Newen Studios has acquired Rise Films, the producer behind Netflix’s Oscar-winning doc Icarus.
The TF1-owned French production giant has taken a majority stake in London-based Rise, which was founded in 2006 by managing director Teddy Leifer.
Rise is best-known for its high-end documentary output which, alongside Icarus, includes Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning The Invisible War, Emmy-winning The Interrupters, Sundance winner Dreamcatcher and The Art of Political Murder.
The company is also a prolific producer of programming for broadcasters and streamers, with HBO/HBO Max two-part doc George Carlin’s American Dream, Sky Documentaries’ Once Upon A Time In Londongrad.
Rise Comedy, a joint venture with Rise Films, which is run by Plebs creator Sam Leifer, will continue to be operated independently. All permanent staff at Rise benefited directly from the transaction.
Rise has also branched into high-end TV drama, with phone hacking drama Thank You & Goodbye in the works at the BBC with the creatives behind The Salisbury Poisonings.
Hasham Khan, founder and managing director of ABP Advisory acted as advisor to Rise Films on the sale.
Newen’s acquisition adds to its growing roster of UK production companies alongside myriad European labels.
Newen set up Ringside Studios in 2020 with Gub Neal before acquiring iZen, the umbrella firm of Chalkboard TV, Clapperboard and Storyboard Studios. Ringside Studios has since launched M&A arm Ringside Media, which has taken stakes in numerous UK drama indies.
Its European interests include Léonis Productions, which is co-producing Apple TV+ thriller Liaison with Ringside, Marie Antoinette/Versailles producer Capa Drama, and Dutch label Pupkin – behind Disney+ series Nemesis.
This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast.
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