Newen Studios Takes Majority Stake in Rise Films

Newen Studios has acquired a majority stake in the London-based production house Rise Films, adding to its U.K. portfolio of production companies.

The move is part of Newen Studios’ strategy to pursue premium documentaries and further its plans for U.K. expansion. Led by Plebs creator Sam Leifer, Rise Films’ productions include The Invisible War, The Interrupters, Icarus, Knuckle, Dreamcatcher, We Are Together, Rough Aunties, The Human Factor, Mayor and The Art of Political Murder.

The company is now moving into factual drama with its first project, Thank You & Goodbye, about the phone-hacking scandal that rocked Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

Rise Comedy, a joint venture with Rise Films, will continue to be operated independently.

Philippe Levasseur, director of international at Newen Studios Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Teddy Leifer and all the Rise Films team into the Newen Studios’ production’ family. The partnership with these very talented individuals adds another solid brick to the foundations our European studio. The appetite for documentary is stronger than ever. Teddy is a passionate producer and a team player; his team is a perfect match with our network of premium doc producers: Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Sigrid Djekjaer (Real Lava), Emmy and Peabody winner Tomas Ocana (Capa Spain), Natalie Humphreys (Storyboard), Aster Reinboud (Docs by Pupkin), the Paris-based Capa team and the feature docs producers of Flare Films (Germany). Rise is also growing in factual drama, and we strongly believe in the power of this scripted genre. Furthermore, this partnership strengthens our presence in the U.K., where Newen Studios has invested in nine production companies over the past two years.”

Leifer, CEO of Rise Films, said: “Joining the Newen Studios Group was an easy decision for us, and we’re excited to be working with their talented team as we build together. I’m so grateful to my wonderful colleagues at Rise for their hard work and creativity. It’s a privilege to work alongside them.”