Efran Films Rebrands As Bright North Studios After Redbird IMI Completes Acquisition

Efran Films Canada, the company behind series such as CBS’ FBI: True and Investigation Discovery’s Who The (Bleep) Did I Marry?, is rebranding after being acquired by Redbird IMI.

The company has rebranded as Bright North Studios after the new All3Media owner, which is overseen by CEO Jeff Zucker, completed its acquisition of the company last week and had it approved by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Zucker will take a seat on the board.

This also comes after former Vice TV boss Morgan Hertzan returns to the company as CEO Bright North Studios USA, working alongside Shawn Efran, who continues as CEO of Bright North Studios.

The company was founded by Efran and Hertzan and is also behind series such as Paramount+’s Never Seen Again, The CW’s 100 Days to Indy and Vice’s While the Rest of Us Die. It has its primary production hub in Toronto.

It is the latest production company acquisition for RedBird IMI, which is a joint venture between RedBird Capital Partners and International Media Investments, after it acquired All3Media, the British production group behind series such as The Traitors, for $1.45B as well as investments in The Morning Show producer Media Res, EverWonder Studios and Hidden Pigeon Company.

“Bright North Studios is an industry leader in producing cinematic quality content around true stories and a great addition to our expanding portfolio,” said Zucker. “There is an incredible demand from networks and streaming platforms for content that offers unparalleled access to key figures and takes viewers behind the scenes of newsworthy events. Shawn, Morgan and their team have mastered the art of telling authentic stories with unrivaled quality. We look forward to working with Bright North to continue to grow their studio and distribution network.” 

“RedBird IMI and Jeff have rapidly put together an incredible suite of creative companies – truly the best in our business. We are honored and thrilled to be part of RedBird IMI and look forward to telling even more, even better true stories with this new investment,” added Shawn Efran, Founder and CEO of Bright North Studios.