behind hit reality TV formats such as “The Farm” and “The Bar.” In 2004, Bodén co-founded Friday TV whose portfolio included factual formats around the world, notably “Clash of the Choirs,” “Single Moms” and “Minute to Win It” which aired on NBC in the U.S. and traveled to more than 50 territories. She also co-created the Swedish company Elk Entertainment, which was acquired by ITV Studios in 2017.
Under Vleeschhouwer’s leadership, Mediawan...
- 4/4/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
List promotes a selection of screenplays by women and non-binary writers.
Streaming service Mubi is partnering with Paris-based talent platform Wscripted for the second edition of its Cannes Screenplay List, a selection of screenplays by women and non-binary writers that will be unveiled during the Cannes Film Festival.
The curated list of vetted screenplays promotes projects that are available for option or financing with international distribution potential.
Last year’s inaugural list featured 25 English-language screenplays from female and non-binary writers based mainly in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe.
It featured works by rising US writer and director Gabriella Moses,...
Streaming service Mubi is partnering with Paris-based talent platform Wscripted for the second edition of its Cannes Screenplay List, a selection of screenplays by women and non-binary writers that will be unveiled during the Cannes Film Festival.
The curated list of vetted screenplays promotes projects that are available for option or financing with international distribution potential.
Last year’s inaugural list featured 25 English-language screenplays from female and non-binary writers based mainly in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe.
It featured works by rising US writer and director Gabriella Moses,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The partners will make two to three projects a year.
French media company Mediawan has signed a strategic partnership with Paris and New York-based creative studio Good Hero to make two to three internationally-focused projects a year.
Mediawan and Good Hero will co-develop and co-produce high-end television series and features, both live and animation and mostly in the English language, adapted from Good Hero’s slate of original content.
Good Hero was founded in 2020 by leading French producer Laurent Zeitoun and CEO Gregory Ouanhon. Zeitoun’s producing credits include The Intouchables andThe Death Of Stalin, and his directorial debut Fireheart...
French media company Mediawan has signed a strategic partnership with Paris and New York-based creative studio Good Hero to make two to three internationally-focused projects a year.
Mediawan and Good Hero will co-develop and co-produce high-end television series and features, both live and animation and mostly in the English language, adapted from Good Hero’s slate of original content.
Good Hero was founded in 2020 by leading French producer Laurent Zeitoun and CEO Gregory Ouanhon. Zeitoun’s producing credits include The Intouchables andThe Death Of Stalin, and his directorial debut Fireheart...
- 2/22/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Mediawan Group has acquired a majority stake in Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi, the thriving Paris-based outfit behind Cedric Jimenez’s “Bac Nord” which world premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
The deal follows Mediawan & Leonine Studios’s joint acquisition of Drama Republic, a major U.K. TV production banner, which was announced the start of Cannes by Mediawan’s co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton and Leonine Studios CEO Fred Kogel.
The acquisition of Chi-Fou-Mi underscores Mediawan’s drive to become a major purveyor of premium content; and will solidify Mediawan’s footing in the French film business.
Chi-Fou-Mi is a 10 year-old company boasting an access to A-list French talent and a track record with popular and ambitious French films such as Gilles Lellouche’s “Le Grand Bain,” Antonin Baudry’s Omar Sy starrer “Le chant du Loup,” Jeanne Herry’s “Pupille,” Romain Gavras’ “Le Monde est à toi” and...
The deal follows Mediawan & Leonine Studios’s joint acquisition of Drama Republic, a major U.K. TV production banner, which was announced the start of Cannes by Mediawan’s co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton and Leonine Studios CEO Fred Kogel.
The acquisition of Chi-Fou-Mi underscores Mediawan’s drive to become a major purveyor of premium content; and will solidify Mediawan’s footing in the French film business.
Chi-Fou-Mi is a 10 year-old company boasting an access to A-list French talent and a track record with popular and ambitious French films such as Gilles Lellouche’s “Le Grand Bain,” Antonin Baudry’s Omar Sy starrer “Le chant du Loup,” Jeanne Herry’s “Pupille,” Romain Gavras’ “Le Monde est à toi” and...
