Framestore, in partnership with Aleph Capital and Crestview Partners, has acquired Company 3/Method. Purchase price and other financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Framestore is headquartered in London with creative studios in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Montréal and Mumbai. The company has to its credit work on box office hits such as Avengers: Endgame, Blade Runner 2049 and Gravity as well as original series for streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Disney+, to immersive theme park experiences for the likes of Wanda and Lionsgate Entertainment World. Framestore has won Visual Effects Oscars over the years for Blade Runner 2049, Gravity and The Golden Compass.
Company 3/Method (C3M) encompasses a number of studios in addition to Company 3 and Method including Encore, and Stereo D, based across 11 cities in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and India. Led by Stefan Sonnenfeld, C3M partners with many of the world’s leading directors, studios, advertising agencies and streaming platforms.
The newly enlarged business represents the next phase of the industry, uniquely uniting all aspects that support the making of entertainment and communications content–from concepts, through to digital and postproduction.
“Our vision for the future of our industry is storytelling across all the media of content delivery–from mobile to IMAX; and headset to theme parks,” said Sir William Sargent, co-founder and CEO of Framestore. “Stories originated in one medium need to be able to travel across all of these and be adapted creatively and technically for each. I have long admired Stefan and his achievements and our expanded team will lead in the innovation of this new content world.”
Company 3’s founder and C3M president Sonnenfeld stated, “The partnership represents the combining of two great teams, both bringing world class expertise from our respective fields. What we have achieved as individual companies sets the tone for what we can deliver as a united force. The road ahead represents an incredibly exciting journey that I am thrilled about.”
“We are delighted to be partnering with Sir William and Stefan in the creation of a world leading player in the creative services industry,” said Hugues Lepic, founder and CEO of Aleph Capital.
Brian Cassidy, partner and head of media at Crestview, added, “the combined business is strategically well-positioned to capitalize on the unprecedented global demand for video content across a range of distribution platforms.”
On the growth opportunities presented by the acquisition, Sir William continued, “Beyond the creative opportunities presented, the acquisition reinforces our global business footprint by deepening our roots in California, increasing our headcount in India, and giving our two companies the necessary scale to compete effectively.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More