Thunder Studios is launching a division that will back indie films and distribute them across theatrical, VOD, cable and digital platforms. The new division plans to acquire and distribute six to eight indie projects per year, domestically and/or internationally. Thunder Studios is also partnering with Pipeline Motion Picture Group to represent, sell and distribute film and TV properties to international markets. “Thunder Studios’ mission has always been to empower filmmakers, commercial directors and digital content creators who are looking to produce the highest-quality content across multiple platforms,” CEO Rodric David said.
Financing and production company Alcon Entertainment has extended its long-standing output deal with Warner Bros. through 2019. Alcon has also readied a $200 million senior secured credit facility via finance transaction involving a bank syndicate led by JP Morgan Chase, CIT Bank and Bank of America. Under the new deal, the studio will release a minimum of 10 new films starting with the Nov. 13 release of the The 33, which has already opened internationally in certain markets. That will be followed by Point Break on Christmas Day.
STX Entertainment has solidified their first major international distribution agreements in more than 50 territories, creating a worldwide network for the studio’s 12 to 15 motion pictures a year. Some of the major deals include Tobis Film in Germany and Austria, Sun Distribution Group in Latin America and Spain, VVS Films in Canada and Freeman Entertainment in Eastern Europe. Huayi Brothers Media Corp., which has invested in STX, will handle the studio’s films in China and related territories. The deals, which have been in the works for months, rep the first major international distribution agreements STX has forged. The films included in the output deals include The Space Between Us, Mile 22, Bad Moms, The Foreigner, and Happytime Murders.
Scott Free has inked a new first-look deal for broadcast projects at CBS TV Studios where the company has two CBS series: the award-winning The Good Wife and the upcoming BrainDead. Under the deal, Scott Free has sold three drama projects to CBS for next season, a drama based on the life and career of Sunny Hostin, Sensory, a medical drama based on Dr. Joel Salinas, written by David Zabel and the cop comedy Rubber Guns from TJ Fixman and Scott Gemmill.
Entertainment conglomerate Sun Seven Stars has joined with Chinese online financing giant Yucheng Group in a $1.6 billion equity fund called the China Global Alliance Film Fund for the international film market with an emphasis on the Hollywood talent pool. The company is currently developing a feature adaptation of James Patterson’s Maximum Ride, a sci-fi superhero re-imagining of Zorro called Zorro Reborn, and a feature based on the popular Tetris video game. “The difference between most Chinese investment up to now is that other Chinese companies see China as their home market. I see the U.S. and the world as my home market,” Sun Seven Stars head Bruno Wu said in a statement.
As reported in Exec Shuffle, Activision Blizzard Studios has been launched in an effort to develop films and TV shows based on its hit games including Call Of Duty, Diablo and others and announced their initial production an animated TV series entitled Skylanders Academy. Activision seeks to build on the broad appeal of its games by turning them into franchises that could lead to consumer product sales. Disney alum Nick van Dyk will serve as Co-President. Parent company Activision Blizzard also acquired mobile gaming giant King Digital Entertainment, best known for the Candy Crush franchise. Activision Blizzard spent $5.9 billion dollars on the acquisition.
Cross Creek Pictures has left Universal and signed a three-year, multifaceted co-financing, production, and distribution deal with Sony Pictures. The company will continue to focus on developing, producing and co-financing quality films with mid-range budgets. Cross Creek’s next film is the Brian Helgeland-directed drama Legend about the British twin terror Kray Brothers, both played by Tom Hardy to be released by Universal on November 20. Other films include the Liam Neeson-starrer A Walk Among The Tombstones and the Daniel Radcliffe-starrer The Woman In Black.
Film financier Prescience has launched Ignition Media Finance to provide short term media finance and pre-production funding for producers. Producers will be lent anywhere between 15% and 20% of the total budget during pre-production. The first film to get financing from Ignition will be Roger Spottiswoode’s A Street Cat Named Bob, based on the bestselling book to star Luke Threadaway.
Insurrection Media has signed a sci-fi pod deal with Robert Kirkman and David Alpert’s Skybound Entertainment. Under the deal, Insurrection will provide Kiliaen Van Rensselaer resources and support for Skybound to develop, and produce genre series that Insurrection will distribute in the U.S. and overseas on digital and linear platforms. Skybound will handle production services and work on licensing and merchandise with an emphasis on video games.
Red Hour is joining with Bold Films to produce a slate of film, TV and digital projects. Producer/executive Nicky Weinstock will join Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld’s Red Hour, which previously had a deal at 20th Century Fox. Under the pact, Red Hour’s offices will meld into Bold Films’ L.A. and N.Y. offices, and Bold will provide the overhead, development and production financing on the projects.