Elevated genre has just been turbo charged by a new strategic alliance between Globalgate Entertainment and Morbido Group, the fast expanding horror conglomerate in Ibero-America.
Co-founded in 2016 by former Pantelion Films CEO Paul Presburger, Globalgate Entertainment is a local-language film & TV production and co-financing consortium formed by Lionsgate and 14 other prominent international entertainment companies, including key players in major markets.
The strategic partnership, dubbed MorbidoGate, aims to develop elevated genre content by generating and acquiring IP while fostering emerging talent in key markets worldwide.
The strategic alliance is supported by Palo Alto-based Maum Capital Group, founded by tech entrepreneur-investor Brian Koo, that will help develop specific projects that can use their tech advances in depicting hyper-realistic digital humans and creatures.
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Said Presburger: “We have enviably observed Morbido’s leading position in the genre throughout Latin America and look forward to offering up their fright and expanding the genre business with Globalgate’s partners.”
“This is the right time to launch the Morbido brand on a global scale. We have been creating amazing projects with some of the most important talent and production companies in our region,” said Morbido CEO Pablo Guisa, adding: “Through this alliance, we’ll be able to replicate what we do best: Creating and developing great films with top talent in new exciting territories where genre reigns supreme.”
“Not all projects will need Maum’s support, after all, genre could be three people in a house but Maum will provide the tech support to any project that needs it,” Guisa told Variety.
Maum culture innovation CEO and Globalgate executive chairman William Pfeiffer added: “Maum’s advances in hyper-realistic digital humans and creatures lend themselves perfectly toward creating new scary characters in films and series that can be further enjoyed in the metaverse.”
The news comes as the newly launched genre hub Fantastic Pavilion in Cannes, conceived by Guisa, Bernardo Bergeret, Ventana Sur co-director, and Daniel de la Vega, coordinator of Ventana Sur’s Maquinitas video game forum, has been a busy hive of activity, with daily events, networking opportunities and more companies interested in joining the pavilion next year.
“The Fantastic Pavilion has given us first-hand access to talent and projects and amazing business opportunities,” said Guisa, who sees the new joint venture with Globalgate paving the way for Morbido to become a truly global horror brand.
Based in Mexico City, Morbido Group operates the Morbido Film Fest, a radio show, a pay TV channel available across Latin America and participates in the production, promotion and distribution of films.
Globalgate’s consortium partners include Televisa (Latin America), TF1 (France), Nordisk (Scandinavia), Rakuten (Japan), Lotte (Korea), Tobis (Germany), Rai (Italy), TME (Turkey), Belga Films (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), Paris Filmes (Brazil), CineColombia/Dynamo (Colombia), Falcon (Indonesia) and Viva Communications (Philippines).
Producing 20 films since its 2016 launch, Globalgate has assembled a content development pipeline that has built to north of 80 projects, across film, digital and TV.
Recent productions include “Dhamaka” (India), “Sin Hijos” (Mexico), “Dân Choi Không so Con Roi” (aka “Instructions Not Included,”Vietnam) and the 2023 Cannes’ Competition title “Last Summer.” Now readying for release are “No Kids” (Korea) and “Mamá o Papá,” a Mexican adaptation of hit French comedy.