- 7/15/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
After joining forces last year to launch a banner together, indie film and TV powerhouses Mediawan and Leonine Studios (“Dark”) have acquired a 51% stake in Drama Republic, the award-winning U.K. production banner behind “Doctor Foster” and “The Honourable Woman.”
The acquisition marks a milestone in developing the recently-launched Mediawan & Leonine Studios across English-speaking territories and in the U.K.
Drama Republic is led by industry veterans Greg Brenman, Roanna Benn and chief content officer Jude Liknaitzky, who will all remain in their respective roles. The company has created some of Britain’s most successful dramas, many of which have became global hits, such as “Doctor Foster,” which sold in over 100 territories, and the BAFTA-winning “The Honourable Woman.” The outfit has built ties with some of the U.K.’s top talent, including screenwriter and director Hugo Blick, best-selling novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls (“Patrick Melrose”) and Olivier award-winning playwright...
The acquisition marks a milestone in developing the recently-launched Mediawan & Leonine Studios across English-speaking territories and in the U.K.
Drama Republic is led by industry veterans Greg Brenman, Roanna Benn and chief content officer Jude Liknaitzky, who will all remain in their respective roles. The company has created some of Britain’s most successful dramas, many of which have became global hits, such as “Doctor Foster,” which sold in over 100 territories, and the BAFTA-winning “The Honourable Woman.” The outfit has built ties with some of the U.K.’s top talent, including screenwriter and director Hugo Blick, best-selling novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls (“Patrick Melrose”) and Olivier award-winning playwright...
- 7/5/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mediawan Rights, the commercial division of French independent media powerhouse Mediawan founded by Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse in 2015, is poised to step up its premium documentary clout through its dedicated sales unit.
Presided by veteran sales executive Valerie Vleeschhouwer, Mediawan Rights has signed an exclusive partnership deal with Forbidden Stories, the production banner behind many critically-acclaimed investigative documentaries, such as “Green Blood.” The outfit was founded by Laurent Richard, an award-winning French documentary filmmaker and producer who won the Prix Europa Award for the European Journalist of the Year in 2018.
Mediawan is already a leader in the docu landscape with outfits such as Cc&c (Clarke Costelle & Co), Black Dynamite and Troisième Œil, and the recent acquisition of Lagardere Studios, which comprises key documentary producers such as Imagissime (“Who Killed Little Gregory?”), Maximal Productions, 909 productions, Electron Libre productions and Réservoir Prod, as well as Aito Media in Finland,...
Presided by veteran sales executive Valerie Vleeschhouwer, Mediawan Rights has signed an exclusive partnership deal with Forbidden Stories, the production banner behind many critically-acclaimed investigative documentaries, such as “Green Blood.” The outfit was founded by Laurent Richard, an award-winning French documentary filmmaker and producer who won the Prix Europa Award for the European Journalist of the Year in 2018.
Mediawan is already a leader in the docu landscape with outfits such as Cc&c (Clarke Costelle & Co), Black Dynamite and Troisième Œil, and the recent acquisition of Lagardere Studios, which comprises key documentary producers such as Imagissime (“Who Killed Little Gregory?”), Maximal Productions, 909 productions, Electron Libre productions and Réservoir Prod, as well as Aito Media in Finland,...
- 4/14/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based content group announces intentions to acquire Lagardère Studios, takes minority stake in Germany’s Leonine.
Burgeoning Paris-based film and TV content group Mediawan has announced a trio of corporate acquisitions in France, Germany and Spain as part of a pan-European expansion drive.
Mediawan is acquiring French content group Lagardère Studios, for a figure of around €100m ($112m), and a majority stake in Spanish production company Good Mood.
Under the operation, Mediawan’s three co-founders – Pierre-Anton Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse - will create a dedicated French company called Mediawan Alliance, which will oversee all of the assets.
They...
Burgeoning Paris-based film and TV content group Mediawan has announced a trio of corporate acquisitions in France, Germany and Spain as part of a pan-European expansion drive.
Mediawan is acquiring French content group Lagardère Studios, for a figure of around €100m ($112m), and a majority stake in Spanish production company Good Mood.
Under the operation, Mediawan’s three co-founders – Pierre-Anton Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse - will create a dedicated French company called Mediawan Alliance, which will oversee all of the assets.
They...
