True Brit Entertainment, the UK theatrical distributor founded by former Lionsgate UK and Europe CEO Zygi Kamasa, has filed for administration, a British insolvency process similar to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States.
The company launched less than three years ago and released critically praised films including "The Death of Robin Hood," starring Hugh Jackman. None of its titles gained enough traction at the UK box office to sustain the business.
Kamasa, who also served as CEO of Marv Studios Group, built True Brit as a home for British films aimed at domestic audiences. The company positioned itself as a mid-sized distributor at a time when smaller UK outfits have struggled to compete with major studios and streaming platforms for screens and marketing dollars.
The filing, first reported by Variety, makes True Brit the latest casualty of what the company described as "extremely challenging market conditions." UK cinema admissions have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and independent distributors face rising marketing costs, shrinking theatrical windows and stiff competition from Hollywood tentpoles.
Administration in the UK places a company under the control of licensed insolvency practitioners who attempt to rescue the business, sell its assets or wind it down. The process typically results in job losses and leaves creditors, including filmmakers and suppliers, waiting to learn what they will recover.
True Brit's collapse follows a string of setbacks for the UK independent film sector. Distributors have warned for years that the economics of releasing non-franchise films in cinemas have deteriorated, with fewer screens available and audiences increasingly selective about what they see theatrically.
For Kamasa, the filing marks a sharp reversal. He spent years at Lionsgate building the studio's UK and European operations and was behind hits including the "Kingsman" franchise. He launched True Brit with backing from investors who bet on his track record and on demand for British-made content.
It is not yet clear how many employees will be affected or what will happen to True Brit's film library and upcoming release slate. Administrators have not publicly outlined a timeline for the process.
The failure adds pressure on UK industry figures who have called for government support for independent film. Similar appeals have followed other distributor closures in recent years, with little in the way of new funding materializing.
For now, True Brit joins a growing list of UK film businesses that could not survive the shift in how audiences watch movies. The company's creditors and creative partners now wait to see what administrators can salvage.
