Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in one of Asia’s largest independent television and film production companies, Beach House Pictures. Based in Singapore, Beach House’s credits include the Emmy Award-nominated Netflix lifestyle series Be polite and the award-winning documentary series Buzzies for Amazon Prime and Curiosity, development.
Fremantle said today that the acquisition further confirms its strategic growth plans to invest in and partner with outstanding production companies and work with exceptional creative talent.
Founded in 2005 by producers Donovan Chan and Jocelyn Little, Beach House Pictures specializes in creating and co-financing original intellectual property across unscripted, scripted, entertainment and brand-funded programming for all major regional and international platforms.
Besides those mentioned above, BHP’s latest productions include the Netflix documentary Indonesia Ice cold: murder, coffee And Jessica Wongsu; The 5 best true crime documentaries on Netflix globally Missing: The Case of Lucy Blackman; Asian Television Award-winning scripted children’s series Mr. Midnight (Netflix) and wildlife drama Otter strain (Max/Discovery+, Love of Nature).
BHP also produces long term franchises including Master Chef Singapore (Mediacorp), Ed Stafford: First guy out (Discovery+, Bilibili) and The Wild City with David Attenborough (Netflix, Sky, BBC America).
The company is currently producing the documentary for IMAX Elephant Odysseya car culture series led by Song Kang Riding life Insight TV and wildlife meet in this survival documentary series Monster survival For the love of nature.
In 2021, BHP acquired a majority stake in Singapore-based Momo Film Co to increase its scripted production and expand its reach across Southeast Asia. Momo Film Co.’s projects include: Dream and death Which won two awards at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival as well Useful ghost And Don’t cry, butterfly.
Jennifer Mullen, Fremantle Group CEO, commented: “Fremantle invests in and works with the best creatives in the industry, and Jocelyn, Donovan and the team at Beach House Pictures are just that. Their flair and approach to storytelling is inspiring. Asia is a dynamic market and we have targeted strategic growth, and I Proud to have found a great partner in Beach House Pictures to be part of our family.
Ganesh Rajaram, CEO of Asia and Latin America at Fremantle, added: “We were looking for the right partner in Asia to expand our production and footprint, and I can’t think of anyone better than Jocelyn, Donovan and the entire team at Beach House Pictures. They are a real powerhouse, and have great synergies in our business.” We are fortunate to welcome them to the Fremantle family.
For BHP founders Jocelyn Little and Donovan Chan, “This is an important milestone in the growth of Beach House Pictures; from a small, struggling documentary company over 18 years ago to today in the world of multi-genre Asian independent films. We are very proud of what we have achieved but we are even more excited about So many things we can build together with our new partners Fremantle, whose scale, reach, incredible quality and deep library of formats are unparalleled.
The investment in Beach House Pictures follows a number of acquisitions and moves made by Fremantle in 2023 and 2022, including Belgium-based A Team Productions, British production company Dancing Ledge Productions, Italian scripted production company Lux Vide, and development and production company International. Fable, Australian-American television production company Eureka Productions, Irish production company Element Pictures, 72 films, Wild Star Films and Silvio Productions.
As part of the deal announced today, Blue Ant Media has sold its stake in Beach House Pictures. Financial terms were not disclosed.