Mediawan snaps up ex-Fremantle pair’s indie

Mediawan has acquired the nascent production company established by former Fremantle execs Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli. 

The French super-indie has taken a majority stake in Our Films, about which Mieli and Gianani unveiled tentative details in February following Broadcast’s sister publication Screen’s revelation that the duo had left Fremantle. 

Based in Rome, Mieli and Gianani will work with established and emerging European, US and international creatives and talent to develop drama, documentaries and features.  

Mieli, a former Fremantle Italy chief exec, set up The Apartment in 2020 with the RTL Group-owned super-indie, having previously co-founded sibling Wildside alongside Gianani. 

After leaving Fremantle in January, the pair struck a co-pro deal with their former employer under then unnamed Our Films to collaborate on several projects, including ones born under Wildside and The Apartment.  

Together, they have crafted high-profile global titles including HBO quartet The Young Pope and The New Pope, created by Paolo Sorrentino, Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are, and My Brilliant Friend, directed by Saverio Costanzo and adapted from Elena Ferrante’s bestselling novels. 

The acquisition is the latest in a string of deals by Mediawan, which has production presence across 13 countries and 85 labels. In April, it consolidated German outfit Leonine Studios, for which it already owned a 25% stake.  

Its other major M&A deals include the acquisition of Lagardère Studios, Brad Pitt’s Plan B and the UK’s McQueen producer Misfits Entertainment. 

“We are delighted to welcome Lorenzo and Mario, two of the industry’s most accomplished producers of internationally acclaimed films and series, who inspire us with their taste and modern creative edge. Through Our Films, we are reinforcing our ambition to bring together the greatest talent behind the best content worldwide,” said Pierre-Antoine Capton, co-founder and chief exec of The Mediawan Group, and Elisabeth d’Arvieu, chief exec of Mediawan Pictures. 

Mieli and Gianani said: “Together, we are building a new creative hub to support the world’s best filmmakers in telling bold and courageous stories that elevate our lives and the artform through shared cinematic excellence.  

“This is the goal for Our Films. ‘Our’ symbolizes our partnership with artists, as we stand alongside them to champion their vision and projects from the very beginning to the distribution stage.  

“Through our efforts and financial resources, we commit to protecting and sharing with our creatives the control, empowerment, and freedom necessary to uphold the integrity of their art.”