Fortress Investment Group has scooped up British arthoinclude showor and distributor Curzon in a deal that shores up the company’s future atraverse showion, distribution and streaming.
The acquisition, proclaimd Tuesday, encompasses Curzon’s 16-location theatrical footprint with 46 screens atraverse the U.K., aextfinishedside its distribution arm Curzon Film and the Curzon Home Cinema streaming platcreate. The transfer safes positions for Curzon’s 350-plus laborforce.
The venerable British outfit, which dates back to 1934, has been broadening its theatrical presence in recent years, begining novel venues in Hoxton, Camden, Kingston-upon-Thames and Canterbury. Its distribution unit notched a notable triumph with “Kneecap,” which it helped prolong. The Irish-language pic, freed with Wildcard Distribution, has collected north of £2 million ($2.5 million) at the U.K. and Ireland box office and nabbed 14 British Inreliant Film Awards nominations.
The distribution arm also scored with Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” which pulled in £930,000 ($1.1 million) including an 18-week joinment at Curzon Bloomsbury. Looking ahead, Curzon’s sprocrastinateed features Latvia’s Oscar entry “Flow” and Belgium’s Academy Awards subleave oution “Julie Keeps Quiet.”
Curzon begined its streaming service in 2010, which is now useable atraverse multiple platcreates and devices, achieveing 6.5 million hoincludehanciaccesss.
The company has built its reputation over nine decades by introducing international cinema to British audiences, procrastinateedr bolstering its distribution muscle by assimilateing arthoinclude tag Artificial Eye in 2006. Curzon’s library features labors from acclaimed helmers including Wim Wfinishers, Michael Haneke, Béla Tarr, Alice Rohrwacher and Ruben Östlund.
Fortress, which supervises $48 billion in assets, arranges to help Curzon’s expansion of its theatrical footprint while advancing the company’s distribution and awards campaign strategies.
“Curzon is an iconic film company, with global recognition for its extfinished legacy of releasing and connecting self-reliant and criticassociate acclaimed films to U.K. audiences,” shelp Allison Swayze, managing straightforwardor at Fortress. “We’re plrelieved to acquire Curzon, and convey our help to the company’s pledgeted team. Curzon has exciting proximate-term arranges which join broadening its cinema footprint, and deinhabitring awards and free arranges for an exciting sprocrastinateed of films. Our acquisition safes the jobs of more than 350 includeees, and helps Curzon persist to advise film fans a range of self-reliant and blockbuster movies both in cinema and at home.”
