Wild Bunch & Commerzbank Agree 35M Euro Credit Line

European film, TV and media group Wild Bunch AG and Frankfurt-based financial institution Commerzbank have agreed a loan financing of up to 35M euros ($40M). Wild Bunch, which is headquartered in Paris and Berlin, will use the credit line to refinance an existing bank loan and “to reinforce the group’s capacity to deploy strategic measures,” the company said today. The loan comes due in October 2022.

Vincent Grimond, President of Wild Bunch AG, said, “This loan is the result of the remarkable cooperation with the film specialists of the Commerzbank media team. We are delighted with the confidence shown in us by Commerzbank as one of the largest film and media financiers in Europe — a financial partner of choice for the future.”

In 2018, Wild Bunch previously struck a $130M financial restructuring plan with its creditors. Then late last year, the company expanded operations with the formation of BIM Production in Italy to make Italian TV shows and films, responding to a growing demand from local players and electronic distribution platforms. The group’s other production companies include Senator Film Produktion, Wild Bunch SA, Wild Bunch TV and Vertigo Films which give it a distribution and production foothold in Italy, Germany, France and Spain.

Also in 2019, Wild Bunch underwent an internal reorganization with the formation of Wild Bunch International, a subsidiary focused specifically on international film sales. After the success of last year’s Cannes prizewinner and Oscar nominee Les Miserables, titles on Wild Bunch’s virtual Cannes Market slate this month include Lucas Belvaux’s Home Front, Studio Ghibli’s Earwig And The Witch, French Tech by Bruno Podalydes, Maiwenn’s DNA and feature debut The Swarm from Just Philippot

As coronavirus restrictions ease in France, and with cinemas due to re-open on June 22, Wild Bunch Distribution also recently began dating titles for later this summer including Lucky Strike and The Vigil.