04.10.2022 – 15:00

gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe becomes part of LEONINE Studios

Gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe becomes part of LEONINE Studios

LEONINE Studios pushes international growth and investment in premium content in the documentary sector
Christian and Reinhardt Beetz remain managing directors of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion
Georg Tschurtschenthaler will become Chief Creative Officer of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion

Munich, 4 October 2022 - LEONINE Studios acquires a 50 percent controlling interest in gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. KG, with its locations in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, effective October 4, 2022. With the agreement, LEONINE Studios has also secured the right to acquire the remaining 50 percent of the shares. 100 percent of the shares in gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion Lüneburg GmbH will be acquired directly. The gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe is one of the most renowned production houses in German-speaking Europe. The prime documentary powerhouse produces nationally and internationally acclaimed, award-winning documentary features and series of various genres for cinema, TV and streaming.

The gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe will remain an independent company and brand within the LEONINE Production segment. The current managing partners Christian and Reinhardt Beetz will continue to lead the company as managing directors. Fred Kogel, who in addition to his role as CEO of LEONINE Studios, is responsible for non-fiction production and license acquisitions and will join the management of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe after the transaction has been completed.

Fred Kogel, CEO of LEONINE Studios, comments: "With gebrueder beetz Filmproduktionsgruppe, we have strengthened our position in the documentary sector with the most high-profile production company in Germany. Together with the outstanding team at gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, the new setup opens up a wide range of opportunities for us to participate in the strong national and international market growth in the documentary sector. We will invest in our own high-end IPs with international potential and in the development of original content. Christian and Reinhardt Beetz are pioneers and known for their groundbreaking, high-quality productions, which are also internationally successful and have won numerous prestigious awards. The content strategy fits perfectly with LEONINE's premium content ambitions. We are extremely pleased to welcome Christian and Reinhardt as two of the best creative minds together with their outstanding team."

Christian and Reinhardt Beetz, managing directors of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion: "The international documentary film in the prime segment is facing great challenges. The quality requirements for the productions have multiplied and the market has become highly internationalized. Global audiences expect first-class, high-quality documentaries. In order to continue working from Germany for the global market, a strong partner is essential. As part of LEONINE Studios, we have a multitude of exciting opportunities to realize national and, above all, international cooperations and co-productions. We are focusing on further expanding our slate of high-end documentaries with a global appeal in the film and series sector, and intensifying our long-standing partnerships with broadcasters, streamers and distributors. "

Georg Tschurtschenthaler, the longtime senior producer and showrunner of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, becomes the new Chief Creative Officer and takes care of the development slate for the new high-end documentaries and series.

Among the more than 250 productions of gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion are the Academy Award®-nominated documentary OPEN HEART, the Emmy Award-nominated, multi-award-winning docu-thriller THE CLEANERS, which celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance International Film Festival, as well as the first German Netflix Original A PERFECT CRIME, the Emmy Award-nominated investigative documentary THE HUNT FOR GADDAFI’S BILLIONS, the IDA International Documentary Award-winning docu-series VIRAL DREAMS and the successful format MAKE LOVE.

Before the end of this year, the first high-end docu-series REEPERBAHN - SPECIAL UNIT 65, financially supported by the German Motion Picture Fund and already awarded as best docu-series of the year 2022 at the Berlin Series Festival, will be launched in the ARD Mediathek. The series as well as the new production A CENTURY OF SEX EDUCATION will be presented at Mipcom in Cannes this October.

The LEONINE Production segment now comprises eight production brands: gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, hyperbole, i&u TV, Madame Zheng Production, Odeon Fiction, SEO Entertainment, W&B Television and Wiedemann & Berg Film. LEONINE Studios thus covers the entire spectrum of film, TV and streaming production of scripted and non-scripted content in the premium sector in all genres and for all distribution channels.

About LEONINE Studios

LEONINE Studios is a leading independent German content house focusing on inspiring viewers with premium content and being a reliable partner for creative talents.

With its three divisions LEONINE Production, LEONINE Distribution and LEONINE Licensing, the media company covers the entire value chain of the content business. LEONINE Studios produces feature films, series, TV shows, entertainment formats, infotainment formats, content for social media channels, and co-produces national and international fiction formats. The LEONINE Studios production companies gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, hyperbole, i&u TV, Madame Zheng Production, Odeon Fiction, SEO Entertainment, W&B Television and Wiedemann & Berg Film – are led by award-winning producers with long-term ties to outstanding creative talents. LEONINE Studios distributes its content in theaters, on digital services, in home entertainment and on TV channels. In this context, the company also draws on its market-leading license library which includes programs in all formats and genres. LEONINE Studios’ independence assures that all players in the content sector can be provided with premium content – digital streaming providers, pay TV partners as well as public and private television broadcasters.

About gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion

Since its foundation in 2000, gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion has already produced more than 250 high-quality documentaries, series and theatrical documentaries for the national and international market and is listed among the 100 most important production companies worldwide by the leading industry magazine "Realscreen".

The productions regularly compete at major international A-list festivals and have received more than 100 awards, including the Grimme Award, the Cinema for Peace Award, the International Documentary Award, the Prix Europa, the German Film Award, the HotDocs Filmmakers Award, the British Independent Award, the Wirtschaftsfilmpreis of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, the Rockie Award and the Special Jury Award of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion stands for extraordinary films, sweeping storytelling and a wide range of topics from gripping crime documentaries to touching biographies, spectacular nature and adventure series to contemporary music and cultural productions. Each year, 12 to 15 selected films and documentary series are produced. To further enhance the classic narrative structures in cinema, TV and streaming, gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion complements its productions with innovative cross-media formats such as web-docs, apps, social media campaigns, educational games, exhibitions, media events and books.

Press contact:

Henriette Gutmann

Head of Corporate Communication & Sales Marketing, LEONINE Studios

Phone +49 (0)89 999 513 - 0

Email: c ommunication@leoninestudios.com

LEONINE Holding GmbH • Taunusstr. 21 • 80807 München • Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung • Sitz der Gesellschaft: München • Amtsgericht München HRB 246 195 • Geschäftsführer: Fred Kogel (Vorsitzender), Quirin Berg, Dr. Markus Frerker, Joachim Scheuenpflug, Max Wiedemann, Bernhard zu Castell