Arrival and The Big Sick studio FilmNation Entertainment is launching a UK-based television production business after partnering with Nordic Entertainment Group, the company behind Keanu Reeves comedy series Swedish Dicks.
The two companies are forming a joint venture under the FilmNation brand to develop, produce, and finance premium scripted television content for global audiences. They are currently assembling a creative team.
The joint venture will work with a wide variety of UK studios, talents and co-financiers, while Modern Times Group-backed Nordic Entertainment Group, which operates Scandinavian SVOD Viaplay, will have first option on the exclusive Nordic media rights to all the joint venture’s productions.
Nordic Entertainment Group has been responsible for series including Veni Vidi Vici, which aired on Hulu in the U.S. and recently ordered Love Me, starring Borg vs McEnroe’s Sverrir Gudnason.
Meanwhile, FilmNation has a number of high-profile global television projects lined up including Mark Ruffalo’s I Know This Much Is True, currently in pre-production for HBO, and Feminist Fight Club and The House Of The Spirits for Hulu. The new venture will work closely with its television team in Los Angeles, under the leadership of President of Production, Film and Television Ben Browning and EVP, Television Stefanie Berk.
Glen Basner, FilmNation Entertainment CEO, and Milan Popelka, FilmNation Entertainment COO, said, “Launching this innovative UK partnership is an exciting step in furthering our overall global strategy to serve as trusted, premium scripted content creators, and to continue to have our platform be a destination for the world’s best storytellers. In NENT Group we have found forward-thinking, creatively-aligned partners who see the exciting future of global entertainment the same way we do, and we’re thrilled to be joining forces with them in a territory that is home to such exceptional creative talent.”
Anders Jensen, NENT Group President and CEO, said, “This milestone partnership with a major international studio creates numerous strategic benefits for NENT Group. We now have long term access to some of the world’s most prestigious upcoming scripted content and co-own a high growth company in the dynamic UK production market. At the same time, we can offer even more attractive, one of a kind stories to our customers and partners.”
Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, NENT Group EVP and Head of Content, added, “We are continuing to rewrite the script with this innovative partnership. FilmNation Entertainment is a respected and prolific studio with a proven track record. In today’s highly competitive market for premium drama, this joint venture gives NENT Group a compelling advantage and complements our ongoing investments in original content.”
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