Warner/Chappell Music announced a partnership with Zentropa Music, a division of Zentropa, the largest film production company in Scandinavia, founded by producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen and director Lars von Trier. The agreement will see Warner/Chappell manage the publishing rights for Zentropa’s current and future music catalog around the world.Music and scores from more than 100 international and Scandinavian productions are incorporated in the partnership. Highlights include the soundtrack for the 2011 Oscar award-winning In A Better World (Hævnen) by Susanne Bier, as well as her 2007 Oscar-nominated After the Wedding (Efter Brylluppet). Music from Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia, Antichrist and Nymphomaniac Part 1& 2 alongside Thomas Vinterberg’s 2013 Oscar-nominated The Hunt (Jagten) will also be included in the deal.Cameron Strang, Chairman& CEO, Warner/Chappell Music, said “We are delighted to further expand and enrich our prestigious film score and music library with this extraordinary repertoire. Zentropa is one of the most pioneering and influential production companies in the world and we look forward to finding a host of new creative and commercial opportunities for their scores, and fostering a life for their music beyond the original theatrical release.”Lars Karlsson, Managing Director, Warner/Chappell Music, Nordics& Germany, said “This is a landmark partnership for Warner/Chappell, Nordics& Germany. We are thrilled to partner with a company whose unique vision and commitment to creative excellence has cemented its global reputation as a leader in cinema. Zentropa’s scores and soundtracks are as original and exciting as the films they produce and it is an honour to represent these works.”Peter Aalbæk Jensen, founder of Zentropa, said “We are very pleased to take advantage of the power of a major music publisher to strengthen the position of small composers and help protect their copyright related interests”Mikkel Maltha, Managing Director, Zentropa Music, said “The partnership with Warner/Chappell is a pivotal cornerstone in the continued development of Zentropa’s publishing interests. Our composers will be ensured a unique strategic partner that without a doubt can further their interests throughout the world. Something we would not be able to do alone.”Warner/Chappell will license performance rights in screenings and broadcasts of the films and develop new synchronisation usages of the music, including in TV, film, advertising, games and online. The partnership with Zentropa is the latest in a series of important film music deals, following Warner/Chappell’s acquisition of the masters and publishing rights within Miramax and Lionsgate’s film music catalogs.
