Vuelta Acquires WW Entertainment, One of Benelux’s Largest Distributors (EXCLUSIVE)

As a seasoned film enthusiast who has traversed the cinematic landscapes of Europe for decades, I can confidently say that the recent strategic acquisition by Vuelta of WW Entertainment marks a significant milestone in the European indie film scene. Having witnessed the rise and fall of numerous production houses over the years, it’s truly heartening to see young powerhouses like Vuelta making their mark on the continent.


Indie band Vuelta, based across Europe, has just finished another strategic purchase – this time it’s with WW Entertainment, a significant distributor in the Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg).

Based in Amsterdam and Belgium, WW Entertainment (formerly known as eOne Entertainment Benelux), has built a robust collection of local and international productions over the past ten years. Notable recent successes for WW Entertainment include “Loverboy: Emotions Out,” “Hit Man,” and “Bombini Bangkok Nights.

Obtaining WW Entertainment allows Vuelta to establish a strong presence in the Benelux region, a crucial European market for film distribution, encompassing countries like Belgium and the Netherlands.

This agreement aligns with Vuelta’s plan to strengthen partnerships among its various European distribution networks, such as Scanbox in Scandinavia, SquareOne/Telepool in Germany, and Pan in France. Notably, Pan recently achieved significant success in France with the local dramedy “A Little Something Extra,” which outperformed many top Hollywood films this year, earning over 70 million euros at the French box office.

From now on, WW Entertainment functions as part of the Vuelta brand, with its long-standing co-founders, Wilco Wolfers and Caspar Wenckebach, still guiding the company’s management.

Wilco Wolfers expresses his excitement about becoming part of the Vuelta Family and mentions his eagerness to collaborate with Jerome and David’s proficient team in Ireland, as well as companies in Scandinavia, Germany, France, and Italy that share the same essence as WW Entertainment,” says Wilco Wolfers.

Chairperson Jerome Levy, who frequently collaborates with Chief Commercial Officer David Atlan-Jackson, expressed that the arrival of Wilco and his skillful crew is an engaging enhancement for Vuelta.

Levy expressed enthusiasm about partnering with WWE on their innovative projects. He also mentioned that by utilizing Vuelta’s infrastructure, WWE could strengthen Vuelta’s status as a top European production studio. This partnership is appealing due to WWE’s success in local films, shared interests with other Vuelta divisions regarding acquisitions, and the expertise of their team.

Beyond the triumph of “A Little Something Extra,” Vuelta also experienced a bustling year in terms of acquisitions. Notably, their flagship, debuted in July 2023, has recently finalized the acquisition of Telepool, a prominent German content production and distribution company, from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc.

Currently, Vuelta stands at the first position in the box office not only in Benelux but also in Scandinavia. This is due to WWE’s “Loverboy: Emoties Uit” leading in the former, while Scanbox’s “Lee” takes the lead in the latter. Interestingly, Scanbox has experienced a remarkable year with the releases of hits like “Longlegs,” “Past Lives,” “When in Rome,” and “Civil War,” among others, breaking several box office records.

This group is also engaged in global sales and movie production financing, primarily through their Paris-based company, Playtime, as well as its branches like Films Boutique in Berlin, Be For Films in Brussels, and Film Constellation in London. Notably, Films Boutique earned Cannes’ Grand Jury prize with “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” while Playtime’s “The Quiet Son” won Venice’s best actor award for Vincent Lindon. Additionally, “When Fall is Coming” by François Ozon, under Playtime, took home both the best Screenplay and best Actor awards. This year, Playtime has been managing the successful film “The Marching Band,” which was showcased in the Cannes Premiere selection.

By the close of the third quarter, Vuelta Group will have finished six productions across their labels Indiana (Italy) and Pan (France). Among these, Indiana is set to release the Netflix-commissioned TV Series “Il Gattopardo” by year’s end. Looking ahead, Vuelta intends to boost its production portfolio with over 20 feature films and television series in the forthcoming year.

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2024-10-08 18:49