Fifth Season (company) explained

Fifth Season
Former Name:Endeavor Content (2017–2022)
Predecessor:Bloom
Type:Subsidiary
Industry:Film
Television
Hq Location:Los Angeles
Location City:Beverly Hills, California
Location Country:United States
Founder:Chris Rice
Graham Taylor
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Chris Rice (Co-CEO)
Graham Taylor (Co-CEO)
Kasee Calabrese (CFO)
Francisco Arias (General Counsel)
Dr. Tasmin Plater (Head of HR)
Products:Feature films
Television series
Locations:8
Owner:CJ ENM (55%)
Toho International (25%)
Endeavor (20%)
Parent:Endeavor (2017 - 2022)
CJ ENM (since 2022)
Num Employees:200–250
Divisions:Feature Film
Television
Documentary & Non-Scripted
Music & Live Entertainment

Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) is an American multinational film and television production and distribution company. Fifth Season has financed, produced and distributed TV series and films such as Severance, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and The Lost Daughter.[1] Fifth Season is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California,[2] with offices in Los Angeles,[3] New York, London, Miami, Stockholm, Hong Kong, and Colombia.

The company was originally formed by Endeavor Group Holdings. In January 2022, an 80% majority stake was sold to CJ ENM, part of the South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. In December 2023, CJ ENM sold 25% of its ownership stake to Japanese studio Toho.

History

Endeavor Content

Endeavor Content was formed in October 2017 from the Endeavor Group's film financing and scripted TV sales units, WME's advisory group for film financiers and content producers,[4] and international sales company Bloom, which continued to operate autonomously until 2018, when it was fully integrated into Endeavor Content.[5]

Sale to CJ ENM and rebranding to Fifth Season

In 2021, Endeavor announced its intent to divest Endeavor Content, due to a new franchising deal with the Writers Guild of America that prohibits talent agencies from holding more than a 20% stake in a production company. Implemented as part of a new code of conduct also targeting movie packaging agreements, the WGA had deemed studio ownership by a talent agency to be a conflict of interest.[6]

In November 2021, Endeavor announced an agreement to sell an 80% controlling stake in Endeavor Content's scripted content business to CJ ENM for US$775 million, marking the South Korean conglomerate's largest purchase to-date. Endeavor would keep the company's non-scripted production assets, and Graham Taylor and Chris Rice would remain co-CEOs of the company.[7] The acquisition closed in January 2022.[8] [9]

In September 2022, CJ ENM renamed the studio to Fifth Season, introducing a new mosaic-themed logo. The name is derived from a term in Asian medicine referring to the harvest season.[10]

In December 2023, Japanese studio Toho announced it would acquire a 25% stake in Fifth Season through its U.S. subsidiary Toho International for $225 million. The deal valued the company at $900 million. Taylor and Rice stated that this deal would allow the company to continue expanding its offerings and create opportunities to work with Toho and CJ ENM on both Japanese and global content.[11]

Productions

Films

TitleYearDistributor
Book Club2018Paramount Pictures
The Informer2019Warner Bros.
The Peanut Butter FalconRoadside Attractions
HalaApple TV+
Just MercyWarner Bros.
Bill & Ted Face the Music2020Orion Pictures (through United Artists Releasing)
Cherry2021Apple Studios
Blue MiracleNetflix
In the Heights[12] Warner Bros.
PigNeon
The Lost Daughter[13] [14] Netflix
Cha Cha Real Smooth[15] 2022Apple Studios
AmbulanceUniversal Pictures
My Best Friend's ExorcismAmazon Studios
Maybe I Do2023Vertical Entertainment
80 for BradyParamount Pictures
Focus Features
Bones of CrowsElevation Pictures
Flora and SonApple Studios
EileenNeon
The Long Game[16] 2024Mucho Mas Media and Bonniedale Entertainment
Jim Henson Idea ManDisney+
La cocinaWilla
FriendshipA24
Girl Haunts BoyFifth Season
Nonnas2025Netflix

