Zodiak captures Yellow Bird

Scandinavian superindie Zodiak Television Group has sealed its latest acquisition, buying up Swedish TV and film production company Yellow Bird.

Previously owned by Ole Søndberg, Henning Mankell and Lars Björkman, Yellow Bird produces drama for TV and theatrical release.

Zodiak will integrate Yellow Bird into its existing drama prodco Jarowskij. Jan Zachrisson, executive producer and head of drama development at the Zodiak Television Group, will also work as an executive producer at Yellow Bird. Ole Søndberg will continue to be creative chief and run daily operations.

Mikael Wallen, currently MD of MTV Mastiff in Sweden, will become MD of Yellow Bird on April 1.

Zodiak recently acquired UK indie Diverse and has also bought Denmark’s Look Productions, a stake in Russian prodco TeleAllians and Polish production house Zebra Media in recent months.

Zodiak’s current drama hits include The Laser Man, The Medicine Man and Hombres, plus six scripted daily programme series in Russia.

“I am very impressed by Yellow Bird’s way of working and am proud to welcome them into the Zodiak family, said CEO Patrick Svensk. “The acquisition is a part of our strategy and ambition to successfully produce drama in all of the group territories as well as the goal to strengthen our library of rights.”

Yellow Bird also has an exclusive agreement with best-selling author and joint owner Henning Mankell, and during 2005 and 2006 completed 13 movies based on his famous character Kurt Wallander, with a total budget of more than €21m (US$27.6m).

In Germany, Mankell outsells the Harry Potter books and is its biggest-selling author in the past 60 years.