Los Angeles-based Four Point Entertainment announced plans to merge with U.K. children’s rights company, NewScreen Media Group. The yet-to-be-named new company will have an extensive library of popular titles to draw upon and will focus on TV production, distribution and licensing across Europe and America.
Established in 1984, Four Point produced a variety of network, cable and syndie series including American Gladiators, Hanna-Barbera’s Wake Rattle & Roll, NBC’s The Other Side and MTV’s Sandblast. Over the past 18 months, Four Points also acquired Skouras Films, the Newstar group and the Dove group as well as L.A.-based Lawless Productions.
NewScreen Media Group was set up in December 2002 as a successor to Just Group, and focuses on rights management for a range of kids properties, including Junk Planet, The Jellies, Butt-Ugly Martians and Percy Fisher: Showbiz Penguin.
“Our truly bi-continental presence will help us to exploit our joint libraries more fully than we could ever achieve separately,” says Shukri Ghalayini, chairperson and CEO of Four Point. “This acquisition is the first of many steps towards creating a truly international company, and we have identified several other opportunities for the near future.”
