Fremantle & IBI Investment House Team for €150 Million Scripted Fund

Fremantle has aligned with the Israel-based IBI Investment House to launch a €150 million ($163 million) fund to finance scripted television and film projects.

As part of an initial four-year deal, Fremantle will bring a diverse range of projects from its network of production companies to the IBI fund, creating a bespoke funding model to fast-track the production of each project. IBI Fund will work closely with Fremantle, its roster of labels, producers, directors and talent to greenlight each project and provide the best route to market.

Three Fremantle projects across TV and film have been selected for the first wave of projects for the fund. Maria, starring Angelina Jolie in the lead role, is written by Steven Knight (Spencer, Peaky Blinders) and directed by Pablo Larraín (Spencer, Jackie) and will be produced by Juan de Dios Larraín for Fabula Pictures, Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment Pictures (a Fremantle company) and Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film. Shelter is a six-part revenge drama created and written by Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton (Thorne, Silent Witness) with Abot Hameiri and Sarah Condon from Fair Harbor attached to produce and Jeremy Webb (The Last of Us, The Umbrella Academy) set as director. Generation Loss is written by Sarah Dollard (Bridgerton, Doctor Who, Cara Fi) and is based on the best-selling book series by Elizabeth Hand. Producers are Hilary Martin for Fremantle, Sarah Condon from Fair Harbor and Euston Films.

Jennifer Mullin, group CEO at Fremantle, said: “At Fremantle, we are always focused on innovation, and this alliance with IBI is a perfect example of this ethos and approach. It is an extremely timely and exciting agreement with Dave Lubetzky (CEO of IBI Investment House) and the team at IBI. I would like to also thank Andrea, Guy and all involved at Fremantle for their vision and focus on this.”

Andrea Scrosati, group COO and CEO for continental Europe at Fremantle, said: “Securing this deal with IBI not only enables us to be extremely competitive in the marketplace but also offers our world-class creatives and talent an ability to accelerate their projects while maintaining control in an ever-changing industry. I am thrilled that Guy, who spearheaded this innovative collaboration, will continue to be an important part of the Fremantle family while leading this incredibly exciting venture as its new CEO.”

Guy Hameiri, CEO of the new fund and co-founder, Abot Hameiri, said: “I am so excited by this new venture and am delighted to be heading up the Fund to work even closer with our amazing talent and producers to finance new projects. This is an exciting opportunity for the market and for our industry. Thank you to Dave Lubetzky and all the IBI team, and to Andrea Scrosati and everyone at Fremantle, for having the vision to launch this fund and make it happen.”

Dave Lubetzky, CEO of IBI Investment House, added: “We’re excited about our entry into the growing international entertainment market in collaboration with Fremantle, one of the leading entertainment groups in the industry. This presents a unique opportunity for our investors to participate in funding international productions with top talents for the first time.”