- 6/22/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
Mediawan, the Paris-based group founded in 2015, has announced the creation of a dedicated French company, Mediawan Alliance, and has submitted a binding offer and entered exclusive negotiations to acquire France’s Lagardère Studios. Further expanding its footprint, Mediawan said it has taken a majority stake in Spanish content producer Good Mood, while Mediawan Alliance would — pending certain conditions — hold a minority stake in German film and TV group Leonine which is backed by New York investment firm Kkr.
Mediawan founders Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse will control the new Mediawan Alliance, supported by financing partners including Kkr and France’s MacSf, with the objective to build a leader in audiovisual content creation and distribution.
Mediawan Alliance will launch a tender offer on all Mediawan securities not held by the Mediawan founders and MacSf, at a price of 12 euros ($13.50) per share and .65 euros per warrant.
Mediawan founders Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse will control the new Mediawan Alliance, supported by financing partners including Kkr and France’s MacSf, with the objective to build a leader in audiovisual content creation and distribution.
Mediawan Alliance will launch a tender offer on all Mediawan securities not held by the Mediawan founders and MacSf, at a price of 12 euros ($13.50) per share and .65 euros per warrant.
- 6/22/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris-based media group Mediawan has launched a new pan-European entity, Mediawan Alliance, and has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire France’s Lagardere Studios.
The company has also acquired a majority stake in Spain’s Good Mood. Mediawan Alliance has also entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire Troisieme Oeil, a top French production company owned by Pierre-Antoine Capton, chairman of the Mediawan board.
Mediawan Alliance is being financially backed by the French investment firm MacSf and the U.S. private equity firm Kkr, and is headquartered in Paris. The new entity will be co-headed by Capton as CEO, and Leonine CEO’s Fred Kogel as deputy CEO.
Capton launched Mediawan with Xavier Niel and Mathieu Pigasse four years ago. The three entrepreneurs currently own 19.75% of Mediawan and are creating Mediawan Alliance as a vehicle to make a tender offer on the remaining 73% of Mediawan’s shares.
If the tender offer on...
The company has also acquired a majority stake in Spain’s Good Mood. Mediawan Alliance has also entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire Troisieme Oeil, a top French production company owned by Pierre-Antoine Capton, chairman of the Mediawan board.
Mediawan Alliance is being financially backed by the French investment firm MacSf and the U.S. private equity firm Kkr, and is headquartered in Paris. The new entity will be co-headed by Capton as CEO, and Leonine CEO’s Fred Kogel as deputy CEO.
Capton launched Mediawan with Xavier Niel and Mathieu Pigasse four years ago. The three entrepreneurs currently own 19.75% of Mediawan and are creating Mediawan Alliance as a vehicle to make a tender offer on the remaining 73% of Mediawan’s shares.
If the tender offer on...
- 6/22/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
French media conglomerate Mediawan is continuing its Europe buying spree, inking a €100 million ($112 million) deal to TV group Lagardère Studios, a co-producer of Netflix series The Eddy, and unveiling several new deals for media assets in France, Germany and Spain.
Mediawan founders Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse have set up a new holding group, Mediawan Alliance, together with financial backers MacSf of France and U.S. private equity group Kkr, which will bundle pan-European media assets. Kkr, which owns Leonine, will transfer a minority share in the Munich-based producer/distributor to Mediawan Alliance and Leonine boss Fred ...
Mediawan founders Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse have set up a new holding group, Mediawan Alliance, together with financial backers MacSf of France and U.S. private equity group Kkr, which will bundle pan-European media assets. Kkr, which owns Leonine, will transfer a minority share in the Munich-based producer/distributor to Mediawan Alliance and Leonine boss Fred ...
- 6/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Les Cahiers du Cinema, the iconic publication that was a driving force behind the French New Wave, is weathering an unprecedented crisis following the resignation of the majority of its staff on Thursday.
Some of its journalists, however, have decided to remain on board while they await the appointment of a new editor-in-chief.
Among the seasoned candidates rumored to be in the running to take over as editor-in-chief are film critic-director Marcos Uzal; film and theater critic and historian Antoine de Baecque; Charles Tesson, the current artistic director of Cannes Critics Week, who previously held the position at Les Cahiers du Cinema from 1998 to 2003; and Jean-Marc Lalanne, a film critic who runs the culture magazine Les Inrocks.
