Media Musketeers Partners With Alliance Entreprendre to Bolster TV Production Input (EXCLUSIVE)
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Media Musketeers, the European banner launched a year and a half ago by former Apple and Warner Bros. executives, is joining forces with France’s Alliance Entreprendre to bolster is ambitious TV production strategy over the next five years.
Media Musketeers, created by former Apple execs Sebastien Janin and Andy Docherty and ex-Warner Bros. exec Chris Law, is welcoming Alliance Entreprendre as its new shareholder with a 20% stake in the company. With Alliance Entreprendre on board, Media Musketeers aims at developing and producing content for a value of up to €1 billion over the next five years.
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Working in partnership with Alliance Entreprendre and their other investor Entourage Ventures, Media Musketeers plans to release up to eight TV series per year, kicking off with Stanley Kubrick’s “God Fearing Man,” and “Pulse,” an scripted series set in Africa. The producers told Variety they will soon be announcing the cast and attaching a big-name director for “God Fearing Man” which Media Musketeers is producing with the independent outfit Forlan Films.
Although the first two shows are being developed in English, the company is also interesting in making premium local dramas in foreign languages, said Janin, who added that the banner is also looking to expand into feature films at some point. The idea, explained Janin, is use the financial ressources provided by Alliance Entreprendre to develop projects independently without having to work with a broadcaster or streaming service from the get-go.
“Alliance Entreprendre’s financial commitment (…) and sector knowledge will enable us to speed up the process of supporting broadcasters and giving creative freedom to producers, thus bringing our projects to life as envisaged,” said Patrick Swiderski of Media Musketeers.
Alliance Entreprendre is a Paris-based private equity firm which already boasts stakes in several thriving companies in Europe, including the TV sales banners APC and Federation Entertainment, as well as the pan-European film and TV group Playtime.
It’s partnership with Media Musketeers underscores Alliance Entreprendre’s ambition to bolster its international strategy and link up with dynamic media companies which own IP’s.
“With their considerable experience and innovative approach, and with the help of our investment, ‘Media Musketeers’ will be able create and own IP for distribution in the international television market,” said Antoine Bodet of Alliance Entreprendre.
Under the deal, Bodet and Benjamin Duprez of Alliance Entreprendre will take a seat on the Media
Musketeers board with immediate effect.
Media Musketeers are attending Mipcom and are negotiating pre-sales, licensing and co-production partnerships for both “God Fearing Man” and “Pulse.”
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