Leonine Studios CEO Fred Kogel's Contract Extended Until 2028

Mediawan Group extends Kogel's contract as Leonine Studios continues its growth

Mar. 25, 2026 at 9:35am

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Leonine Studios' CEO Fred Kogel has had his contract extended until 2028 by parent company Mediawan Group. Kogel co-founded Leonine Studios in 2019 with investment firm KKR and has led the company to become one of the largest independent production and distribution groups in German-speaking Europe. Under Kogel's leadership, Leonine Studios has found success with titles like the School of Magical Animals film franchise and the upcoming U.S. remake of Weekend Rebels.

Why it matters

The extension of Kogel's contract signals Mediawan's continued commitment to Leonine Studios and its growth strategy. As a major independent European media player, Leonine's success is seen as crucial to Mediawan's ambitions to become a 'global independent champion' in the content industry.

The details

As part of the management changes, Quirin Berg will be appointed Deputy Chairman of the Leonine Holding GmbH board, overseeing the company's content strategy. Jochen Köstler will also join the Leonine Holding board as Chief Production Officer for the non-fiction division. The rest of the Leonine management team, including Chief People & Sustainability Officer Sarah Fischer, Business Development and Co-Chief Production Officer Fiction Max Wiedemann, and Chief Distribution Officer Bernhard zu Castell, will remain in their roles.

  • Mediawan acquired a 25% stake in Leonine Studios in 2020.
  • Kogel has been CEO of Leonine Studios since the company's founding in 2019.
  • The management changes, including Berg and Köstler's new roles, will take effect on April 1, 2026.

The players

Fred Kogel

CEO of Leonine Studios, which he co-founded in 2019 with investment firm KKR.

Quirin Berg

Will be appointed Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Leonine Holding GmbH, overseeing the company's content strategy.

Jochen Köstler

Will join the Management Board of Leonine Holding as Chief Production Officer Non-Fiction, responsible for the non-fiction production division.

Mediawan Group

A Paris-based pan-European content group that acquired a 25% stake in Leonine Studios in 2020 and is now extending CEO Fred Kogel's contract.

Pierre-Antoine Capton

Co-founder and CEO of Mediawan Group, which sees its collaboration with Leonine Studios as central to its ambitions to become a 'global independent champion' in the content industry.

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What they’re saying

“I am delighted that we will be continuing on the highly successful path of Leonine Studios, the production and distribution group I co-founded.”

— Fred Kogel, CEO, Leonine Studios

“We are delighted to continue working closely with Fred and his teams and to further accelerate synergies across the group, such as Weekend Warriors, Plan B's movie adaptation of the film Weekend Rebels developed by Leonine Studios' production banner Wiedemann & Berg Film – to develop more international projects and strengthen our growth together.”

— Pierre-Antoine Capton, Co-founder and CEO, Mediawan Group

What’s next

The management changes, including Berg and Köstler's new roles, will take effect on April 1, 2026.

The takeaway

Leonine Studios' continued growth under CEO Fred Kogel's leadership, supported by its parent company Mediawan Group, positions the company as a major independent European media player with the potential to develop more international content projects.