The first project on the joint development slate is Devil’s Highway, a thriller based on the successful comic series by Benjamin Percy and Brent Schoonover.
Fremantle announced it is strengthening its creative partnership and making a strategic minority investment in Artists, Writers & Artisans, Inc. (AWA), a leading independent developer of bold and relevant stories from some of the world’s most outstanding creative talent working across graphic fiction, film and television.
AWA’s innovative development model provides world-class editorial partnership, dedicated film & TV development expertise and the long-term economic stake creators desire and deserve.
This investment signifies a deepening of the initial partnership made between Fremantle and AWA in April 2022, which saw the companies come together to collaborate on co-developing a slate of TV projects based on AWA’s rapidly expanding IP library. Fremantle and Lupa Systems co-led the investment round alongside new capital from long-term backers of AWA and a number of strategic individual investors with expertise in production, finance, sports, human rights and technology.
AWA Studios, AWA’s film and TV arm, will benefit from Fremantle’s strategic input and investment, whilst also unlocking its specialist expertise, infrastructure and renowned international distribution footprint.
Fremantle and AWA are pleased to announce that the first project on the joint development slate is Devil’s Highway, a thriller based on the successful comic series by Benjamin Percy and Brent Schoonover, in which a young woman seeks to unravel a sinister mystery hidden in the dark underbelly of the long-haul trucking industry.
The expanded partnership was spearheaded by Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle’s Group COO and CEO Continental Europe, and Matthew Anderson, Co-Chair and President of AWA.
Matthew Anderson, Co-Chair & President, AWA Studios, said: “We admire how Fremantle has built on its long-standing strengths to become an international force in scripted drama and film. AWA’s success is built on collaborating with our creators to publish their stories in their purest form and then steering them to their fullest potential in film and TV. Andrea and the Fremantle team share this ethos and we are delighted for the unique opportunities this partnership will provide to our creators.”
Andrea Scrosati, Group COO, and Continental CEO, Fremantle, added: “We are delighted to extend our successful partnership with AWA. The collaboration is a perfect strategic fit, giving AWA access to our global footprint, distribution infrastructure and production expertise and putting Fremantle at the very forefront of graphic fiction innovation. I also look forward working closely with Matthew and their world class leadership and creative teams to continue pushing boundaries and building a slate of ground-breaking projects together.”
