Warner Bros exec to head Gaumont Germany

Narcos producer Gaumont is expanding its operations in Europe by opening a German office led by a former Warner Bros exec.

Sabine de Mardt

Gaumont’s base in Cologne will be helmed by Sabine de Mardt, former director of fiction and film at Warner Bros International TV Production Deutschland, who will serve as president.

De Mardt will report to Christophe Riandee, vice CEO at Gaumont, which is producing the fourth season of drug drama Narcos for Netflix.

Sidonie Dumas, CEO of Gaumont, said the German operation would follow the lead of its US counterpart and “produce local content in the local language.”

Dumas described Sabine as “a well-respected development, production and creative executive with a highly successful track record.”

“With today’s audiences around the globe now used to watching shows in the original language, we also anticipate strong demand for these programmes from our overseas partners,” she added.

De Mardt added: “In Germany, Gaumont will continue to invest heavily in the development and production of premiere drama programming, working together with first-class writers, directors, actors and creative executives.”

De Mardt joined Warner Bros International TV Production Deutschland in February 2014 following the acquisition of the Eyeworks Group. Prior to that, she had served as MD for Eyeworks Fiction Cologne and Eyeworks Film Gemini from 2009, having earlier worked for the produces before their acquisition by Eyeworks.

Her credits include crime dramas for ZDF in Germany including the long-running Marie Brand franchise, which aired from 2008 to 2017, and TV movie series Wilsberg.

She has also worked on the first German Amazon original, You Are Wanted, which tells the story of a Berlin convention centre project manager who becomes the victim of a mysterious hacking attack.

Gaumont’s move is the latest international expansion for the France-based firm, which boosted its North American and Latin American distribution teams earlier this year with the appointment of former Miramax and Snap TV execs.