YouTube Comedian-DJ Flula Borg Inks Lionsgate Deal for Two Movies (EXCLUSIVE)
Flula Borg, the German actor, comedian and DJ and popular YouTube personality, has signed a two-movie development deal with Lionsgate.
The deal includes an as-yet-untitled feature film from Borg as the star, executive producer and writer with a second film option to be executed over the next two years.
Borg pronounced himself excited to be working with Lionsgate. “They are believing in me, and I am believing in them, and this is a great foundation for a great partnership, like Thelma and Louise!” he said in an email. “They are Thelma, and I am Louise! Well probably I am Thelma, because Geena Davis is a tall person, and I am also tall. Anyway, I am pumped. Time to drive off a cliff together and land in some fluffy pillows of success! Which is a metaphor for, ‘Time to make great movies with Lionsgate!'”
In 2015, Variety named Borg one of its 10 Comics to Watch. He appeared in Universal Pictures’ “Pitch Perfect 2” last year as the leader of German techno group Das Sound Machine. Borg also starred in and produced “Buddymoon,” an indie comedy film distributed by Gravitas Ventures and Orion Releasing earlier this year, which won the audience award for narrative feature at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival.
Lionsgate has been aggressively investing in digital ventures, a strategy that has included acquiring films headlined by internet celebrities, such as “Dirty 30” starring Mamrie Hart, Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart. The company also launched two over-the-top services — Tribeca Shortlist, with celebrity-curated movie “shortlists,” and the pop-culture service Comic-Con HQ — with upcoming channel rollouts set to include Laugh Out Loud with original content from Kevin Hart and a Spanish-language movie service targeting Hispanic moviegoers in the U.S. in partnership with Univision Communications. In addition, Lionsgate is the first Hollywood studio to license its shows — include “Orange Is the New Black” and “Mad Men” — to Vimeo’s global TV store.
Borg, who has nearly 800,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, is currently headlining his own live comedy tour, “Flula’s Full Refunds Tour,” and will continue performing live into 2017.
Borg is repped by UTA, which brokered his deal with Lionsgate, along with Shawna Kornberg at Brillstein and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.
Related stories
Lionsgate Extends Jon Feltheimer's Deal to 2023
Lionsgate Taps Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh for TV Sales Post
Bobby Cohen Exiting Lionsgate as Co-President of Production
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
