Barmack’s Sheep, Mediapro join forces

NATPE: Erik Barmack’s LA-based prodco Wild Sheep Content and Imagina-owned The Mediapro Studio have established a partnership to develop and distribute original content.

Erik Barmack

Projects currently in development at Wild Sheep include a French-language version of Stephen King’s The Plant, a Scandinavian series based on crime novels by author Emelie Schepp, and a scripted version of popular documentary Cocaine Cowboys.

It is not yet clear whether these titles will go through the company’s alliance with Mediapro.

Barmack previously led Netflix’s international production strategy, before leaving to set up Wild Sheep early in 2019. Later that year, The prodco struck a deal with Brazil’s Boutique Films, with which Mediapro is coproducing dystopian drama To Kill a Queen, it was revealed this week.

“It’s an amazing time to connect different voices and perspectives in storytelling with audiences around the world, and I’m delighted that Wild Sheep Content will be working closely with The Mediapro Studio, which has a proven capacity to successfully launch a diverse slate of content through networks and streaming companies around the world,” said Barmack.

Mediapro also unveiled a coproduction with Miami-based Paraiso at Natpe Miami this week. The studio’s parent, Mediapro Group, has 58 offices across four continents – 14 of which develop and produce content – and launched 34 series in 2019 with a global investment of €200m (US$221m).