Toronto-based specialty distributor Entertainment One has hired Patrice Théroux, former president and CEO of Motion Picture Distribution, to launch an international film releasing business from a Canadian base.

The hiring follows British hedge fund Marwyn Investment Management’s purchase, in March, of Entertainment One for $168 million before delisting the company from the Toronto Stock Exchange as an income fund and re-floating it on the London-based AIM market.

Théroux says he recently began discussing plans with Entertainment One CEO Darren Throop on launching a Toronto-based filmed entertainment business before agreeing to jump on board.

The strategy, Théroux explains, will be to acquire rights to film product in all media and create a global filmed entertainment business. That will include movie distribution in all territories except the U.S., where Entertainment One will focus on DVD and broadcast sales.

‘It will allow us to negotiate multi-territory deals and provide the collateral to complete the financing of individual films,’ Théroux says. ‘In turn, our investment return will not be reliant on any one territory, and everyone will benefit from the sharing of distribution costs.’

Entertainment One is keen to buy one or two smaller Canadian distributors to kick-start its movie releasing business here, Théroux adds.

The veteran Canadian distributor last crossed paths with Marwyn Investment when the British equity player last year eyed a possible purchase of MPD from Alliance Atlantis. Théroux and colleagues Victory Loewy, MPD chairman, and general counsel Paul Laberge were eventually ousted from MPD by controlling shareholder Alliance Atlantis.

The trio eventually settled with Alliance Atlantis, with Loewy returning to MPD as a consultant, and Théroux and Laberge agreeing to leave the company.