You'll recall my conversation with Jeff Clanagan in which I asked about his being potentially courted by Hollywood studios, given the success his company has enjoyed recently with the releases of Kevin Hart's Laugh At My Pain, and Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the Seventh Day.
As I noted in that piece, thanks to the success of the marketing campaigns for both films, Clanagan and CodeBlack perplexed Hollywood studios who have been watching with interest, given the anomaly that is the *black audience* from the POV of (mostly white) studio execs.
"After Kevin Hart [Laugh At My Pain], every studio in town called me… I’m not opposed to it, but I’m trying to build an alternative model… I want to still be able to do what I want to do… But yes, the studios do call, and I expect to get a bunch of calls tomorrow, trying to figure out how we’re able to do it," he stated.
Lionsgate apparently has been one of those studios who called… and it looks like Jeff has answered.
Lionsgate already *claims* a segment of the *urban market* thanks to their partneship with Tyler Perry; and it looks like they'd like to move even deeper into that market, and solidify their piece of it.
Let's see how this new partneship with CodeBlack develops.
A summary of the press release:
May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In a move to further strengthen its leadership in the urban market on digital and traditional media platforms alike, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a diversified global entertainment company, has formed a partnership with entrepreneur Jeff Clanagan, the founder of CodeBlack Enterprises, a driving force in motion pictures, television, home entertainment and digital media, the two partners announced today.
Clanagan has been an innovator and a leading creative force in the urban media space throughout his 20-year entertainment industry career, building No Limit Films into a leading multimedia company in the 1990's, creating and guiding Urban Works Entertainment from 2001-2005 and launching his highly successful CodeBlack Enterprises in 2005.
Clanagan's new company will be based at Lionsgate, and the partnership will draw upon Clanagan's diverse expertise in feature films, television programming, home entertainment, music, live events, including his highly successful standup comedy specials, and innovative shortform content for digital platforms. Clanagan's creative team will be headed by 20-year industry veteran Quincy Newell, who will serve as General Manager of the new alliance.
"Lionsgate has always been a home for entrepreneurs, and we're delighted to form a partnership with Jeff Clanagan, one of the true visionaries in urban media today," said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks. "We look forward to exploring a wide range of nontraditional approaches to feature film production and distribution for the urban market, and we're excited about tapping into the innovative strategies and out of the box thinking that have characterized Jeff's enormously successful ventures to date."
