Nellie Andreeva

Lionsgate is teaming with Frank Giustra, who founded Lionsgate and served as its chairman for six years, and his Thunderbird Films television production, distribution and financing company. The new venture, called Sea To Sky Entertainment, will develop and produce scripted programming for broadcast and cable networks in the U.S. and Canada. Lionsgate and Thunderbird will jointly manage Sea To Sky, sharing production and distribution costs for any picked-up series. Sea To Sky will encompass Lionsgate’s recently announced first-look deal with reality producer and documentary filmmaker R.J. Cutler. Sea To Sky also has optioned rights to the upcoming book An Uncommon Youth, about the Getty kidnapping in Italy in the 1970s, with veteran HBO producer Anne Thomopoulos on board to shepherd the project as a limited series for international co-production. Additionally, the new venture will develop a one-hour drama from Mystic River author Dennis Lehane. “Teaming with Frank and Thunderbird will help us explore new strategies for producing programming for the broadcast networks cost-effectively as well as expanding our TV business into other exciting new areas,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said.

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