Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy Acquires Medusa Home Video
(October 31, 2012 – Rome, Italy) – Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy has acquired Medusa Home Video, the home video division of leading Italian production and distribution company Medusa Film SpA, part of Italian media conglomerate, Mediaset. The announcement was made today by Barbara Salabè, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy and Giampaolo Letta, Ceo, Medusa Film SpA.
Founded in 1995, Medusa Home Video was one of the first national operators to engage in the production and distribution of movies on DVD and Blu-Ray and is responsible for an extensive catalogue of titles, both Italian and international.
This deal will see Warner Bros. gain the rights to the Medusa Home Video portfolio on DVD and Blu-Ray which includes around 3000 new release and library titles, such as “Pieraccioni,” “Ficarra e Picone,” “La Dolce Vita,” “The Departed,” “The Pursuit of Happiness” and “The Lord of the Rings” franchise – a timely opportunity, as the Studio will be releasing the first instalment of “The Hobbit” trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” on 13th December.
Medusa Home Video, will be incorporated into the operations of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Italy, based in Milan, in a move that places a division of this Mediaset company within a strategic environment where it can better reach its potential and benefit from the Studio’s robust distribution network and increased scale.
Barbara Salabè, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy said, “Joining this successful business with ours helps further our interests in the Italian home video market, adding some highly complementary titles to our already strong portfolio of content. Further, it ensures that Warner Bros Entertainment Italy strengthens its position as a leading player in the home entertainment sector – providing film and television fans across the country with the best possible entertainment to enjoy at home.”
Giampaolo Letta, Ceo, Medusa Film SpA commented: “We are very happy about this deal, which we believe will open up new opportunities for our movie and television offering within the home entertainment window, delivering our impressive selection of titles to consumers in Italy.”
About Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy:
Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy is the number one distributer of film and home entertainment in Italy, and a leader in the marketing, sales and distribution of television content, animation, product and brand licensing, video games and digital entertainment. The company's unique library consists of entertainment content of every genre, including local Italian productions (“Romanzo Criminale,” “Io Loro e Lara”), global franchises (“Harry Potter,” “Batman,” “Looney Tunes,” “Tom & Jerry”), popular television series (“The Mentalist,” “The Big Theory,” “Gossip Girl”), classics (“Clockwork Orange,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Ben Hur”) and a growing slate of blockbuster hits (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hangover”). The company is led by Barbara Salabè, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Italy, and is part of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., a Time Warner company. About Medusa Film SpA:
Founded in 1995, Medusa Film, the Mediaset Group, won in a few years the leading position in the Italian film industry. The company is engaged in the production, coproduction and distribution of Italian and international films. Since 2000, Medusa Film has set itself firmly at the top of the Italian film market. The editorial line of Medusa focuses on Italian products that include various genres, from comedies to romantic films, from those of action and more and more often to the works of established authors are flanked by young directors, the company reserves special attention.###
Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy is the number one distributer of film and home entertainment in Italy, and a leader in the marketing, sales and distribution of television content, animation, product and brand licensing, video games and digital entertainment. The company's unique library consists of entertainment content of every genre, including local Italian productions (“Romanzo Criminale,” “Io Loro e Lara”), global franchises (“Harry Potter,” “Batman,” “Looney Tunes,” “Tom & Jerry”), popular television series (“The Mentalist,” “The Big Theory,” “Gossip Girl”), classics (“Clockwork Orange,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Ben Hur”) and a growing slate of blockbuster hits (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hangover”). The company is led by Barbara Salabè, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Italy, and is part of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., a Time Warner company. About Medusa Film SpA:
Founded in 1995, Medusa Film, the Mediaset Group, won in a few years the leading position in the Italian film industry. The company is engaged in the production, coproduction and distribution of Italian and international films. Since 2000, Medusa Film has set itself firmly at the top of the Italian film market. The editorial line of Medusa focuses on Italian products that include various genres, from comedies to romantic films, from those of action and more and more often to the works of established authors are flanked by young directors, the company reserves special attention.