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MGM, CBS execs launch Cartel sales arm

Gary Marenzi

US production, finance and management firm The Cartel has launched a distribution division headed by former MGM exec Gary Marenzi, along with CBS alumni Giovanni Pedde and Stephen Tague.

Based in London and LA, Cartel Studios International will focus on the international distribution and licensing for Cartel’s content, including more than 25 new movies and several series a year.

Marenzi is the founder and CEO of Marenzi & Associates and was previously president at MGM Worldwide Television, Paramount International Television and UIP Pay Television, as well as serving as head of entertainment sales and partnerships at Endeavor Content. He has spearheaded franchises including Stargate, NCIS, Vikings, Shadowhunters and Killing Eve.

Giovanni Pedde

He will lead Cartel Studios International alongside Pedde, who was most recently exec VP of client relations for CBS International and before that senior VP for Europe at CBS Studios International. A former lawyer at Loeb & Loeb, he joined Paramount Pictures International TV in 1998 as VP to launch its Italian and French offices overseeing the studio’s TV distribution in Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Completing the team is London-based Tague, who joins from CBS International, where he was exec VP of client relations, responsible for the licensing of CBS content to the UK and much of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

This included local launches of titles such as NCIS, Hawaii Five-O, Elementary, Ray Donovan, Billions and much of the Star Trek franchise. Tague also held similar posts at CBS Paramount and Paramount Pictures and began his career at the BBC, ITV and Viacom International.

Stephen Tague

Stan Spry, co-CEO of The Cartel, said: “The Cartel has grown tremendously over the past decade to fill the growing and diversifying content needs of the global industry. We’ve been selling content internationally through third-party distributors, and the next logical step is launching Cartel Studios International to work directly with our global customers in delivering premium programming.”

The company’s titles include Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge’s feature film directorial debut Monsters of California, Syfy’s upcoming series Day of the Dead and seasons two and three of Shudder’s hit series Creepshow.

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