EXCLUSIVE: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc. has acquired full control of German film and TV firm Telepool, including the 50 percent stake previously owned by Swiss financier Elysian Invest.
Westbrook takes full control from Elysian and The Smith Family Circle, Will and Jada Smith’s family office. The transaction gives Westbrook full control of the German licensing and distribution company and all of its subsidiary entities.
Telepool will be reduced toWestbrook’s newly-formedWestbrookInternational banner with Jan Frouman, CEO of Telepool, newly tapped as President ofWestbrookInternational effective immediately.
Frouman will continue to oversee Telepool’s operations and is being tasked with driving growth ofWestbrook’s portfolio outside the U.S. with “dramatic expansion”Agenda. This respected veteran of the TV industry joinsWestbrooka decade after launching and serving as Chairman and CEO of super indie Red Arrow Studios.
We are told that the Telepool brand and operations will continue and that the deal won’t lead to any staff departures.
Will Smith and Marc Forster, a German-Swiss filmmaker, had originally taken 50% in the company in 2018. We know that Forster left Elysian Fields some time ago.
Telepool holds the German distribution rights to Smith’s recently-released Oscar contenderKing RichardProduced byWestbrookfor Warner Bros. The company has a solid library of movies and is currently developing a number of TV and film projects. Global Screen is an international sales company.
Westbrook, producer of Facebook Watch’s popular Red Table TalkNetflix has arrivedCobra KaiInternationally,, is on a tear. The company recently announced partnerships with Nigerian major EbonyLife and Yasushi Akimoto’s Akimoto Project. The company last week announced that it was getting minority investment from Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Blackstone-backed firm.
Ko Yada,Westbrook’s CEO, said: “Westbrook’s acquisition of Telepool and the launch ofWestbrookInternational Holdings enables us to truly reach a global community, furthering our mission to empower artists to tell stories that connect the world. By aligning with best in market creative teams, financing development, and expanding distribution, we will accelerate our ability to share universal stories that resonate with a global audience. We are excited to have Jan both running Telepool and leading the search for future acquisitions atWestbrookInternational Holdings. We’d also like to thank our outgoing partners at Elysian Fields for a successful and rewarding collaboration.”
Reto Eigenmann is the CEO of Elysian Fields, parent company of Elysian Invest AG. “We would like to thankWestbrookfor the excellent partnership over the past years. Telepool has been successfully transformed to meet the challenges of the future and we firmly believeWestbrookis the best possible owner of the company going forward. The Elysian Fields team would also like to thank Jan and the employees at Telepool for their trust, commitment and hard work in bringing a new vision of the company to life.”