Although it was reported that the entire newsroom of Les Cahiers du Cinema has quit in protest against the publication’s new owners — which include billionaire businessman Xavier Niel; Alain Weill, the head...
Some of its journalists, however, have decided to remain on board while they await the appointment of a new editor-in-chief.
Among the seasoned candidates rumored to be in the running to take over as editor-in-chief are film critic-director Marcos Uzal; film and theater critic and historian Antoine de Baecque; Charles Tesson, the current artistic director of Cannes Critics Week, who previously held the position at Les Cahiers du Cinema from 1998 to 2003; and Jean-Marc Lalanne, a film critic who runs the culture magazine Les Inrocks.
Although it was reported that the entire newsroom of Les Cahiers du Cinema has quit in protest against the publication’s new owners — which include billionaire businessman Xavier Niel; Alain Weill, the head...
- 2/28/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mediawan, the listed company launched in late 2015 by three media industry veterans, saw its annual revenues increase by 13% to 276.1 million euros ($331.10) at constant perimeter and doubled its profits to $32.5 million in 2018. The company also saw its Ebitda margin reach 19% to $55.3 million, a near 100% year-on increase.
An integrated media group specializing in production and distribution for both film and TV, Mediawan was launched by Xavier Niel, the founder of Lliad, the company that operates France’s third-biggest telco group, Free; Mathieu Pigasse, the CEO of Lazard Banque and the founder of Les Nouvelles Editions Independantes, which owns Le Monde, Les Inrocks and Nova Radio; and Pierre-Antoine Capton, the owner of Troisieme Oeil Productions, France’s No. 1 independent TV producer.
Within the last year, Mediawan scored a flurry of major acquisitions to feed its pipeline of premium fiction, animation and documentaries. After acquiring the documentary production company Clarke Costelle & Co. (“Apocalypse: The Second World War...
An integrated media group specializing in production and distribution for both film and TV, Mediawan was launched by Xavier Niel, the founder of Lliad, the company that operates France’s third-biggest telco group, Free; Mathieu Pigasse, the CEO of Lazard Banque and the founder of Les Nouvelles Editions Independantes, which owns Le Monde, Les Inrocks and Nova Radio; and Pierre-Antoine Capton, the owner of Troisieme Oeil Productions, France’s No. 1 independent TV producer.
Within the last year, Mediawan scored a flurry of major acquisitions to feed its pipeline of premium fiction, animation and documentaries. After acquiring the documentary production company Clarke Costelle & Co. (“Apocalypse: The Second World War...
- 4/11/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Italian TV and film production company Palomar – which is at the Berlin Film Festival with Claudio Giovannesi’s competition entry “Pirhanas” – last month forged a strategic alliance with France’s Mediawan under which Mediawan took a majority stake in Palomar which, in turn, became a Mediawan stakeholder. The deal marked the first acquisition outside France for Mediawan, which was launched in 2016 by French media industry veterans Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse and Pierre-Antoine Capton and has since become an integrated media group that ranks as France’s biggest producer of television fiction content. Palomar founder and CEO Carlo Degli Esposti and its managing director Nicola Serra spoke to Variety about how the Mediawan deal will help them expand internationally together.
I believe you had balked at other offers from non Italian companies before. What made you go with Mediawan?
Degli Esposti
We were actually trying to grow by buying another company outside of Italy,...
I believe you had balked at other offers from non Italian companies before. What made you go with Mediawan?
Degli Esposti
We were actually trying to grow by buying another company outside of Italy,...
- 2/11/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
French company Mediawan has acquired a majority stake in Palomar, the leading independent Italian production outfit behind the cop show “Inspector Montalbano” and the highly anticipated series “The Name of the Rose,” with John Turturro and Rupert Everett.
The deal marks the first international acquisition by Mediawan, the listed company launched in 2016 by three media industry veterans: Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse and Pierre-Antoine Capton. Mediawan was formed as a special investment vehicle but has now become an integrated media group specializing in production and distribution for both film and TV.
Palomar is involved in film, TV series and documentaries. It will be attending the Berlin Film Festival with Claudio Giovannesi’s “La paranza dei bambini” (“Piranhas”), which is set to world premiere in competition.
