Entertainment Studios launches international sales and distribution unit – The Hollywood Reporter

In an effort to expand its global footprint, Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios is launching an international sales and distribution division.

The division, dubbed Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures International, will work in tandem with FilmNation Entertainment, which will handle international distribution of Allen’s blockbuster movie titles for which ESMP holds worldwide rights. Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures and ESMPI are subsidiaries of Allen Media, which recently announced it has secured $500 million in credit facilities.

“International feature film distribution is a natural extension of the growing reach of our global media, content and technology company,” said Allen, President and CEO of Entertainment Studios. “As we continue to distribute content on an ever-increasing number of national and global television, network television, theater and digital platforms, it is natural for us to integrate global film distribution into our overall distribution strategy. of content in the future, and FilmNation Entertainment is the perfect partner to achieve this goal. »

Glen Basner of FilmNation added, “Entertainment Studios is an exciting, creative and innovative media company committed to delivering high-quality content around the world. This global distribution partnership is well positioned to fill a huge void in the market. »

ESMP/ESMPI will fund and distribute worldwide 47 meters down: the next chapter, which will mark the first title under the deal and recently began pre-production. The sequel to the shark thriller will be released domestically on some 3,500 screens on June 28, 2019. The first 47 meters below was a surprise box office success, earning over $44 million on a $5.5 million budget, making it one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2017. ESMP bought the title from Dimension Films, which originally planned to release the film on DVD alone. Johannes Roberts, the filmmaker behind the first film, is directing the sequel and wrote the screenplay with Ernest Riera. Fyzz’s James Harris, Mark Lane and Robert Jones produce 47 meters down: the next chapter. All three participated in the original.

Founded in 1993, Entertainment Studios recently acquired The Weather Channel, which joins its television assets like Pets.TV and Comedy.TV. The company also produces, distributes and sells advertising for 41 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers and distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for television stations.

In 2015, Entertainment Studios purchased Freestyle Releasing, now called Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures. Upcoming releases include sci-fi thriller Keanu Reeves Replicas, the animated feature with the voices of John Krasinski and Emily Blunt animal crackers and Joe Carnahan’s action thriller boss level, starring Mel Gibson.