Leonine buys Endemol Shine prodco

Netflix’s German drama original Dark

German studio Leonine has acquired local scripted production outfit Wiedemann & Berg Television (W&B TV) from Endemol Shine Group and the company’s founders.

W&B TV was set up in 2009 by Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg, producers of Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others as a joint venture with Endemol.

It is known for producing Netflix German original Dark and Sky Deutschland’s version of The Bridge, Pagan Peak.

Leonine was established earlier this year from the merger of Tele München Group, Universum Film, i&u TV and Wiedemann & Berg Film, following each of their acquisitions by New York-based investment firm KKR.

Wiedemann and Berg remain as managing directors of W&B TV at the Munich-based office, within the Leonine group. No financial details were disclosed.

Berg will also assume the position of chief creative and chief production officer for Leonine and will be responsible for the creative direction of the group. Together with Wiedemann, who has been named chief production officer, he will manage Leonine’s entire fiction production in cinema, TV and coproduction.

In addition to his duties as CEO, Fred Kogel will continue to be responsible for Leonine’s non-fiction/entertainment production division.

Endemol Shine Germany, meanwhile, has taken over W&B TV’s Berlin-based business, through which it is setting up a new, as-yet-unnamed scripted company, to be led by W&B TV managing director Nanni Erben.

The transaction is expected to close in early 2020.