Chernin Entertainment

Chernin Entertainment is an American film and television production company owned by The North Road Company that is based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on February 24, 2009 by producer and former media executive Peter Chernin, who is chairman and chief executive officer of the company. Jenno Topping is the president of film and television, with David Ready as executive vice president of film and TV. Kristen Campo is executive vice president of television. Twenty-seven films have been produced by the company, most of them with 20th Century Fox (now known as 20th Century Studios).

History

Chernin Entertainment was founded by Peter Chernin after he stepped down as president of Fox's then-parent company News Corporation in 2009. The firm's first film was '' Rise of the Planet of the Apes'' in 2011. Chernin Entertainment's five-year first-look deal for the film and television was signed with 20th Century Fox and 20th Century Fox Television in 2009.

In March 2011, after leaving Maguire Entertainment, Jenno Topping joined the company as executive Vice President of film division, and then in February 2013 she was promoted to President of films, vacated by . David Ready was hired as Senior VP to report to Topping. In June 2015, the company's TV division's president Katherine Pope left the company, while Topping was promoted to President of Film and Television. In August 2015, Dante Di Loreto was hired and appointed as President of Television at the company, reporting to Topping. Kristen Campo joined the company in 2016 to run television after Di Loreto's departure.

In November 2014, the company signed an extension of the first-look deal with 20th Century Fox for film at a less lucrative terms. With only one hit TV show, New Girl, the TV pact was being shopped around. In June 2015, Chernin signed its television production deal for two years with NBCUniversal, in which Chernin would develop and produce projects for NBC though Universal Television. That deal was followed with one with Endeavor Content for a scripted drama pact in 2017.

On January 17, 2020, 20th Century Studios, now under the operation of Walt Disney Studios, ended its production deal with Chernin Entertainment, which had about four years remaining. The move was cited to Disney's preference of self-financing its films, and the studio's mandate of having 20th Century refocus on its franchises. Chernin will continue to work with Disney and 20th Century on the '' Planet of the Apes'' franchise and about 9 other films with the studio, while taking 70 out of 80 films in development in the split. On April 7, Chernin made a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix to make films.

In September 2020, Chernin Entertainment signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Spotify to allow the former to adapt films and TV shows from Spotify's original podcast catalog.

In February 2021, Chernin Entertainment announced that it had launched a non-scripted documentary production studio that could produce documentaries both inside and outside the sports genre named Words + Pictures with former ESPN content chief Connor Schell who became the chief executive officer of the new unscripted programme company with Chernin Entertainment's president Jenno Tapping overseeing the company's relationship with them.

On October 27, 2021, Nancy Utley, former veteran of Searchlight Pictures had started Lake Ellyn Entertainment, with a first-look affiliate deal at the studio, and Netflix.

In April 2022, Chernin Entertainment announced that they hired former chairman and CEO of Red Arrow Studios and the president of Westbrook International Jan Frouman in an unspecified role as Chernin Entertainment announced that they were going to expand their film and television operations with them eyeing the acquisition of German production and distribution company Red Arrow Studios from ProSiebenSat.1 Media.

In July 2022, Peter Chernin announced that he was launching a global independent and production content studio named The North Road Company along with his film & television production company Chernin Entertainment becoming part of his new company and announced that they've acquired the US assets of German entertainment and international distribution company Red Arrow Studios from ProSiebenSat.1 Media along with the acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in unscripted documentary production company Words + Pictures with Peter Chernin becoming the CEO and chairman of the new company with Chernin Entertainment veteran Jenno Topping continued to be the president of The North Road Company's division Chernin Entertainment overseeing The North Road Company's scripted film and television operations alongside Words + Pictures founder Connor Schell continued to run the unscripted operations company taking on The North Road Company's unscripted operations. Jan Frouman who joined Chernin Entertainment back in April became The North Road Company's president and former AMC Networks executive Kirstin Jones became The North Road Company's president of international film & television and the two would run North Road's new international division with their international office being based in London, England.

In June 2023, The North Road Company announced that they had acquired Istanbul and LA-based Turkish/American film and television production company Karga Seven Pictures, marking The North Road Company's first international acquisition and their first international expansion along with their expansion of their international operations into Turkey, with Karga Seven Pictures founders and producers Sarah Wetherbee, Emre Sahin and Kelly McPherson continued to be the leaders of the acquired Turkish/American production company with Sarah Wetherbee and Emre Sahin becoming global CEOs and Ömer Müjdat Özgüner was hired by Karga Seven Pictures and became the new CEO of the company.

In November 2023, Chernin Entertainment's parent company The North Road Company had announced that they had acquired a majority stake in Los Angeles-based production company Two One Five Entertainment which was led by the co-founders of the hip hop band '' The Roots'' Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson with The North Road Company financing Two One Five Entertainment's future film and television projects along with North Road expanding Two One Five into the scripted business.

In November 2023, The North Road Company announced that it had acquired documentary production company Little Room Films, expanding The North Road Company's operations and would be placed under North Road's arm Words + Pictures with founder and director Jason Hehir continued remaining the president of Little Room Films.

In January 2025, The North Road Company announced their entry into the Latin American production business by acquiring Mexican television production company Perro Azul, marking North Road's second international production studio acquisition and its first entry into Latin America with Perro Azul's founders Alexis Fridman and Juan Uruchurtu continued leadering the acquired Mexican production company under North Road.

Production

Chernin Entertainment produces for television and film.

The company's first feature film '' Rise of the Planet of the Apes'', was released in August 2011 and has grossed more than $480 million at the worldwide box office. It has also produced '' Parental Guidance'', a comedy starring Billy Crystal and Bette Midler, which was released in December 2012, the sci-fi thriller from Joseph Kosinski, '' Oblivion'', starring Tom Cruise, and '' The Heat'', starring Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock.

Filmography

Feature films

2010s

2020s

Upcoming

Television

2010s

2020s

Upcoming

References

{{Authority control

Film production companies of the United States
Television production companies of the United States
Companies based in Los Angeles
Mass media companies established in 2009
American companies established in 2009
2009 establishments in California