Indus Media and Entertainment is teaming with Raymond Thompson’s Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group — best known for “The Tribe” — to develop and produce motion picture, TV and animation titles.
Cloud 9 founder Thompson, a former British Broadcasting Corp. executive, has been appointed as non-executive chairman of IME to coincide with the recent launch of its $100 million media fund Indus Media Capital. IMC will be managed under the supervision of its board and Singapore-based IME, which will source and refer investment opportunities and manage technical media industry aspects of those investments on a day-to-day basis.
Naveen Chathappuram, managing director of IME, will also be on the board along with Charles Leslie, ex-CFO of Reliance Group and Balaji Telefilms; Devarajan Venkat; and producer PAR. Subramaniam.
Cloud 9 is best known for the sci-fi teen drama “The Tribe.” Other titles include “The Enid Blyton Adventure Series,” “Return to Treasure Island,” “The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson,” “The Legend of William Tell,” “William Shatner’s A Twist in the Tale,” “Atlantis High” and “Revelations.”
“Cloud 9 has an enviable track record, not solely in production but in 360 degree exploitation through its distribution subsidiary Cumulus, and we welcome the opportunity of working with Raymond and his team,” Chathappuram said. “The imbalance in the global entertainment market creates an opportunity worldwide with an international, integrated entertainment fund.”
Thompson said, “Our production base in New Zealand offers attractive structures through all manner of treaties with a variety of countries and, as we enter our third decade of trading and plan succession, the industry has evolved in a very profound way with the advent of convergence and multi-platforms. We have been keen to build and consolidate in the U.S. along with targeting emerging markets such as India and China.”
The first title in Cloud 9’s development slate is the romantic comedy “The Cowboy and The Dancer,” set against the country music industry. Thompson has also been developing a trilogy of motion picture adaptations for “The Tribe” and is now considering a television reboot and sequel to the original series.
Indus Media Entertainment recently produced “Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn”; “Brown Nation,” a 10-episode workplace and family American sitcom in post-production; and “Monsoon Mangoes,” a south Indian film slated to release in January.
http://variety.com/2015/film/news/raymond-thompson-the-tribe-indus-media-1201666358/