Alchemy Entertainment, Universal in DVD Distribution Deal

LOS ANGELES/LONDON, April
10: Alchemy Entertainment has struck an exclusive, multi-territory agreement
with Universal Pictures International Entertainment to release a slate of its
upcoming mini-series on DVD and VOD platforms around the world.

With a combined production
budget of more than $100 million in the first year of the deal, the initial
slate includes The Bounty, a
co-production with Scott Free Television for the BBC and ProSieben, as well as Diamonds, a $15-million co-production starring Judy Davis,
Sir Derek Jacobi and James Purefoy. Other titles include Burn Up, a $15-million production from Alchemy, Kudos Film
and Television, and SEVEN24 Films for the BBC in the U.K. and Global in Canada,
starring Rupert Penry-Jones, Bradley Whitford and Neve Campbell; Iron Road, from Alchemy and CCI Entertainment, starring
Peter O’Toole and Sam Neill; and Everest, starring Jason Priestley and William Shatner.

In addition to the titles
above, Alchemy has recently completed the mini-series Coco Chanel, starring Shirley MacLaine, for Lifetime. Production
will begin on Ben Hur and The
Bounty later this year. Alchemy’s
unscripted division, Alchemy Reality, recently had two series commissioned by
major European networks.

Nick Witkowski, Alchemy’s
president of programming and worldwide distribution, said: “Universal is the
recognized market leader in the sector and [has] the marketing expertise to
maximize the exploitation of our titles in new and exciting ways. This is much
more than just a DVD deal.”

Helen Parker, the managing
director/senior VP of A&R Group at Universal Pictures International
Entertainment, said: “Alchemy is a major supplier of quality drama with
international appeal and are certainly producing some of the very best content
of its kind in the world today. We are delighted to be in partnership with
them.”

Alchemy’s Paul Fagan, who
negotiated the deal, added: “Universal understands the complex nature of
evolving media landscape today, and the deal is designed to be a partnership
that fully exploits the rights not sold to broadcasters—rights that are
now being offered to the consumer in new ways. We are all now sailing largely
uncharted waters and have to build that into the deal-making process.”

—By Irene Lew