Westbrook (company)

Westbrook Inc.
Company typeJoint venture
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedJuly 10, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-07-10)
Founders
Headquarters
Calabasas, California
,
United States
Key people
ProductsMotion picture, television production
Owners
Number of employees
80 (2021)
Divisions
  • Westbrook Studios
  • Westbrook Media
  • Westbrook International
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.westbrookinc.com

Westbrook Inc. is an American multimedia and entertainment venture company founded by actor Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The company was founded in 2019, in order to execute the Smith Family's global content with Will Smith's production company Overbrook Entertainment becoming one of its subsidiaries.[2] It is headquartered in Calabasas, California, with 80 employees as of March 2021.[3]

In August 2021, the company announced that they signed a first-look deal with National Geographic and will produce their productions with National Geographic.[4]

Westbrook's debut film, King Richard, garnered widespread acclaim and earned numerous awards including six nominations (including Best Picture; the first nomination for this company) at 94th Academy Awards and four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama), winning Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Smith.

In January 2022, Candle Media announced that they purchased a strategic minority investment 10% stake in Westbrook, Inc.[5] Two days later in that month, Westbrook announced that they launched their own international division and had acquired Germany-based film and television distribution sales company Telepool and its division Global Screen, marking Westbrook's first international expansion.[6]

However two years later on May 8, 2024, Westbrook announced that their selling its German international sales unit Telepool to French-based European production studio Vuelta Group and the latter merged Telepool with their Munich-based producer and distributor subsidiary SquareOne Entertainment.[7]

  1. ^ "Candle Media Buys Stake in Media Company Co-Founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith". The Wall Street Journal. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  2. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 10, 2019). "Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith Launch Multimedia Cross-Platform Venture Westbrook Inc". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (March 4, 2021). "How Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Media Thrived in a Pandemic". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Petski, Denise (August 18, 2021). "Will Smith's Westbrook Studios Inks First-Look Deal With Nat Geo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Middleton, Richard (January 5, 2022). "Kevin Mayer & Tom Staggs' Candle Media buys into Will Smith's Westbrook Studios". TBI Vision. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (January 7, 2022). "Will Smith Takes Full Control Of Telepool, Launches Westbrook Int'l". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Roxborough, Scott (May 8, 2024). "Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Sells Germany's Telepool to Vuelta Group". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 14, 2024.