EXCLUSIVE: Teton Ridge Entertainment, the TWG Global-owned film and TV studio, has pacted with John Wayne Enterprises for the exclusive life rights of the Oscar-winning Hollywood star across film and TV, scripted and unscripted.
The deal gives the studio, which has a focus on American West content, access to John Wayne Enterprises’ extensive archives including letters, journals, photos and home videos. TWG Global is co-chaired by Mark Walter and Thomas Tull.
Bill Gerber (A Star is Born, Gran Torino) brought the rights to and will act as producer alongside Teton Ridge Entertainment. Ethan Wayne will executive produce for John Wayne Enterprises. EVP Jen Gorton and Vice President Brandon Mattingly will oversee for Teton Ridge Entertainment. Teton Ridge Entertainment is led by President Jillian Share.
Teton Ridge has several recently announced projects in the Western space, including the rights to the iconic Lonesome Dove franchise.
“Nobody embodies the American spirit quite like John Wayne and we are honored to partner with Ethan Wayne and John Wayne Enterprises to carry his enduring legacy forward,” said Share. “At Teton Ridge Entertainment, we view our upcoming collaboration as both a privilege and a deep responsibility.”
“I lost my father when I was 17, an age when a young man needs a strong father figure,” Ethan Wayne said. “This project allows me the opportunity to look deeper into the characters he portrayed to the world, as well as the man he was off-screen – masculinity personified, rooted in integrity, grit and genuine kindness. It also gives our family a chance to introduce John Wayne to a new generation.”
Wayne, aka “The Duke,” starred in more than 170 films, primarily Westerns and war movies. With over 1 billion movie tickets sold, he became the quintessential symbol of the rugged American cowboy and patriot. His career spanned six decades and he earned three Academy Award nominations, winning Best Actor in 1970 for True Grit. Wayne died in 1979 at age 72.
Michael Moskowitz negotiated the deal on behalf of Teton Ridge Entertainment. George Tobia of the law firm BlankRome negotiated the deal for John Wayne Enterprises.