Movie fans could buy stake in stars' firm
Movie fans could soon be able to buy a stake in Natural Nylon Entertainment, the film production firm owned by some of the industry's hottest stars.
The company, owned by Ewan McGregor, husband and wife team Jude Law and Sadie Frost, Sean Pertwee and Jonny Lee Miller, is seeking to join Ofex via a reverse takeover of Transad, which specialises in back-of-seat aircraft advertising.
Natural will join Ofex with television production firm Union Pictures - its programmes include MasterChef and the Johnny Vaughan comedy series ’Orrible - via a new company called Union Media Holdings.
The enlarged group, which is hoping to raise Stg£2m, said it had the ‘‘ambition and resources to become a leading player in independent TV and film production worldwide’’.
Executive chairman Rohan Courtney added that the cash would allow Union to retain rights to its programmes, instead of having to sell them to raise funds.
The money would also be used to retain writers so ‘‘we get first look at everything they do’’, he added.
Nylon was founded in 1997 and film credits include David Cronenberg’s ExistenZ and Ewan McGregor’s Nora. Bradley Adams, who set up Union Pictures in 1990 and is chief executive of Union Media, was also one of the co-founders.
Union Media is hoping to join Ofex, a secondary market separate to the London Stock Exchange, in April. The actors will retain a 50% holding in Natural Nylon upon flotation.
