Fox Entertainment acquires Fernando Szew’s MarVista to focus on Tubi

Fox Entertainment in the US has acquired Los Angeles-based producer MarVista Entertainment in a deal said to be valued at over US$100m.

Charlie Collier

The purchase, financial terms of which were not disclosed, was announced today by Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier and MarVista CEO and founding partner Fernando Szew.

Established in 2003, MarVista produces and distributes movies for partners in the US and abroad. It makes around 80 titles annually across all genres and owns a catalogue of more than 2,500 hours of programming for distribution. It is also known as a producer of holiday-themed content.

MarVista will continue to be led by Szew and his team. He will report to Fox Entertainment president of production strategy and operations Stefan Reinhardt.

The company will now focus on developing and producing content for Fox’s digital platforms, particularly the ad-supported video-on-demand service Tubi.

The studio will also continue to work with its roster of third-party buyers and coproduction partners, while distributing its content globally.

“Fernando and his team have built a globally respected studio with a track record of prolific creative output, a vast library of owned titles and an efficient approach to production that’s admired industry-wide,” said Collier.

Fernando Szew

“With these key strategic advantages, acquiring and investing in MarVista aligns perfectly with Fox Entertainment’s long-term vision for streaming and diversifying our in-house capabilities and infrastructure as we expand our portfolio. Across the board, MarVista boasts a wonderfully talented team, which we happily welcome to our fast-growing organisation.”

Szew added: “As the content distribution landscape has evolved and become more ubiquitous and sophisticated, we are proud of the uniqueness of MarVista’s innovative practices and offerings and expect to propel our growth as part of Fox Entertainment. As always, we will continue to create meaningful opportunities for filmmakers and talent, and maintain our leading position as go-to partners for the growing and diverse networks and platforms on a global basis. This is an incredible new chapter for MarVista and our passionate team.”

Recent third-party titles produced and distributed by MarVista include Amazon Prime’s upcoming Christmas is Cancelled, starring Hayley Orrantia, Dermot Mulroney and Janel Parrish; Netflix’s Falling Inn Love, starring Christina Milian and Adam Demos; and Disney’s Halloween title Under Wraps.

MarVista recently produced and/or distributed several titles for Tubi, including the thrillers Twisted House Sitter, The Deadliest Lie and holiday-themed A Chance For Christmas.

In September, Fox Entertainment acquired the entertainment platform TMZ and all its media properties from WarnerMedia. Fox and award-winning chef, restaurateur and presenter Gordon Ramsay recently formed Studio Ramsay Global, a co-owned production entity that develops, produces and distributes culinary and lifestyle programming for Fox, Tubi and platforms worldwide.

Fox also owns animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.