“Creepshow” and “Twelve Forever” producer Cartel Pictures is launching a global distribution outfit, with operations based out of Los Angeles and London.
Former Endeavor Content executive Gary Marenzi is building out Cartel Studios International, working alongside former CBS and Viacom executives Giovanni Pedde and Stephen Tague.
The new venture will focus on the international distribution and licensing of Cartel’s content, which spans independent movies and TV series, and includes more than 25 new films and series a year. There are also opportunities for collaboration, co-productions, co-financing and content development with international buyers, the company has said.
“Cartel has grown tremendously over the last decade to fill the growing and diversifying content needs of the global industry. We’ve been selling content internationally through third party distributors, and the next logical step is launching Cartel Studios International to work directly with our global customers in delivering premium programming,” said Stan Spry, co-CEO of Cartel Studios. “Gary, Giovanni, and Stephen are the perfect team to lead our expansion in the international marketplace.”
Marenzi added: “We couldn’t be more excited and proud to join with Cartel in this exciting new chapter of its growth. In a media world increasingly hungry for high-quality, multi-platform content, Cartel represents a fresh, innovative, fast-growing creator for content with a truly global and cross-demographic appeal.”
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Marenzi is the founder and CEO of Marenzi & Associates, a consultancy focused on content strategy and global deployment that has worked with a number of independent studios.
He previously served as head of entertainment sales and partnerships at Endeavor Content, and also held senior roles at Paramount International Television, MGM Worldwide Television and UIP Pay Television. Marenzi helped to launch such global content franchises as “Stargate,” “NCIS,” “Vikings,” “Shadowhunters” and “Killing Eve.”
Most recently, Pedde was executive VP of client relations for CBS International and previously served as senior VP for Europe at CBS Studios International, where he helped create an expansive footprint for the studio’s content by negotiating some of its largest deals in various European territories.
A former lawyer at Loeb & Loeb, he joined Paramount Pictures International TV in 1998 as VP to launch its Italian and French offices overseeing the studio’s TV distribution activities in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Based in London, Tague recently served as executive VP of client relations for CBS International. He was responsible for the licensing of CBS content to the U.K. and much of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which included the local launches of “NCIS,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Billions” and much of the Star Trek franchise. He held similar posts at CBS Paramount and Paramount Pictures and began his career at BBC, ITV and Viacom International.
Cartel has produced and financed more than 100 films and series since its inception with over a dozen productions last year including the former Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge’s feature film directorial debut, “Monsters of California,” Syfy’s upcoming series “Day of the Dead,” and seasons 2 and 3 of Shudder series “Creepshow.”