Television series

TitleYearsNetwork
Wayne2019YouTube Premium
LimetownFacebook Watch
See20192022Apple TV+
Truth Be Told20192023
The Eddy2020Netflix
McCartney 3,2,1[17] 2021Hulu
Nine Perfect Strangers2021present
Scenes from a Marriage2021HBO
Wolf Like Me2022presentPeacock
SeveranceApple TV+
Life & Beth20222024Hulu
Tokyo Vice20222024Max
Anatomy of a Scandal2022Netflix
RoarApple TV+
Surfside Girls
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart2023Amazon Prime Video
Lady in the Lake2024Apple TV+
Omnivore
Chief of WarTBA
The Last AnniversaryTBABinge
The Good DaughterTBAPeacock

Distribution

Fifth Season globally distributes series including Killing Eve, The Morning Show, Normal People and The Night Manager.

Notes and References

  1. News: Maas . Jennifer . September 7, 2022 . Endeavor Content Rebrands as Fifth Season . December 6, 2023 . Variety.
  2. News: Fifth Season (Media and Information Services) Overview . December 6, 2023 . PitchBook.
  3. News: Cornfield . Greg . March 24, 2023 . Hollywood Production Company Fifth Season Signs Big Office Lease in West LA . Commercial Observer.
  4. News: Sun . Rebecca . October 16, 2017 . WME and IMG Finance and Sales Groups Combine to Form Endeavor Content . Hollywood Reporter . December 6, 2023.
  5. News: Hazelton . John . October 10, 2018 . Bloom to be fully integrated into Endeavor Content . Screen Daily .
  6. News: Littleton . Christina . 2021-02-05 . WME Reaches Deal With WGA on Packaging and Endeavor Content Divestment . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211029151132/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/wme-wga-endeavor-content-packaging-production-1234902142/ . October 29, 2021 . 2021-10-29 . Variety.
  7. Web site: Hayes . Dade . 2021-11-19 . Endeavor Clinches $775M Deal With CJ For 80% Stake In Scripted Content Unit . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211119143722/https://deadline.com/2021/11/endeavor-clinches-deal-cj-scripted-content-division-1234877276/ . November 19, 2021 . 2021-11-19 . Deadline . en-US.
  8. Web site: Hayes . Dade . 2022-01-19 . Endeavor's $785M Sale Of Content Unit To Korea's CJ ENM Officially Closes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220119130241/https://deadline.com/2022/01/endeavor-content-stake-korea-cj-enm-officially-closes-1234913940/ . January 19, 2022 . 2022-01-19 . Deadline . en-US.
  9. News: Frater . Patrick . January 19, 2022 . Korea's CJ ENM Completes Acquisition of Endeavor Content . December 6, 2023 . Variety.
  10. News: Welk . Brian . September 7, 2022 . Endeavor Content Rebrands as Fifth Season . December 16, 2023 . TheWrap.
  11. Web site: Japan's Toho Acquires 25% Stake In Fifth Season; Korea's CJ ENM Remains Majority Shareholder. Deadline Hollywood. Liz. Shackleton. 10 December 2023. 11 December 2023.
  12. News: Fleming . Mike . May 17, 2018 . 'In The Heights': Warner Bros Closing $50M Deal For Movie Rights After Hot Auction . Deadline .
  13. News: Kay . Jeremy . March 6, 2022 . 'The Lost Daughter' wins best film, director, screenplay at 2022 Spirit Awards . Screen Daily . December 6, 2023.
  14. News: Maggie Gyllenhaal's Directorial Debut 'The Lost Daughter' Heads To Netflix . Netflix – Business News . December 6, 2023.
  15. News: Boxberger . Darryl . June 14, 2022 . Apple hosts premiere of 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' at Tribeca Festival . AppleInsider . December 6, 2023.
  16. Web site: Dennis Quaid & Jay Hernandez SXSW-Winning Golf Drama ‘The Long Game’ Sets Theatrical Release With Mucho Mas Media. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. 25 January 2024. 26 January 2024.
  17. News: Pond . Steve . August 9, 2022 . How the Beatles Invaded the Emmys in 2022 . TheWrap . December 6, 2023.