Daily Variety reports that Franco-Tunisian film producer Tarak Ben Ammar has acquired a 2% stake in Rainbow, the Italian animation house behind the popular animated television series Winx Club. In addition to heading Paris-based Quinta Communications, Ammar sits on the board of directors at The Weinstein Co., which has invested heavily in independent animated features.
Ammar joins the board at Rainbow, which will see its feature film, Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom, roll out on 500 screens across Italy. The company was founded in 1995 by Italian CG artist and director Iginio Straffi and also produces the toon series Tommy & Oscar, Monster Allergy and Prezzy.
The cautious investment in Italian animation is said to part of Ammar’s larger plan to gan a solid foothold in the country’s entertainment biz. He owns a 24% stake in TV production company Lux Vide and is in negotiations to take over film distributor and co-producer Eagle Pictures.