Under the new deal, Mediawan becomes the majority shareholder of Palomar with a 72% stake, with the remaining 28% to be retained by Carlo Degli Esposti, Palomar’s founder and CEO.
The deal marks the first international acquisition by Mediawan, the listed company launched in 2016 by three media industry veterans: Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse and Pierre-Antoine Capton. Mediawan was formed as a special investment vehicle but has now become an integrated media group specializing in production and distribution for both film and TV.
Palomar is involved in film, TV series and documentaries. It will be attending the Berlin Film Festival with Claudio Giovannesi’s “La paranza dei bambini” (“Piranhas”), which is set to world premiere in competition.
Under the new deal, Mediawan becomes the majority shareholder of Palomar with a 72% stake, with the remaining 28% to be retained by Carlo Degli Esposti, Palomar’s founder and CEO.
- 1/15/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
British infidelity drama Doctor Foster is being remade in France with Claire Keim (Insoupçonnable) taking on the main role made famous by Suranne Jones.
The series, which tells the story of a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair and the subsequent chaos it causes, is being produced for French commercial broadcaster TF1.
It is being produced by Storia Télévision, the French business that acquired a number of the television assets of Luc Besson’s Europacorp earlier this year and is owned by Mediawan, set up by French entrepreneurs Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse. It had previously emerged last year that Besson’s firm would produce a local adaptation of Doctor Foster. It is being produced in association with BBC Studios’ French production division. The six-part series will begin filming this month in Biarritz and in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region.
The French remake, renamed Infidéle...
The series, which tells the story of a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair and the subsequent chaos it causes, is being produced for French commercial broadcaster TF1.
It is being produced by Storia Télévision, the French business that acquired a number of the television assets of Luc Besson’s Europacorp earlier this year and is owned by Mediawan, set up by French entrepreneurs Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse. It had previously emerged last year that Besson’s firm would produce a local adaptation of Doctor Foster. It is being produced in association with BBC Studios’ French production division. The six-part series will begin filming this month in Biarritz and in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region.
The French remake, renamed Infidéle...
- 6/1/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
European media group Mediawan is to acquire three major French TV production companies including the television division of Luc Besson's Europacorp. Mediawan, which was formed by French entrepreneurs Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse in 2016 after raising €250M ($300M) in capital, revealed that it was acquiring the non-us television assets of Besson's firm as well as Kaboul Kitchen group Makever and Call My Agent indie Mon Voisin Productions. The…...
- 1/15/2018
- Deadline TV
Companies like AwesomenessTV and go90 are focusing on the first generation of “true digital natives”.
High-end drama took centre stage at Miptv this week with Sky Atlantic’s Riviera, Japanese thriller Crisis and works-in-progress such as Tom Tykwer’s Babylon Berlin and Ride Upon The Storm, from Borgen creator Adam Price, among the titles previewing on the big screen at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
And fiction overall continues to dominate the global content market, accounting for 43% of top performing shows world-wide (excluding sport) in 2016, according to the annual global TV trends report of audience monitor Eurodata TV Worldwide which was released during the market.
It is a figure that bodes well for the high-end drama boom but in the backdrop the same report highlighted the continuing decline of real-time viewing in favour of catch-up and personal recording. As well as, more significantly, the move away from the TV set in favour of smart-phones, tablets and computers...
High-end drama took centre stage at Miptv this week with Sky Atlantic’s Riviera, Japanese thriller Crisis and works-in-progress such as Tom Tykwer’s Babylon Berlin and Ride Upon The Storm, from Borgen creator Adam Price, among the titles previewing on the big screen at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
And fiction overall continues to dominate the global content market, accounting for 43% of top performing shows world-wide (excluding sport) in 2016, according to the annual global TV trends report of audience monitor Eurodata TV Worldwide which was released during the market.
It is a figure that bodes well for the high-end drama boom but in the backdrop the same report highlighted the continuing decline of real-time viewing in favour of catch-up and personal recording. As well as, more significantly, the move away from the TV set in favour of smart-phones, tablets and computers...
- 4/5/2017
- ScreenDaily
Companies like AwesomenessTV and go90 are focusing on the first generation of “true digital natives”.
