Access Entertainment
{{Short description|Entertainment investment company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Access Entertainment
| logo = Access Entertainment logo.svg
| logo_size = 190px
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2023
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Entertainment
| services = {{ubl|Film and TV finance|Private equity|Theatrical producer}}
| founded = {{start date and age|May 2016}}
| founders = {{ubl|Len Blavatnik|Danny Cohen}}
| hq_location_city = London, England
| hq_location_country = United Kingdom{{Cite web |last=Szalai |first=Georg |date=2016-05-12 |title=Former BBC TV Boss Danny Cohen Joins Len Blavatnik to Launch Access Entertainment |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/danny-cohen-oversee-access-entertainment-892395/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Danny Cohen (president){{Cite web |date=July 18, 2024|last=Bano|first=Tim|title=President of Access Entertainment Danny Cohen |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/big-interviews/president-of-access-entertainment-theatre-royal-haymarket-owner-danny-cohen |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=The Stage}}
| owner = Len Blavatnik
| parent = Access Industries
| website = {{URL|http://accessentertainmentmedia.com}}
}}
Access Entertainment is an investment fund management company focused on production companies, film, theatre, and digital content. The company, co-founded and led by Danny Cohen, is a division of Access Industries, a multinational industrialist group owned by Len Blavatnik. Notable films financed include the A24's Beau Is Afraid, The Zone of Interest, The Iron Claw, (all 2023) and Focus Features' Conclave (2024).
History
In late 2015, senior executive Danny Cohen in charge of television output for BBC Television left the company and joined Len Blavatnik's Access Industries. Cohen founded Access Entertainment in May 2016 to invest in the entertainment sector focusing on television and film dramas.{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=2016-05-12 |title=Danny Cohen Resurfaces At Len Blavatnik-Backed Access Entertainment |url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/bbcs-danny-cohen-joins-access-industries-film-tv-fund-len-blavatnik-1201754200/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114103631/https://deadline.com/2016/05/bbcs-danny-cohen-joins-access-industries-film-tv-fund-len-blavatnik-1201754200/ |url-status=live }} By August 2016, Access obtained a first-look deal to develop and finance feature films from Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell's newly formed indie production company, House Productions.{{Cite web |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=2016-08-08 |title=Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell Launch New U.K. Indie |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tessa-ross-juliette-howell-launch-917898/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}
In October 2016, the company entered into a $61.3 million investment deal with BBC Worldwide, allowing scripted shows greenlit by Access to be sold to international markets.{{Cite web |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |date=2016-10-27 |title=BBC Worldwide Eyes $61.3 Million Drama Deal With Danny Cohen's Access |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/global/bbc-worldwide-drama-deal-len-blavatnik-access-1201902342/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Variety |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108170127/https://variety.com/2016/tv/global/bbc-worldwide-drama-deal-len-blavatnik-access-1201902342/ |url-status=live }} In January 2017, Access, BBC Worldwide and Lookout Point jointly founded Benchmark Television, enabling producers to have their television series greenlit without the backing of a network or platform.{{Cite web |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |date=2017-01-12 |title=BBC Worldwide, Access, Lookout Point Launch Benchmark |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/global/bbc-worldwide-access-lookout-point-benchmark-1201958481/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Variety}}
In March 2017, Access bought a 24.9% stake in British television production company Bad Wolf.{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=2017-03-27 |title=Access Ent Takes Bite Of Bad Wolf; Tom Pullen Joins Dragonfly – Global Briefs |url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/access-entertainment-bad-wolf-stake-amc-studios-dragonfly-hires-mip-1202052696/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811215122/https://deadline.com/2017/03/access-entertainment-bad-wolf-stake-amc-studios-dragonfly-hires-mip-1202052696/ |url-status=live }} Later in 2021, Sony Pictures Television took a majority stake in Bad Wolf for a reportedly $80 million, acquiring Access’s minority shares.