The Roots founders Questlove and Black Thought‘s have sold a significant stake in their production company Two One Five Entertainment to Peter Chernin’s content studio The North Road Company.
Under the pact, North Road will finance future film, TV and other creative projects from Two One Five, which previously produced the Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul,” “The League” and “Descendent.” The partnership will also see North Road helping Two One Five expand its scripted slate after years of mainly focusing on unscripted content.
Along with “Summer of Soul,” which was directed by Questlove and won both the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for best documentary for its story of the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival; Negro baseball League film “The League”; and Sundance award-winner “Descendent”; Two One Five’s projects include an upcoming documentary directed by Questlove for Hulu, which follows the rise, reign, and fadeout of Sly and the Family Stone, one of pop music’s most influential artists, per the company’s descriptions.
The investment in Two One Five is the most recent for Chernin’s North Road, which was formed in 2022 and over the past year has wholly or partly acquired Hock Films and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, as well as Turkish film and television producer Karga Seven Pictures.
“Questlove and Black Thought have long been not only iconic musicians, but also beacons for talent,” North Road CEO David Nevins said. “They are visionaries who have been behind some of the most impactful stories about music and Black culture and how they shaped America. We are thrilled to partner with such a uniquely creative team as they enter their next phase of growth, supporting them as they continue their excellent track record in the nonfiction space and seize the opportunity to achieve similar success in scripted film, television and beyond.”
“Building our production company Two One Five has been a major priority and the next chapter of creative evolution for Tarik and I,” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson said. “Although we’ve had success thus far, finding an investor and strategic partner like North Road will have an immediate impact on our business, as their superior production capabilities will help us significantly increase our output. Additionally, the capital they are committing provides us the flexibility to independently fund creative ideas, grow our executive team and truly scale the business.”
This deal was brokered by ACF investment Bank.
Questlove, Black Thought, The Roots and Two One Five are all represented by Shawn Gee and WME.
