Premium doc producers Misfits Entertainment and Box to Box Films have each received major investment to help prepare their next stage of expansion, with both eyeing a move into scripted.
Misfits has secured a majority stake from French media giant Mediawan, which has previously signed deals with Wildseed Studios and Drama Republic, the latter of which it bought through a joint venture with Leonine Studios.
Set up in 2016, Misfits’ documentaries include McQueen, its 2018 Bafta-nominated film about the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, and Sky series Kingdom of Dreams, another fashion-themed series co-produced with Fremantle.
It also co-produced Emmy-winning Paralympic Games documentary Rising Phoenix with Passion Pictures, HTYT Films and Ventureland.
It will premiere its latest picture, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend (21 January).
Misfits founders Ian Bonhôte and Andee Ryder said they take a “genre-agnostic approach to film-making” and that having established a reputation in documentaries, the partnership will enable them to take “bigger strides in the scripted global marketplace”.
Box to Box Films
Meanwhile, US sports investment firm Bruin Capital Box has made a multi-million pound “significant minority” stake in sports specialist Box to Box Films.
Based in London and La, Box to Box has made a name for itself as a chronicler of behind-the-scenes stories of major sports with five series of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, tennis series Break Point and rugby series Six Nations: Full Contact, which debuts on the streamer next week.
The investor said it sees “limitless potential for the company to capitalize on a gamut of opportunities with athletes, teams, leagues, federations, and brands for collaboration and business development”.
Box to Box said it will pursue both sport and non-sport output and new digital, branded and scripted opportunities.
Co-founders James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin and company managing director Samantha Lawrence also plan to make more senior hires.
