Fiction
FremantleMedia, Jadran Film partner to produce Croatian drama series
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia and Jadran Film Zagreb have inked a strategic partnership in order to bring the literary work of one of Croatia’s most popular writers – Marija Juric Zagorka – to global TV audiences.
Designated Croatia’s first female journalist, Zagorka is one of the most read writers in Croatia and a best-seller in Central and Eastern Europe, although her novels have never been translated into English. Jadran Film, which has produced over 200 regional and international movies in its 70 year history, will combine its cinematic expertise with FremantleMedia’s production and distribution capabilities to develop scripts based on the novels and look for international investment in order to bring the works to Croatian, as well as global, audiences.
Jadran Film CEO Vinko Grubisic said, “Jadran Film has long held the ambition to bring Marija Juric Zagorka’s work to audiences outside Central Europe. By working with the production and distribution expertise of FremantleMedia, there is now a real opportunity to bring audiences around world the brilliant storytelling of one of Croatia’s most-loved authors.”
FremantleMedia Croatia managing director Ana Habajec added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Jadran Film in order to bring the work of Marija Juric Zagorka to international audiences, and that the combination of our skills and passion will see Zagorka recognized, not just as a Croatian heroine, but as a world brand!”
The partnership kicks off with a joint production of one of Zagorka’s most famous works: The Witch of Grich (Gricka vjestica), of which more than 10 million copies have been sold so far in Eastern Europe. Set in the second half of the 18th century and combining the genres of historical novel, romance and adventure, it tells the story of young Countess, Nera Keglevic, famed for her beauty and kindness.
FremantleMedia and Jadran Film are already looking at how they might develop subsequent titles such as Kneginja iz Petrinjske ulice, Gordana and Jadranka.
Fiction
Banijay merges with All3Media in $6.65 billion deal
Marco Bassetti will lead the combined company as CEO
PARIS: Six years after acquiring Endemol Shine at the height of the pandemic, Banijay has struck again. The European production heavyweight is merging with All3Media in a deal that will create a television titan with $6.65 billion in revenue and redraw the contours of a fast-consolidating market.
The combined company will trade under the Banijay name and be owned 50 per cent each by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, which acquired All3Media in 2024. The transaction is expected to close by autumn, subject to regulatory approvals.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti, will take the top job at the enlarged group. All3Media CEO Jane Turton becomes deputy CEO. RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker will serve as chairman.
The logic is scale. Broadcasters are commissioning less, streamers are tightening budgets and global buyers are fewer but bigger. Against that backdrop, heft matters. The merged entity will generate roughly $6.65 billion in revenues based on 2024 figures, giving it sharper elbows in rights negotiations and deeper pockets for franchise-building.
“Entrepreneurialism, ambition and creativity” remain core to Banijay’s DNA, Bassetti said, flagging plans to invest more heavily in new intellectual property, live events and emerging platforms. Turton struck a similarly bullish note, pointing to All3Media’s journey from a 2003 start-up to a global supplier of hit formats and high-end drama.
Between them, the two groups control a formidable slate. Banijay’s catalogue spans MasterChef, Big Brother, Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal. All3Media’s labels include Studio Lambert, producer of The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge; Two Brothers, behind The Tourist; and Neal Street, currently producing the forthcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes for Sony.
The back catalogue is equally muscular. Banijay Rights holds some 220,000 hours, while All3Media International adds around 35,000 hours, forming one of the industry’s largest libraries.
Banijay, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit and listed in Amsterdam, counts more than 130 production companies across 25 territories. All3Media operates over 40 labels, with strong positions in the UK, US and Germany. The enlarged group will also lean into live entertainment, building on Banijay’s Balich Wonder Studio, which produced the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the Independents.
The deal marks a shift in tone. As recently as October, Bassetti suggested that mergers and acquisitions were not a priority. But the drumbeat of consolidation has grown louder. Mediawan has moved for Peter Chernin’s North Road. David Ellison’s Paramount has agreed to a $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros, with plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount plus. ITV has explored selling its media and entertainment arm to Comcast-owned Sky, though talks have reportedly slowed.
