FilmRise acquires rights to Kim’s Convenience
January 20, 2022
FilmRise, the New York-based film and television studio and streaming network, and Thunderbird Entertainment, the Canadian-based production company, have entered into an agreement granting FilmRise multi-territory FAST ad-supported digital linear rights to the Canadian comedy series “Kim’s Convenience.” Specifically, the deal gives FilmRise exclusive FAST rights to all five seasons of the series, which it will program across its existing FAST Channels as well as allow for the creation of dedicated marathon FAST channels of the series across the US, Latin America, German-speaking Europe, French-speaking Europe, Italy, and Spain.
Having garnered a loyal following from its original commission and broadcast on CBC and then a global fan base from its international debut on Netflix (2018), this award-winning series broke new ground for its portrayal of the immigrant experience in Toronto when it was first introduced in 2016. Joining the ranks of highly popular Canadian top television exports such as “Schitt’s Creek”, the comedic hit series features an ensemble cast that includes Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (“The Mandalorian”), Andrew Phung (“Run the Burbs”) Andrea Bang (“A Million Little Things”), Jean Yoon (“The Voyeurs”), Simu Liu (Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), and Nicole Power, who stars in “Strays,” which is the spin-off series from “Kim’s Convenience” that premiered in September 2021 on CBC.
The announcement today was made today by Max Einhorn, SVP of Acquisitions & Co-Productions for FilmRise. Einhorn states, “As the FilmRise Streaming Network continues to grow, so does our approach in acquiring programs featuring unique stories from people of diverse backgrounds. “Kim’s Convenience” has had a huge impact on a wide range of viewers, and we are thrilled to bring this culturally relevant series for free to streaming audiences worldwide.”
Richard Goldsmith, President, Global Distribution and Consumer Products at Thunderbird Entertainment states, “Kim’s delightful characters and beloved stories brought love and laughter into the hearts of many during its five seasons. Through our partnership with FilmRise, we are thrilled that new audiences internationally will have the opportunity to connect with and enjoy the heart-warming and hilarious experiences of the Kim family.”
Based on Ins Choi’s award-winning play of the same name, “Kim’s Convenience” depicts the Korean-Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in Toronto. The series premiered on CBC Television in October 2016 and the first season holds a 100% critic rating from Rotten Tomatoes. During its five season run, the series was the winner of multiple Canadian Screen Awards including Best Comedy Series, Foreign Drama of the Year at the Seoul International Drama Awards (2019), Members’ Choice Series Ensemble Award for Best cast at the 2017 Toronto ACTRA Awards (Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists), among many more.
FilmRise plans to offer the series on FAST linear streaming channels on IMDb TV, Pluto, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV+, the FilmRise Streaming Network, among many others.
The deal was brokered by Michael L. Smith of Warbun Consulting Inc. and negotiated by Max Einhorn, SVP, Acquisitions and Co-Productions at FilmRise and Richard Goldsmith, President, Global Distribution and Consumer Products at Thunderbird Entertainment and Atomic Cartoons.