Newen Connect invests in Jude Law’s Riff Raff Entertainment

Jude Law in ‘The Young Pope’

Newen Connect has struck a deal to invest in Jude Law’s Riff Raff Entertainment, with the French distributor taking a first-look option on titles.

The agreement has been underwritten by financing studio Anton and will see Newen invest in TV development projects from the prodco, which was launched by Law and his creative partner Ben Jackson.

Both companies are already working together to develop The Foreign Desk, an original political thriller written by Marek Horn that has Law attached to star.

An original female-led show based on a true story with Kirstie Swain (Pure) is also on the slate, alongside another TV project with acclaimed playwright Chris Urch. Details on both projects remain under wraps.

The deal will provide Riff Raff with “significant funding” to expand its team, develop its slate of TV projects and provide a distribution network to international buyers.

Newen Connect chief, Rodolphe Buet, described the deal as “a significant step forward” in his company’s English speaking growth strategy.

“Our investment and distribution expertise will offer Riff Raff an important route to market and the ability to quickly take its projects from the page to the screen.”

Stephen Fuss, Riff Raff CEO, added: “This partnership will help us further our goal of making Riff Raff Entertainment the ultimate home for high-end talent to build their TV projects.”

Riff Raff is backed by investment from Calculus Capital and has Blueprint Pictures alumnus Katie Sinclair as head of development and StudioCanal’s Lionelle Galloppa on the development team. Its slate includes The Order and Netflix show Black Rabbit.