Winchester Capital to Finance Leverage

LOS ANGELES: Winchester Capital Management, founded in 2007 by Jean-Luc De Fanti and Jeff Sagansky, has announced a deal to finance season three of Electric Entertainment’s Leverage, which launches on TNT this year.

The $14-million deal marks the first television financing deal for the company, whose feature film investments include The Men Who Stare at Goats starring George Clooney and directed by Grant Helsov and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee directed by Rebecca Miller and starring Robin Wright Penn and Keanu Reeves. The company also has a multi-picture financing deal with Luc Besson’s Europa Corp.

Season three of Leverage will make its third season debut in late summer 2010 with 16 hour-long episodes on TNT. The popular show is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT’s The Librarian). "I’ve known and admired Dean Devlin as a producer for many years," said Winchester Capital Management’s managing partner, Jean-Luc De Fanti. "He has a great ability to make commercial film and television content with an innovative business approach. We are proud to contribute to the growth of his business.”

“Thanks in large part to its engaging cast and clever storytelling, Leverage has proven itself to be one of the most appealing hours on television,” said Devlin. “We found a great partner in Winchester Capital Management and look forward to a successful third season and future collaborations.”