Warner Music Group and SK Global unveiled a pact Thursday to co-produce and co-finance a slate of music-focused documentaries and scripted projects “mined from WMG’s extraordinary roster of artists and songwriters, as well as its expansive global catalog.”
The partners’ new content efforts together will include both English and local-language projects, and will “pay special attention to WMG’s vast array of celebrated international artists, particularly across the U.S., Asia, and Latin America,” the companies said in a joint press release.
The pact was made public by SK Global chairman Sidney Kimmel, co-CEOs John Penotti and Charlie Corwin, and Charlie Cohen, president of Warner Music Entertainment, WMG’s TV and Film division.
“As we continue to expand our film and TV operation, this partnership perfectly combines the global reach of our two companies and opens up new opportunities for all involved,” said Corwin. “We’re thrilled to bring WMG’s vast array of artists, songwriters, and catalogs together with SK Global’s internationally focused team to create innovative content for global and local markets around the world.”
Added Penotti and Corwin: “This deal will allow us to support groundbreaking filmmaking and expand upon SK Global’s mission to produce culturally significant.”
SK Global’s past hits include Crazy Rich Asians and among its upcoming slate are Netflix’s untitled Thai Cave Rescue series, currently filming in Thailand; the English-language feature India Sweets and Spices, a culturally specific diaspora comedy set in an Indian-American community; and season two of the Emmy-winning series, Delhi Crime, also with Netflix.
Warner Music Entertainment has released a variety of acclaimed music doc projects of late, including David Byrne’s Emmy-nominated HBO special, American Utopia; National Geographic’s Emmy-nominated Genius: Aretha; the two-part docuseries, Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time.
The WMG deal was negotiated on behalf of SK Global by its head of business and legal affairs Brian Kornreich.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.