Jude Law’s Riff Raff Entertainment landed a multi-million dollar injection from venture capital firm Calculus Capital, giving the production company a financial boost to hire additional executives and acquire new projects.
Along with its recently inked first-look deal with New Republic Pictures, the investment provides Riff Raff with significant firepower to bid on buzzy material and court writers across both sides of the Atlantic.
Already, Riff Raff has appointed media executive Stephen Fuss as CEO to support the growth of the company across film and television production. Under Fuss’ new guidance, the company plans to imminently bring new staffers on board.
Fuss, a former media attorney, previously oversaw the worldwide film and television division at a U.K. media investment house. At the company, he invested more than $750 million into film and tv projects, including “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Descendants” and “The Fault in Our Stars.” In 2018, he set up Stargrove Pictures, which was selected by the British Film Institute to help spearhead a new venture capital fund for the U.K. creative industries.
“I am so excited to be CEO of Riff Raff Entertainment and join the magnetic, incredibly talented team with Jude and Ben at the helm,” Fuss said in a statement. With the objective for the company as both a creator of premium prestige film and TV content and an incubator of exciting new writing and directing talent, it’s an incredible opportunity for me to attract premium IP and continue to secure exciting talent on projects.”
Law and his creative partner Ben Jackson add, “We are thrilled by the support from Calculus and excited to welcome Stephen to Riff Raff as CEO, who joins with a wealth of knowledge and tenacity. With many projects in various stages of development across film and television, we look forward to continue to break the mould in the space of entertainment with exciting new talent and captivating stories.”
This is the seventh investment made by Calculus on behalf of the Calculus Creative Content EIS Fund, which was launched in 2019. Previous investments include Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, as well as Gaby Tanner and Troy Lum’s production company Brouhaha Entertainment.
“We are very excited to be supporting Riff Raff Entertainment in its continued growth and to be working with Jude, Ben and Stephen,” John Glencross of Calculus Capital said. “Jude’s achievements as an internationally recognised and acclaimed actor allied to his and the team’s determination to become a major production house creates a powerful combination. Riff Raff is developing a slate of premium film and tv content which will appeal to audiences worldwide.”
Riff Raff Entertainment was founded in 2017. Its upcoming projects include a contemporary London-set comedy written by Sharon Horgan; the political drama “Best of Enemies,” to be written and directed by David O. Russell; and a tv drama from “Succession” and “Better Call Saul” writer Jonathan Glatzer.
Riff Raff’s first project was the psychological drama “True Things,” which was co-produced with BBC Films and starred Ruth Wilson and Tom Burke.
The deal was arranged by CAA Media Finance.
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