Endemol looking to buy into Teuton prodcos
TV movies, series, feature pics planned
Cologne-based Endemol Entertainment Holding is planning to acquire majority stakes in several German film production outfits this year, according to company prexy Werner Schwaderlapp.
Schwaderlapp said Endemol would concentrate primarily on TV movies and series but added that he would not rule out occasional theatrical projects.
In what may be a signal of changing trends, Schwaderlapp said Endemol has reached its growth limit in entertainment programming and was therefore keen to expand into other areas.
Endemol's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" continues to draw huge ratings in Germany but its "Big Brother" fizzled last year after the third series. Nevertheless, a new, revamped "Brother" is skedded to air in the summer on RTL2.
With the popularity of reality and entertainment shows on the wane, company wants to exploit its strong global presence to build an international network for drama programming production. The group already has its Munich-based Endemol Filmproduktion Muenchen subsid, which it intends to expand.
