Leonine Studios buys controlling interest in German doc prodco Gebrueder Beetz
Reinhardt (left) and Christian Beetz
Germany’s Leonine Studios has expanded into the premium documentary space by acquiring a 50% controlling interest in Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion.
Based out of Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, Gebrueder Beetz will remain an independent company and brand within the Leonine Production division, said the acquiring company, and its sibling MDs Christian and Reinhardt Beetz will remain in place.
Furthermore, long-standing Gebrueder Beetz senior producer and showrunner Georg Tschurtschenthaler has been appointed chief creative officer of the company, while Leonine CEO Fred Kogel and will join the management team after the transaction has been completed.
Leonine also has the option to buy the remaining 50% of the company as part of the deal. Under a separate deal, it has acquired 100% of Gebrueder Beetz’s production arm in Lüneburg directly.
Among the shows produced by Gebrueder Beetz are the Oscar-nominated doc Open Heart, Emmy-nominated docu-thriller The Cleaners, Netflix original A Perfect Crime and Emmy-nominated investigative documentary The Hunt for Gadaffi’s Billions.
Upcoming shows include docuseries Reeperbahn – Special Unit 65 for ARD Mediathek, while A Century of Sex Education will be presented at Mipcom in Cannes this October.
The Leonine Production division now comprises Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Hyperbole, i&u TV, Madame Zheng Production, Odeon Fiction, SEO Entertainment, W&B Television and Wiedemann & Berg Film.
“With Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, we have strengthened our position in the documentary sector with the most high-profile production company in Germany,” said Kogel.
“Together with the outstanding team at Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, the new set-up opens up a wide range of opportunities for us to participate in the strong national and international market growth in the documentary sector. We will invest in our own high-end IP with international potential and in the development of original content.”