High-end drama took centre stage at Miptv this week with Sky Atlantic’s Riviera, Japanese thriller Crisis and works-in-progress such as Tom Tykwer’s Babylon Berlin and Ride Upon The Storm, from Borgen creator Adam Price, among the titles previewing on the big screen at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
And fiction overall continues to dominate the global content market, accounting for 43% of top performing shows world-wide (excluding sport) in 2016, according to the annual global TV trends report of audience monitor Eurodata TV Worldwide which was released during the market.
It is a figure that bodes well for the high-end drama boom but in the backdrop the same report highlighted the continuing decline of real-time viewing in favour of catch-up and personal recording. As well as, more significantly, the move away from the TV set in favour of smart-phones, tablets and computers...
High-end drama took centre stage at Miptv this week with Sky Atlantic’s Riviera, Japanese thriller Crisis and works-in-progress such as Tom Tykwer’s Babylon Berlin and Ride Upon The Storm, from Borgen creator Adam Price, among the titles previewing on the big screen at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
And fiction overall continues to dominate the global content market, accounting for 43% of top performing shows world-wide (excluding sport) in 2016, according to the annual global TV trends report of audience monitor Eurodata TV Worldwide which was released during the market.
It is a figure that bodes well for the high-end drama boom but in the backdrop the same report highlighted the continuing decline of real-time viewing in favour of catch-up and personal recording. As well as, more significantly, the move away from the TV set in favour of smart-phones, tablets and computers...
- 4/5/2017
- ScreenDaily
It’s easy to understand the Hollywood logic behind developing sequels: If it does well, keep it going — and going, and going, with spin-offs flying in every direction long after the concept has been spread thin. But some projects are so antithetical to this approach that the very idea of the franchise approach registers as a vulgarity. So it goes with the ongoing attempts to turn Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” into something more than a single movie.
First, it was going to be a sequel; now, it’s a “digital series,” again without the participation of the creative team behind the original. This needs to stop.
Three years ago, it was reported that Muse Prods., the company run by Chris and Roberta Hanley, was shopping around a followup to the 2012 project without the involvement of Korine or anyone else associated with the original. That included “Spring Breakers” star James Franco,...
First, it was going to be a sequel; now, it’s a “digital series,” again without the participation of the creative team behind the original. This needs to stop.
Three years ago, it was reported that Muse Prods., the company run by Chris and Roberta Hanley, was shopping around a followup to the 2012 project without the involvement of Korine or anyone else associated with the original. That included “Spring Breakers” star James Franco,...
- 3/31/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
What does a French billionaire want with James Franco?
The sun sets over these last and barren weeks of madness we call March. What remains of snowfall turns into slosh as students blink slowly into sobriety. “Spring Break, Spring Break, Spring Break forever,” an icy voice chants. But good news: that creepy voice just might have its demands met. A mysterious streaming platform called Blackpills has, per Deadline, now committed to distributing a scripted micro-episodic series based on Harmony Korine’s 2012 hyper-stylized meditation of life, love and spring break that starred James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens.
The production company behind Spring Breakers, Fernando Sulichin and Chris Hanley’s Muse Productions (Buffalo ’66, Virgin Suicides), are more than thrilled. Hanley excitedly tells Deadline that the proposed micro-episode format is “the future of digital media.” Korine, on the other hand, has asserted his lack of interest in the project: busy, as he is, in...
The sun sets over these last and barren weeks of madness we call March. What remains of snowfall turns into slosh as students blink slowly into sobriety. “Spring Break, Spring Break, Spring Break forever,” an icy voice chants. But good news: that creepy voice just might have its demands met. A mysterious streaming platform called Blackpills has, per Deadline, now committed to distributing a scripted micro-episodic series based on Harmony Korine’s 2012 hyper-stylized meditation of life, love and spring break that starred James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens.
The production company behind Spring Breakers, Fernando Sulichin and Chris Hanley’s Muse Productions (Buffalo ’66, Virgin Suicides), are more than thrilled. Hanley excitedly tells Deadline that the proposed micro-episode format is “the future of digital media.” Korine, on the other hand, has asserted his lack of interest in the project: busy, as he is, in...
- 3/22/2017
- by Andrew Karpan
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
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