{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2021-12-01 |title=Sony Confirms Acquisition of His Dark Materials Producer Bad Wolf, Buys Out Sky/HBO Minority Stake |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/sony-bad-wolf-acquisition-his-dark-materials-1235122744/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Variety |archive-date=April 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429134901/https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/sony-bad-wolf-acquisition-his-dark-materials-1235122744/ |url-status=live }} In April 2017, Access acquired James Packer's controlling stake in his and Brett Ratner's RatPac Entertainment company, which gave ownership of RatPac's film, television and documentary business, along with the deal of RatPac-Dune Entertainment venture to co-finance films for Warner Bros. Pictures.{{Cite web |last=Szalai |first=Georg |date=2017-04-18 |title=Len Blavatnik's Access Entertainment Buys James Packer's Stake in RatPac |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/len-blavatniks-access-entertainment-buys-stake-ratpac-995037/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-date=August 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804012609/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/len-blavatniks-access-entertainment-buys-stake-ratpac-995037/ |url-status=live }} A year later, Warner Bros. bought RatPac-Dune Entertainments' film catalogue and its operations.{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=2019-01-02 |title=Warner Bros Exercises Matching Rights To Win RatPac Dune Library: $290M-$300M |url=https://deadline.com/2019/01/ratpac-dune-library-warner-bros-300-million-dollar-deal-vine-alternative-investments-wonder-woman-batman-vs-superman-dunkirk-american-sniper-1202528281/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201527/https://deadline.com/2019/01/ratpac-dune-library-warner-bros-300-million-dollar-deal-vine-alternative-investments-wonder-woman-batman-vs-superman-dunkirk-american-sniper-1202528281/ |url-status=live }}
In 2023, Access began investing in A24 films.{{Cite web|last=Thomas |first=Daniel |date=2023-11-19 |title=Leonard Blavatnik's entertainment empire plans media acquisition spree |url=https://www.ft.com/content/da994d5f-b1bd-4643-8e37-bc05f0ada293 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Financial Times}} In June 2023, Access invested in A24's Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy's beauty brand Half Magic, inspired from styles popularized by the series .{{Cite web |date=2023-07-27 |last=Raoti |first=Priya |title=The Makeup Artist At The Centre of Gen-Z |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/the-makeup-artist-at-the-centre-of-gen-z/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=The Business of Fashion |archive-date=March 3, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303223410/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/the-makeup-artist-at-the-centre-of-gen-z/ |url-status=live }} As of March 2025, Access and Warner Bros. Discovery collectively hold a 26% stake in Israeli broadcaster Reshet 13.{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=2025-03-17 |title=Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, Warner Bros. Discovery to Sell Controlling Stake in Reshet 13 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/len-blavatnik-warner-bros-discovery-1236165678/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}
Credits
=Film=
== Upcoming ==
=Television=
- Red Skies (2023; Reshet 13){{Cite web |last=Balaga |first=Marta |date=2023-03-17 |title=Access Entertainment Invests in Israeli Series Red Skies, Co-Created by Euphorias' Ron Leshem (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/len-blavatnik-danny-cohen-ron-leshem-1235557236/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Variety |archive-date=November 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113020814/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/len-blavatnik-danny-cohen-ron-leshem-1235557236/ |url-status=live }}
=Theatre=
- A View from the Bridge (2024; Theatre Royal Haymarket){{Cite web |title=Dominic West-Led A View From The Bridge Begins Performances in London's West End May 23 |url=https://playbill.com/article/dominic-west-led-a-view-from-the-bridge-begins-performances-in-londons-west-end-may-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113000830/https://playbill.com/article/dominic-west-led-a-view-from-the-bridge-begins-performances-in-londons-west-end-may-23 |archive-date=November 13, 2024 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Playbill |url-status=live }}
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025; Broadway){{Cite web |last=Bamigboye |first=Baz |date=2024-05-10 |title=Breaking Baz: Sarah Snook Signs For 2025 Broadway Run Of Her West End Hit ''The Picture Of Dorian Gray' |url=https://deadline.com/2024/05/sarah-snook-broadway-picture-of-dorian-gray-1235912101/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}
- The Deep Blue Sea (2025; Theatre Royal Haymarket){{Cite web |date=March 3, 2025|last=Wild |first=Stephi |title=Hadley Fraser and Selina Cadell Join the Cast of The Deep Blue Sea|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Hadley-Fraser-and-Selina-Cadell-Join-the-Cast-of-THE-DEEP-BLUE-SEA-20250303 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=BroadwayWorld.com}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://accessentertainmentmedia.com Official website]
{{Access Industries}}
Category:Mass media companies based in London