BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Studios and Storyoscopic Films jointly announced today they have entered into a strategic partnership for Storyoscopic to produce and finance approximately five or more projects per year with upwards of 200 million dollars in production funding. The joint venture will utilize Relativity’s vast international output deals and its domestic distribution arm (Relativity Europa Distribution). Relativity Europa, dubbed “RED” was an entity created in 2010 by Relativity on the heels of Relativity’s purchase of Overture from John Malone’s Liberty Media. In 2014, EuropaCorp purchased 50% of RED for a reported 130 million dollars.
Storyoscopic’s founders, George Lee and Marcus Englefield, and entertainment industry veteran Brent Baum will act as a core part of Relativity’s future slate and production team. As part of this deal, Storyoscopic brings with it a significant slate of family friendly branded entertainment and global development titles that resonate both in the U.S. and China. Storyoscopic also has close ties to the capital markets and has successfully raised debt and equity on both project and company levels.
This partnership is part of Relativity’s shift in its core production business to focus on financing, producing and distributing movies which fall into global family fare, branded feature films or films which boarder China and the United States. Relativity believes there is a fundamental change in the overall content and advertising world, which is leading to this new direction.
A spokesperson for the studio said, “This is a time of incredible change in our industry and in the surrounding industries. The shifts in advertising, technology and media have caused us to rethink and reanalyze our entire slate and how we do business in general. It is critical that we remain nimble and are able to make pivots like this.”
Through Storyoscopic and this announced joint venture, Relativity has in post-production the animated feature Animal Crackers, directed by Scott Sava, which will be finished by the end of this year and is voiced by an all-star cast including Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Sylvester Stallone, Danny DeVito, Sir Ian McKellen, Raven-Symone, Patrick Warburton and Gilbert Gottfried.
“This film is the perfect example of bringing together a global brand with a family friendly film so that a major brand and a feature film work together in attracting an audience,” said a Relativity spokesperson.
With over $200 million invested in the partnership, the additional projects that are expected to start production immediately include; the CG Ice Moon Rising, directed by David Twohy (The Chronicles of Riddick), written by Rita Augustine and produced by Sriram Das, Steve Chicorel, Brent Baum, George Lee and Marcus Englefield; The Loyal Order of Snowmen, from writers Ron J. Friedman and Steve Bencich (Open Season, Chicken Little) based on their and illustrator Attaboy’s children's book of the same title; and the live action family film currently titled Save the Panda from writer/director Steve Bencich about a socially awkward young boy who tries to stop kidnappers from stealing a panda at the zoo during a class field trip.
Relativity intends to start production on a number of its sequels including November Man 2, Act of Valor 2, Immortals 2 and Earth to Echo 2.
Storyoscopic and Relativity also have a number of television projects in development including the epic series, Holoscape from the creators of Star Trek, Roddenberry Entertainment and in association with Jump Creative.
“Roddenberry is a well-recognized global brand, and being able to expand on the legacy they have built with Star Trek is truly exciting,” said a Relativity spokeperson.
"Storyoscopic Films has strived to create compelling stories for a global market, that resonate with both an Eastern and Western audience. Having such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable distribution and production partner in the amazing team at Relativity only makes the task easier. We now truly have the platform to bridge East and West," said Storyoscopic's George Lee.
ABOUT STORYOSCOPIC
Storyoscopic Films was created in 2013 by Marcus Englefield and George Lee, the founders of 3d conversion powerhouse, Venture 3D (Titanic 3D, The Green Hornet, Art of Flight 3D). The principles have worked between Hollywood and Asia's entertainment industry for the last 15 years and have been instrumental in executing multiple high profile deals in that time. Clients have included Sony, Fox, Warner Brothers, China Film Group, Nike, Red Bull and Huayi Brothers. The company aims to produce high-quality animation and genre films in the fifteen to fifty million dollar budget range that lend themselves to a global audience. The partners have reaped great success in putting together multiple media and entertainment investments between Hollywood and China, highlighted by the recent deal between Michael Bay’s 451 Media Group and Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Co. Ltd. Storyoscopic’s producing partners also include former senior Dreamworks and Destination Films executive Brent Baum and acclaimed South Korean producer and financier Sam Chi.
ABOUT RELATIVITY
Relativity (http://relativitymedia.com/) is a next-generation global media company engaged in multiple aspects of content production and distribution. It is a full-fledged studio with the distribution capacity of a major studio, including a best in class Pay TV Deal. More than just a collection of entertainment-related businesses, Relativity is a content engine with the ability to leverage each of these business units, independently and together, to create content across all mediums, giving consumers what they want, when they want it.
Relativity Studios, the Company’s largest division, has produced, distributed or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17 billion in worldwide box-office revenue and earning 60 Oscar nominations. Relativity’s films include Limitless, Safe Haven, The Unborn, Act of Valor, Dear John, Catfish, Immortals, Don Jon, 3:10 to Yuma and The Fighter.
