LONDON — Independent private equity house Endless LLP has acquired visual effects house Cinesite (www.cinesite.com) from Kodak for an undisclosed amount. The deal involves Cinesite’s existing management team, supported by its new investment backer. The new deal will give Cinesite the resources and stability to fulfill a long-standing desire to expand the company into new territories, diversify its services and expand its global position in the media and entertainment industry.
Cinesite is the visual effects house behind many popular film and television series, including the Harry Potter films, John Carter, X-Men: First Class, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Band of Brothers, Rome and Generation Kill. It is currently working on the 23rd installment in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall, and Paramount Pictures’ zombie epic starring Brad Pitt, World War Z.
“I feel that we are moving Cinesite into a new era,” says Antony Hunt, managing director of Cinesite. “The partnership with Endless LLP is a great strategic move for both parties and we’re delighted to have their support and investment behind us. We have an extremely innovative and creative team who deliver cutting-edge visual effects for the media and entertainment industry, and we’re now keen to take the Cinesite brand into new territories and expand our digital visual effects services. This sale will give us the opportunity we need to grow our talented team to ensure we remain at the forefront of the visual effects industry for many years.”