Media One is doing great. After acquiring Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Adolescence,” “F1”), British shop See-Saw (“Slow Horses”) and forming a joint venture with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap, the prolific international content studio is in talks to buy Peter Chernin’s North Road Company, multiple sources tell Variety. The intention behind this transaction is to combine both businesses and create a large independent production force serving global markets.
Mr. Chernin, a longtime media investor and former chairman of Fox, and his fortune are flying around in the rampant mergers and acquisitions boom that has swept Hollywood in recent years. His Goldilocks moment appears to have arrived at Mediawan, a French studio that has quietly built a strong portfolio through equity investments in over 80 companies such as Plan B and See-Saw, as well as partnerships with LuckyChap and SpringHill.
The pending agreement with North Road, which is being developed by Media One CEO, co-founder and producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, will give the Paris-headquartered company a strong presence across Hollywood and English-speaking markets, where it already has strong ties within the creative community, from Plan B’s Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner to Seesaw’s Ian Canning and Spring Hill’s LeBron James. The acquisition of North Road is sure to be one of the most structurally distinctive alliances in Media One’s 10-year history, establishing the company as a top supplier to Netflix.
Financial details of the pending transaction were not immediately disclosed, but insiders say Northroad is valued at well over $500 million. The timeline for the deal to close was vague, but two people familiar with the deal said they expected it to be documented in the coming weeks. Media One and The North Road Company have not commented on the matter.
North Road is comprised of numerous labels including Chernin Entertainment, Kinetic, Perro Azul, Omaha, and Words + Pictures. Chernin’s banner has produced such hits as the Academy Award-nominated films “Ford v Ferrari,” “Hidden Figures” and “The Greatest Showman,” as well as the “Spy,” “The Heat” and “Planet of the Apes” series. The company also recently produced “Back in Action,” one of Netflix’s biggest film debuts in years, the “Fear Street” trilogy, “Slumberland” and “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” all for Netflix. They recently signed a new multi-year first-look film deal with Apple TV+. Upcoming series include “The Age of Innocence” and “Man on Fire,” both for Netflix.
Northroad was officially founded by Peter Chernin in 2022. In addition to Chernin, the list also includes top reality production companies Kinetic Content, led by “Love Is Blind” creator Chris Coren, and Words+Pictures, led by Connor Shell. Since its founding, North Road has expanded its portfolio with the creation of an independent scripted television studio led by Amy Israel, and the acquisitions of Little Rooms Films (founded by Jason Hehir), Turkish production company Calga Seven, and Mexican production company Perro Azul. North Road is also a strategic investor in notable ventures including Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, Questlove and Black Thought’s Two One Five Entertainment, and NBA star Chris Paul’s Oh Dip!!! Productions, and GenAI Content Studio, Promise.
Media One was founded in 2015 by Capton, French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel and investor Mathieu Pigas. The company estimates it produces more than 400 titles a year, including movies, series, family content, and unscripted titles. The international portfolio also includes producer of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Miraculous,” and “Call My Agent.” Media One’s pipeline includes a “Call My Agent” spinoff, which boasts cameos from George Clooney and Eva Longoria, and a U.S. remake set in the sports world from HBO and Spring Hill.
Capton made another coup earlier this month, securing investment to finance the film and series from BYD, which recently surpassed Tesla to become the world’s leading electric car supplier.
