LEONINE Takes Stake in gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion

LEONINE Studios has acquired a 50 percent controlling interest in gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, which specializes in documentary features and series.

With the agreement, LEONINE Studios also secures the right to acquire the remaining 50 percent of the shares. gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe will remain an independent company and brand within the LEONINE Production segment.

The current managing partners, Christian and Reinhardt Beetz, will continue to lead the company as managing directors. Fred Kogel, who in addition to his role as CEO of LEONINE Studios is responsible for no-fiction production and license acquisitions, will join the management of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe after the transaction has been completed.

Georg Tschurtschenthaler, the longtime senior producer and showrunner of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, becomes the new chief creative officer and will handle the development slate for new high-end documentaries and series.

The gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion slate includes the Academy Award-nominated documentary Open Heart, the Emmy Award-nominated docu-thriller The Cleaners, the German Netflix original A Perfect Crime and the Emmy Award-nominated investigative documentary The Hunt for Gaddafi’s Billions.

Kogel said: “With gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe, we have strengthened our position in the documentary sector with the most high-profile production company in Germany. Together with the outstanding team at gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, the new setup opens up a wide range of opportunities for us to participate in the strong national and international market growth in the documentary sector. We will invest in our own high-end IPs with international potential and in the development of original content. Christian and Reinhardt Beetz are pioneers and known for their groundbreaking, high-quality productions, which are also internationally successful and have won numerous prestigious awards. The content strategy fits perfectly with LEONINE’s premium content ambitions. We are extremely pleased to welcome Christian and Reinhardt as two of the best creative minds together with their outstanding team.”

Christian and Reinhardt Beetz added: “The international documentary film in the prime segment is facing great challenges. The quality requirements for the productions have multiplied and the market has become highly internationalized. Global audiences expect first-class, high-quality documentaries. In order to continue working from Germany for the global market, a strong partner is essential. As part of LEONINE Studios, we have a multitude of exciting opportunities to realize national and, above all, international cooperations and co-productions. We are focusing on further expanding our slate of high-end documentaries with a global appeal in the film and series sector, and intensifying our long-standing partnerships with broadcasters, streamers and distributors.”