Chernin Entertainment Hires Former Red Arrow Studios Boss Jan Frouman – Deadline

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EXCLUSIVE: Chernin Entertainment has hired former Red Arrow Studios chairman and CEO Jan Frouman.

Frouman is joining the company, which is behind films such as the Planet of the Apes franchise and Ford v. Ferrari and Apple series See, in an unspecified role. Chernin Entertainment reps declined to comment.

He was most recently President of International at Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook, which earlier this year took full control of German producer Telepool, where Frouman was previously CEO.

It comes as Chernin Entertainment eyes the acquisition of Red Arrow, the production group behind series such as Netflix’s Love Is Blind and Amazon’s Bosch, though sources caution that his hire is a coincidence rather than directly related to its interest in the European super-indie. Chernin Entertainment is understood to be one of a number of suitors that are taking a look at the business.

“Love Is Blind,” produced by Red Arrow Studios’ Kinetic Content
Courtesy of Adrian S. Burrows Sr./Netflix

Frouman was chairman and CEO of Red Arrow Studios, which houses U.S. production companies including Kinetic Content and The Circus producer Left/Right, between 2010-2019. He previously worked in production and content acquisitions at Red Hour’s parent company, European media giant ProSiebenSat.1, since 2004, having joined from private equity firm Saban Capital Group.

The full details of his role at Chernin Entertainment are unclear and it’s still to be seen how Frouman will fit into the structure of the company, as it continues to expand its film and television business.

Chernin Entertainment has been ramping up its moves over the last couple of years.

In February 2021, it set up a non-scripted studio run by former ESPN content chief Connor Schell, who was an exec producer on O.J: Made In America and The Last Dance. It also struck a multi-year deal with Spotify to adapt the latter’s podcasts into TV and film properties, hiring former CAA agent Vanessa Silverton-Peel to oversee it.

Last year, the company also hired Bill McColdrick, former President of Original Content at NBCUniversal Entertainment Networks and Direct-to-Consumer, as EVP Film and Television.

Red Arrow, meanwhile, is back on the block after ProSiebenSat.1 had previously tried to sell in 2019, when it had a valuation of around $400 million.

In September 2019, ProSiebenSat.1 launched a strategic review of the business and fielded interest from the likes of Sony Pictures Television, All3Media and AMC Networks as well as a number of private-equity companies. However, it pulled the plug on the process in March 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.