Red Pearl Pictures

Red Pearl Pictures is a new film distribution company, a collaborative effort between Overbrook Entertainment partners Will Smith, Ken Stovitz and James Lassiter, and D Media, headed by Diana Jenkins, English entrepreneur. The new company plans to take the Middle East by storm, providing a new level of access to western films.

Overbrook already has some experience in this area, having closed a deal to distribute films throughout India, but the new Red Pearl Pictures is new territory for the mega star. While the company is not the first to attempt providing American films in this region, its founders feel confident that with over 300 million residents in the Middle East and a growing interest in western film, they will have no problem finding their market.

The company is particularly targeting countries in the Arab world such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, and has decided to maintain a Middle East office as well as an American one in Los Angeles. With the renowned Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to advise them and the business experience already gathered by Will Smith and Diana Jenkins, the company should be able to bypass the inherent difficulties that other distributors have met - including film piracy and government censorship - and go on to achieve great success.