Toho Takes Stake in Fifth Season

Fifth Season has secured a $225 million strategic investment from Toho International, the U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese entertainment group Toho Co., known for creating the Godzilla franchise.

The investment gives Toho a 25 percent equity stake in the company. It will allow Fifth Season to continue expanding its slate of content. CJ ENM remains Fifth Season’s majority owner, and Endeavor Group Holdings continues as a strategic shareholder. The investment also creates opportunities for collaboration among CJ ENM, Fifth Season and Toho.

Graham Taylor and Chris Rice, Fifth Season co-CEOs, said, “This investment is an excellent and unique opportunity to build on Fifth Season’s momentum and solidify our leadership in the global independent film and television space. Strategic partnerships are a core piece of our DNA, and we were deliberate in moving forward with a company as successful, storied and aligned with our goals and values as Toho. With their collaboration, alongside that of the great partnerships with CJ ENM and Endeavor, Fifth Season is positioned better than ever to delight audiences around the world with an expansive slate of top-quality content.”

Toho President Hiro Matsuoka said, “We believe that this collaboration will be a significant step towards challenging the global market, not only in the field of animation, where Toho has excelled, but also in the realm of live-action content. We are extremely grateful and excited to take on this challenge hand in hand with CJ ENM, which has been advancing into the global entertainment market from Asia, and Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. Crossing the ‘bridge’ between Japan and the world that will be built through this collaboration, we hope to see Japanese projects, intellectual properties and content expand further into the global market.”

Koo Chang-gun, CEO of CJ ENM, added, “We are thrilled to have Toho, the biggest entertainment company in Japan, as our partner at this time when Fifth Season is making significant strides as a global major studio. CJ ENM will continue to strengthen its competitive advantage as a content producer and bolster its status as a global IP powerhouse.”