Chennai, India-headquartered vfx studio Basilic Fly has bought a majority stake in London and Paris-based studio One of Us.
The combination of the two companies lifts their workforce to over 900 artists.
Here is what we know about the deal:
- Basilic Fly Studio is taking a 70% stake in One of Us. Founded in 2004 by Rachael Penfold, Dominic Parker, and Tom Debenham, One of Us has won multiple BAFTA TV awards for its work on The Crown and The Witcher, as well as an Emmy for The Alienist. One of Us has more than 450 workers across its London and Paris studios. The existing leadership of One of Us will continue to lead the company on a day-to-day basis.
- Basilic Fly, which has studios in Chennai, Pune, Vancouver, and London, currently has a workforce of over 500 people. The company, which is publicly traded in India, has contributed to projects including Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and The Last of Us.
- The two companies have been frequent collaborators over the last five years, and have worked together on projects that include Bridgerton (S1/2), Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Napoleon, and Zone of Interest.
- The investment will allow the companies to “create a more agile vfx partner for film, streaming, and tv content producers” and “will allow the studios to pool talent, creativity, and resources to enhance their client service offerings.” Further, the partnership between the two companies will help Basilic Fly’s ambition to evolve from a service provider into a full creative studio.
- Balakrishnan, CEO & co-founder of Basilic Fly Studios, said in a statement:
Since founding Basilic Fly Studios with my colleagues back in 2013, we have always wanted to create an international partner for film, tv, and streaming industry and today’s deal with One of Us is an important milestone in this vision. Over the years, we have worked together on multiple projects, so we know each other incredibly well. It was immediately clear that we shared a belief in the central role of talented artists within a wider vision and culture. Throughout our relationship, I have been blown away by the skill of the One of Us team, and together with the talent of the BFS team, I am certain that we can achieve great things together.
- Rachael Penfold, CEO & co-founder of One of Us, said in a statement:
The film industry is full of challenges, and vfx is often front line – inventing new ways to realize the creative appetites and imaginations of filmmakers and creators alike. The opportunity to combine with a fast-growing studio like BFS – working closely with Bala, Yoga and their fantastic leadership is very exciting for us. It allows us to expand in ways we would not easily achieve on our own. … This will be a powerful and agile offering, at a time when the industry is transforming itself, and engaging with the work requires new and innovative thinking.
