Peter Chernin‘s North Road Company is on dealmaking spree.
On Tuesday North Road — which is led by CEO David Nevins — announced that it had acquired a “significant stake” in Two One Five Entertainment, the film and TV production company from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter, co-founders of The Roots.
As part of the deal North Road will take an equity stake in the company, and will also “finance future Two One Five film, television, and other creative projects to scale the company and solidify it as the leading voice at the intersection of culture, music, and race.”
“This will enable Two One Five to leverage its best-in-class IP portfolio and to expand its scripted slate,” the company said in a statement. Two One Five’s projects have included the documentary Summer of Soul, The League, and Descendant.
Questlove and Black Thought also continue to perform with The Roots on NBC’s Tonight Show.
“Questlove and Black Thought have long been not only iconic musicians, but also beacons for talent,” Nevins said in a statement. “They are visionaries who have been behind some of the most impactful stories about music and Black culture and how they shaped America. We are thrilled to partner with such a uniquely creative team as they enter their next phase of growth, supporting them as they continue their excellent track record in the nonfiction space and seize the opportunity to achieve similar success in scripted film, television, and beyond.”
“Building our production company Two One Five, has been a major priority and the next chapter of creative evolution for Tarik and I,” added Questlove. “Although we’ve had success thus far, finding an investor and strategic partner like North Road will have an immediate impact on our business, as their superior production capabilities will help us significantly increase our output. Additionally, the capital they are committing provides us the flexibility to independently fund creative ideas, grow our executive team and truly scale the business.”