Pan-European audiovisual content producer Mediawan has announced the acquisition of a majority stake of the Emmy Award-winning company Submarine. The Amsterdam-based studio develops and produces international scripted series and feature films, animation (kids and adult) and documentaries.
Submarine has established itself as an innovative company, working across multiple genres and platforms, all with an international focus. Submarine also owns the largest animation studio in the Netherlands. Its roster of award-winning films and TV series has been built up in collaboration with an extensive network of internationally acclaimed creators such as Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero), Richard Linklater and Tommy Pallotta (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood), Douglas Rushkoff and Hisko Hulsing (Undone).
As it bolsters its talent pool in Europe with this new acquisition, Mediawan says this new partnership will accelerate the Group’s strategy in terms of setting up international co-productions as well as building a catalog of IPs that are attractive to major creatives. The acquisition of Submarine fits into the Group’s efforts to diversify its production capacities to offer the best possible support to creatives in all genres and territories.
“We are delighted to welcome within Mediawan a team as creative and renowned as the Submarine team. Their expertise in all genres and particularly in adult animation and international series and their appetite for co-productions is a real asset for the continuous development of our group,” says Elisabeth d’Arvieu, CEO of Mediawan Pictures.
Submarine has produced several acclaimed films and series, including the Emmy Award-winning documentary Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World, and the Netflix original production Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press.
Most recently, Submarine produced Linklater’s latest film, Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood on Netflix, and the Amazon Prime Video series Undone by BoJack Horseman creators Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob Waksberg. Submarine also produced The Sandman animated episode “A Dream of a Thousand Cats” for Warner Bros. Television and Netflix (playing in the TV Films competition at the 2023 Annecy Festival).
Upcoming projects include drama series The Kollective, written by Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero showrunner Fasoli and Maddalena Rvaglia; and Safe Harbor, a crime series inspired by true events from Ozark co-creator Mark Williams.
“We are thrilled about this new chapter in Submarine’s story,” said Femke Wolting and Bruno Felix, Founders and Managing Directors of Submarine. “Joining forces with Mediawan opens up a wealth of opportunities, allowing us to tap into their extensive network, resources and industry-leading expertise. This exciting partnership will fuel our mission of producing groundbreaking and innovative films and series that resonate with global audiences.”
Submarine was advised on the deal by Hasham Khan of ABP Advisory.
