Paul and Chris Weitz have entered into a two-year first-look deal with Amazon Studios under their shingle Depth of Field to develop new projects. Paul Weitz is the executive producer, showrunner and director of critically acclaimed comedy series Mozart In The Jungle. Paul Weitz recently directed the extolled film Grandma starring Lily Tomlin. Chris Weitz wrote on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for Disney and rewrote Mountains Between Us for Fox 2000. His next project will be the film Eichmann for MGM which he will direct.
Sky has acquired a stake in the indie production company Sugar Films. Former Discovery Networks International president and CEO Mark Hollinger will also take a share and become Chairman. Sugar Films was formed last year by UK TV executives Kwadjo Dajan, Narinder Minhas, Lucy Pilkington, Nav Raman and Pat Younge and the company produces scripted and non-scripted content for the UK and global markets. Sky’s production and distribution sector, Sky Vision, will represent their new programs and formats internationally.
Skydance, the company launched in 2010 by David Ellison, has raised $700 million in new financing for television, gaming and film production. $200 million is in equity from a group of investors, and a $500 million line will be in the form of credit from J.P. Morgan Chase. Skydance previously worked with Paramount and Ellison on World War Z and Terminator Genisys.
Vice Media acquired a majority stake in UK production company Pulse Films. Pulse Films’ credits include The Cruise Ship and the documentary When Bjork Met Attenborough. The two companies worked together to produce Shut up and Play the Hits back in 2013 about the final show of LCD Soundsystem. Through the deal Pulse will attain access to Vice’s increasing strength as a global platform and generator of content.
Producer Mark Schwahn has inked a multi-year pact with Lionsgate and Universal Cable Productions, the two studios behind E!’s The Royals, which he created and executive produces. Under the first-look deal he will develop scripted programming, which will be co-produced by Lionsgate and UCP. Prior to The Royals, Schwahn created and executive producer of the long-running the WB/CW drama One Tree Hill.
Dick Cook Studios and China’s Film Carnival are joining forces on a $500 million film financing fund. Film Carnival will fully finance the films under the deal and will allow other Chinese investors to invest in those movies on an individual basis. DCS, headed by former Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook, will handle development, production, worldwide distribution and marketing of the titles. The first film to be produced under the deal will be Ranger’s Apprentice with Paul Haggis attached as the writer, director and producer with the aim of launching a franchise.
VIZ Media is joining forces with UTA to develop live-action programming based on titles from VIZ Media’s catalog that includes Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Pokémon franchises. Founded in 1986 in San Francisco, VIZ Media is the industry leader in Japanese comic books, graphic novels and anime publishing, distribution and licensing, and is the top manga publisher in the U.S.
Entertainment One (eOne) has acquired a 65% interest in David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe’s award-winning unscripted production company Renegade 83 for a reported $23 million. Garfinkle and Renfroe will continue to lead Renegade 83, as Co-President & Chief Executive Officers. Launched in 1994, Renegade 83, is one of the fastest growing unscripted production companies and is behind such hit shows as Naked & Afraid, Fit to Fat to Fit, 4400, The Kennedy Detail and Blind Date. Separately, eOne is expected to deliver more than 400 hours of unscripted television this year. In the US, eOne’s lineup includes David Spade’s comedy prank show Fameless on truTV and long-running hit Mary Mary on WE tv.