Wikipedia

Westbrook (company)

Westbrook Inc. is an American multimedia and entertainment venture company founded by actor Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The company was founded in 2019, in order to execute the Smith Family's global content with Will Smith's production company Overbrook Entertainment becoming one of its subsidiaries.[2] It is headquartered in Calabasas, California, with 80 employees as of March 2021.[3]

Westbrook Inc.
Company typeJoint venture
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedJuly 10, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-07-10)
Founders
Headquarters
Calabasas, California
,
United States
Key people
ProductsMotion picture, television production
Owners
Number of employees
80 (2021)
Divisions
  • Westbrook Studios
  • Westbrook Media
  • Westbrook International
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.westbrookinc.com

In August 2021, the company announced that they signed a first-look deal with National Geographic and will produce their productions with National Geographic.[4]

Westbrook's debut film, King Richard, garnered widespread acclaim and earned numerous awards including six nominations (including Best Picture; the first nomination for this company) at 94th Academy Awards and four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama), winning Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Smith.

In January 2022, Candle Media announced that they purchased a strategic minority investment 10% stake in Westbrook, Inc.[5] Two days later in that month, Westbrook announced that they launched their own international division and had acquired Germany-based film and television distribution sales company Telepool and its division Global Screen, marking Westbrook's first international expansion.[6]

However two years later on May 8, 2024, Westbrook announced that their selling its German international sales unit Telepool to French-based European production studio Vuelta Group and the latter merged Telepool with their Munich-based producer and distributor subsidiary SquareOne Entertainment.[7]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Director Distributor Notes
2021 King Richard Reinaldo Marcus Green Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with Star Thrower Entertainment
2022 Emancipation Antoine Fuqua Apple TV+ co-production with Apple Studios, McFarland Entertainment, Escape Artists and Apple Original Films.[8][9]
2024 Bad Boys: Ride or Die Adil & Bilall Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, 2.0 Entertainment and Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films[10]
2025 Karate Kid: Legends Jonathan Entwistle Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures and Sunswept Entertainment[11]
TBA Canto TBA TBA [12]
Clean Air TBA Amazon MGM Studios co-production with Kick The Habit Productions and NASCAR[13]
Fast & Loose David Leitch Netflix co-production with 87North Productions and STXfilms[14]
Netflix has placed this project on hold until further notice[15]
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun TBA Netflix Co-production with Yoruba Saxon[16]
Planes, Trains and Automobiles TBA Paramount Pictures co-production with Hartbeat Productions[17]
Redd Zone Matthew A. Cherry Netflix [18]
Soul Superhero TBA TBA [19]
Summertime Peter Saji Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Screen Gems and Davis Entertainment[20]
The Alchemist Kevin Frakes TBA co-production with Netter Films and PalmStar[21]
The Elephant's Back TBA TBA co-production with Akimoto Project[22]
Untitled I Am Legend sequel TBA Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with Outlier Society and Weed Road Pictures[23]

Television

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Years Title Creator Network Notes
2018–present Cobra Kai Josh Heald
Jon Hurwitz
Hayden Schlossberg 		YouTube Red (season 1)
YouTube Premium (season 2)
Netflix (season 3–present) 		continued from Overbrook Entertainment; co-production with Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions (seasons 1–2), Heald Productions (season 2), Counterbalance Entertainment (season 3–present) and Sony Pictures Television
Red Table Talk N/A Facebook Watch co-production with Very Tall Productions
2021 Welcome to Earth N/A Disney+ co-production with National Geographic Partners
Amend: The Fight for America N/A Netflix
2022–present Bel-Air Andy Borowitz
Susan Borowitz 		Peacock co-production with Arbolada Roads, Ra Shines Inc., Cooper Films, The 51, and Universal Television[24]
2022 Women of the Movement Marissa Jo Cerar ABC co-production with Two Drifters, Roc Nation, and Kapital Entertainment
TBA Bright Young Things Samantha Stratton Amazon Freevee [25]
Untitled The Inheritance Trilogy series N. K. Jemisin TBA co-production with Searchlight Television[26]
Phatty Patty India Sage Wilson TBA [27]
The Amazing Mr. X TBA TBA co-production with Emanata Studios[28]
This Joka TBA Roku Channel [29]


