Bleecker Street, the indie distribution label behind films like Mike Leigh’s “Tender Loving Care,” “The Liberation,” last year’s “Spinal Tap II,” “Rebuilding,” and many more titles, has been acquired by Outerlight Entertainment, formerly known as First Look.
The acquisition comes in the year after the distributor’s founder and then-CEO, Andrew Karpen, died at the age of 59 in May 2025.
The Bleecker Street brand joins Outerlight’s Topic Studios, but the two labels will continue to operate separately. Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson and its president and chief marketing officer Tyler DiNapoli will remain with the banner. Bleecker will also retain control of its slate, acquisitions, distribution, marketing, and filmmaker relationships.
“Bleecker Street is growing, and our ambition is to continue scaling the company while staying true to what has always made us distinctive,” said Sanderson in a statement. “Outerlight shares our belief in the power of cinema and the importance of theatrical moviegoing, and its long-term backing gives us additional capacity to pursue the opportunities we see across our core film business as well as compelling new avenues in the film space. We’re excited about what we can build from here.”
Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
More to come…