Red Planet Pictures sells a majority stake to Asacha Media
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Editor
| 21 June 2021
In a deal that is said to amplify one of the UK’s top tier drama producer’s ability to produce the highest quality drama for UK, European and International audiences, new drama-focused European group Asacha Media Group (AMG) has acquired Red Planet Pictures.
Red PLanet Pictures 21 June 2021
Red Planet Pictures is best known for recurrent ratings hit Death in Paradise (pictured), one of the BBC’s best performing international shows selling to over 230 territories. The company Planet was founded in 2006 by Tony Jordan, responsible for writing 250 episodes of EastEnders before going onto create hit series Life on Mars and Hustle. He was joined at Red Planet shortly afterwards by joint managing directors, Belinda Campbell and Alex Jones. Campbell set up and still oversees Death in Paradise and is responsible for developing and executive producing period drama Sanditon, as well as domestic thriller, Our House.

In 2021 it will be one of the UK’s best performing drama producers not only with the eleventh season of Death in Paradise for BBC1, but also seasons 2 and 3 of Sanditon, for both BritBox and PBS Masterpiece, one of Masterpiece’s best performing shows in 2020, as well as Our House for ITV, adapted from the 2019 Crime & Thriller winner at the British Book Awards – a total of 25 episodes.

Asacha is the new European drama focused TV production group founded by Marina Williams, Gaspard de Chavagnac and Marc Antoine D’ Halluin with drama labels in France, Italy and Spain, and UK factual producer, Wag, purchased in February 2021. It is backed by private equity house, Oaktree Capital. Explaining the rationale for its purchase, Asacha said it was seeing increasing demand for high quality UK scripts and UK co-productions across Europe, which it said created significant additional opportunities for Red Planet and as part of its group. As part of the transaction Jordan, Campbell and Jones will be re-investing part of their proceeds into the Asacha Media Group, in line with other Asacha European partners.

In a joint statement on the transaction, de Chavagnac and Williams said: “One year on from launching Asacha Media Group, we are excited to be further strengthening our UK presence by acquiring Red Planet Pictures. Under the leadership of Tony, Belinda and Alex, the Red Planet team has achieved an exceptional track record of producing returning hits that captivate global audiences. This acquisition will enhance our ability to serve leading platforms around the world and is another milestone in AMG’s roadmap to become a leading European content provider.” to become a leading European content provider.”

Campbell and Jones added: “In Asacha we have found a partner with whom we can further our ambitions in producing high quality, popular drama that resonates on a global stage. Working with Marina and Gaspard, we will benefit from not only a wider network across EMEA and beyond, but also like-minded creatives and the extended AMG family for exciting co-production opportunities. We look forward to exciting times ahead.”