References

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  1. ^ "Candle Media Buys Stake in Media Company Co-Founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith". The Wall Street Journal. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  2. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 10, 2019). "Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith Launch Multimedia Cross-Platform Venture Westbrook Inc". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (March 4, 2021). "How Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Media Thrived in a Pandemic". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Petski, Denise (August 18, 2021). "Will Smith's Westbrook Studios Inks First-Look Deal With Nat Geo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Middleton, Richard (January 5, 2022). "Kevin Mayer & Tom Staggs' Candle Media buys into Will Smith's Westbrook Studios". TBI Vision. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (January 7, 2022). "Will Smith Takes Full Control Of Telepool, Launches Westbrook Int'l". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Roxborough, Scott (May 8, 2024). "Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Sells Germany's Telepool to Vuelta Group". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Will Smith's 'Emancipation' Shifting to 2023, Apple Eyes New Date After Slap (EXCLUSIVE) Archived 2022-05-09 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved from Variety on 08 May 2022)
  9. ^ Will Smith Loses Another Movie Release Archived 2022-05-09 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved from GiantFreakinrobot.com website on 08 May 2022)
  10. ^ "Will Smith and Martin Lawrence Guns Blazing on Atlanta StreetsFor 'Bad Boys 4' Shoot-Out EXCLUSIVE". TMZ. May 22, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  11. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 26, 2024). "'Kraven The Hunter' Heads To December, 'Karate Kid' To Chop Next Summer: Sony Release Date Changes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  12. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 11, 2021). "Westbrook Studios Developing Animated Feature Adaptation Of Graphic Novel 'Canto'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 23, 2021). "Will Smith's Westbrook Studios, The Chainsmokers And NASCAR Team On Rom Com 'Clean Air' At Amazon Studios, Alison Rose Greenberg Penning Script". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (July 27, 2021). "Netflix Acquires Hot Package 'Fast & Loose' From STXfilms With Will Smith Starring And David Leitch Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Masters, Kim (April 2, 2022). "Netflix Backs Away From Will Smith Film 'Fast and Loose'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  16. ^ Grobar, Matt (February 16, 2022). "'Onyeka And The Academy Of The Sun': Will Smith & David Oyelowo To Produce Film Adaptation Of Upcoming Tọlá Okogwu Book For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  17. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 17, 2020). "'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' Gets Paramount Pictures Remake With Will Smith & Kevin Hart Starring; Westbrook, Hartbeat Produce". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  18. ^ Lang, Brent (December 1, 2020). "Jada Pinkett Smith to Star in 'Redd Zone' for Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  19. ^ Galuppo, Mia (June 8, 2021). "Westbrook Studios Sets Musical Fantasy Feature 'Soul Superhero'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  20. ^ Grobar, Matt (September 22, 2021). "'Summertime': Will Smith Song In Works As Screen Gems Musical Feature From Westbrook Studios & Davis Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  21. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 8, 2021). "Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' Gets Fall Morocco Production Start; Sebastian De Souza, Tom Hollander, Shohreh Aghdashloo Star For Director Kevin Frakes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 8, 2021). "Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Form Partnership With Akimoto Project; 'The Elephant's Back' Movie In The Works". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  23. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 4, 2022). "'I Am Legend' Next Chapter: Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan To Star & Produce Together For First Time; Akiva Goldsman Back To Write". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  24. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 8, 2020). "'Bel-Air': Peacock Gives 2-Season Order To 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot From Morgan Cooper & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  25. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 16, 2020). "Coming-Of-Age Series 'Bright Young Things' In Works At IMDb TV From Samantha Stratton & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  26. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 12, 2021). "N.K. Jemisin's 'The Inheritance Trilogy' To Be Developed As TV Series By Searchlight TV & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  27. ^ Patski, Denise (August 25, 2021). "Zoë Kravitz To Headline & EP Coming-Of-Age Animated Series 'Phatty Patty' From Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  28. ^ White, Peter (November 16, 2021). "Beano Studios & DC Thomson Launch Emanata Studios To Adapt Comic IP For TV & Film; Set Deals With Jerry Bruckheimer TV & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  29. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Patski, Denise (April 2, 2020). "Will Smith To Host 'This Joka' Stand-Up Comedy Series For Quibi From Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
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