Cannes Market Dailies

Set to Expand Film and TV Output

London, UK (May 22, 2024) – Anton Capital Entertainment (“Anton”), a leading independent European film and TV studio, that was the first company to bring institutional slate funding to European production, has secured over €100 million in new financing through a group of institutional investors, led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock. The new financing allows Anton to expand its feature film and television series development and production slate as it embarks on a significant phase of growth, it was announced today by Anton founder and CEO Sébastien Raybaud.

Anton’s feature film development team plans to produce ten features per year leveraging its reputation and network capabilities to originate and own high quality, premium content with top-tier talent attachments.  The company will focus on large scale commercial European English-language projects for a global audience specifically in the genre space from action and thrillers to elevated horror and sci-fi.  Anton’s Greenland 2 starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin who reprise their roles in this sequel to the blockbuster Greenland: Migration is currently in production.

“We have an amazing development and production team in place focused on creating high quality, premium entertainment.  Partnering and working with the very best A list cast and top-tier filmmakers, our goal is to produce films and series across all commercial genres on a global scale,” said Raybaud.  “This exciting investment from BlackRock allows us to greenlight more ambitious projects, and expand these partnerships with exceptional film and TV producers.  We have built a fantastic, well capitalized company with a bold vision.  We are ready to execute our future growth strategy,” continued Raybaud.

“Our investment approach seeks out unique, compelling opportunities outside of core private markets, and we see significant potential in television and film,” said Paul Braude, Chief Investment Officer and Head of BlackRock’s Direct Private Opportunities Group. “We have been impressed by Anton’s success to date and are pleased to contribute to its ongoing growth.” 

Anton was established in 2011 by Sébastien Raybaud with an $180million slate funding deal with StudioCanal – the first of its kind in Europe. Headquartered in London, with offices in Los Angeles and Berlin, Anton has grown into one of the largest independent film and TV studios in Europe.  Anton has nearly 500 film and TV titles in its library: projects range from global kids and family fare such as Paddington and Shaun the Sheep, to genre franchises such as His Dark Materials, Greenland, McMafia, The Night House and Mothers’ Instinct, working with globally relevant talent such as Gerard Butler, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Building on its successful track record, Anton today is well-established worldwide with a strong reputation for its remarkable access to a global network of world class talent and industry experience.

Anton’s current film slate includes Claude Barras’ animated feature Savages which enjoyed its World Premiere in Official Selection at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Other titles include Memoir of a Snail, a stop motion animation from Academy Award winning Writer/Director Adam Elliott (Mary & Max), which made its market debut in Cannes ahead of a World Premiere at the Annecy Film Festival and the newly announced The Bookie & The Bruiser starring Vince Vaughn and Academy Award winner Adrien Brody.  Anton also debuted an exclusive preview of 40 minutes of footage from Night of the Zoopocalypse, CGI animated feature from the creators of Ice Age, The Incredibles and Despicable Me.

Other Anton titles include the heist thriller Fuze from the director David Mackenzie starring Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Martin Campbell’s Cleaner, starring Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen and Taz Skylar.

Recently, Anton developed, produced, and financed the Toronto International Film Festival premiere The End We Start From starring Jodie Comer and Benedict Cumberbatch, Mothers’ Instinct starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, as well as the action thriller Canary Black, starring Kate Beckinsale and Rupert Friend, and Jamie Child's thriller Jackdaw, starring Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jenna Coleman.

Magnetar, who has been an investor in and funder of Anton since 2015, remains one of the largest shareholders in the company. Commenting on the transaction Alan Shaffran, Senior Portfolio Manager of Magnetar’s Alternative Credit and Fixed Income business, said, “Magnetar is delighted to welcome BlackRock as a strategic financial partner in Anton. We look forward to working with the BlackRock team and Anton’s dedicated professionals to further propel Anton’s ability to develop premium content and accelerate Anton’s dynamic expansion in film and television production.”

Anton remains a business controlled by its management.

Anton was advised on the transaction by Access Media Advisory Ltd and Latham & Watkins and Nauta.

BlackRock was advised by FTI Consulting and Clifford Chance.