Newen Studios has pushed into the Scandinavian scripted market with the acquisition of a majority stake in Nordic film and TV company Anagram.
The news was unveiled earlier today at a press conference for the TF1-owned giant, which was led by recently-promoted Newen Studios CEO Romain Bessi.
Bessi said Newen has taken a “very meaningful shareholding,” accounting for “well over 50%” of the company, which was founded in 2002 by comedians Anders Jansson and Johan Wester and is comprised of Anagram Sweden, Anagram Norway and Anagram Live.
Anagram makes film, TV and theater, most recently producing the likes of SVT’s Thin Blue Line and feature My Life as a Comedian, which premiered at TIFF. Within TV, it produces drama, comedy and entertainment.
Bessi was joined on stage by Anagram Managing Director Anne Kolbjørnsen and Creative Director Ole Marius Araldsen to briefly discuss the acquisition – its first scripted in Scandinavia – during a lengthy press conference. Newen also owns Danish docs label Real Lava, run by Oscar nominee Sigrid Dyekjaer.
The Paris-headquartered company has been acquisitive of late, also buying Icarus producer Rise Films over the summer as it spreads its European footprint.
Alongside Bessi in the press conference were the likes of Gub Neal, who runs Newen-backed Ringside Studios and is producing Eva Green-starring Apple TV+ drama Liaison, and Newen-owned CAPA Drama’s owners, the producers of Canal+’s upcoming Marie Antoinette.
Taking Q&A later, Bessi rejected the notion that Newen will change strategic direction now that the long-awaited merger between TF1 and M6 has been abandoned.
“Our strategy has always been quite different from TF1,” added Bessi, who took over from Bibiane Godfroid in January. “If anything it makes us feel more relevant, as we’ve been delivering high growth, profitability and are so much more diversified than we were four to five years ago.”
Bessi used the press conference to stress Newen’s recent growth and said the 50-label outfit is now “one of the top five productions groups in continental Europe and most diversified studio in Europe.”
