AFM 2011: Summit Signs Output Deals With Russia, Germany

Los Angeles – The global domination of Twilight producers Summit Entertainment continues, with the company signing a new exclusive six-year output deal with Russian distributor Central Partnership and extending its existing deal with Herbert Kloiber’s Tele Munchen Group of Germany.

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The deals follow similar agreements Summit announced this week with Spain’s Aurum and Eastern European group MediaPro, which both signed three-year output agreements.

The six-year deal with Central Partnership will kick off with the FBI thriller Now You See Me from director Louis Leterrier and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo. Also included in the deal is Summit’s planned re-imagining of the Highlander franchise. The deal covers all Summit-produced titles through December 2017.

Summit’s SVP of international sales Ralpho Borgos and Central Partnership’s EVP of International, Armen Dishdishyan announced the deal at the American Film Market on Friday.

"For the past years Summit Entertainment have proven to deliver best commercial films on the independent market,” said Dishdishyan. "Their strong commercial film slate for the next six years will help Central Partnership to secure its leadership position in Russian theatrical distribution.”

TMG in Germany re-upped with Summit ahead of the AFM, extending its existing output arrangement for German-speaking Europe.

Summit’s international partners have all cashed in on the global success of the Twilight Saga franchise, which so far has earned nearly $2 billion worldwide. The penultimate film in the series, Breaking Dawn, Part One, opens in the U.S. Nov. 18.