COLOGNE, Germany — Red Arrow Entertainment, a U.K. subsidiary of European broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1, has acquired 51% of BAFTA-winning production house the Mob Film Co.
The deal marks Red Arrow’s first major acquisition in the U.K. production scene and is a milestone in the group’s rapid expansion, which, since its launch last year, has seen Red Arrow snatch up indie production outfits across Europe.
The Mob Film is best known for its TV adaptations of Terry Prachett’s Discworld best sellers. The London-based outfit won two BAFTAs for its version of Prachett’s The Hogfather and received a BAFTA nom in the visual effects category for The Color of Magic. Its most recent Prachett adaptation, Going Postal, which aired on Sky One, was one of British TV’s biggest ever single drama commissions.
The Mob Film also counts Brit feature films (Stone of Destiny, The Virgin of Liverpool) and documentaries (In The Land Of The Free) among its credits. Under the deal, the Mob will continue to be run by partners Vadim Jean, Ian Sharples and John Brocklehurst. The company will work closely with Red Arrow U.K. and all Mob-produced shows will be sold worldwide by Red Arrow distribution arm SevenOne International.
The Mob Film acquisition is the latest in a buying spree for Red Arrow, which has snatched up production companies in several European territories and has partnerships with a number of prominent international TV execs including Deal or No Deal creator Dick de Rijk and Phil Gurin (Miss USA, Singing Bee).
