Westbrook (company)

Last updated
Westbrook Inc.
Company type Private [1]
Industry Entertainment
FoundedJuly 10, 2019;6 years ago (2019-07-10)
Founders
Headquarters
Calabasas, California
,
United States
Key people
  • Kosaku Yada (CEO)
  • Denise Bailey-Castro (CFO)
  • Terence Carter (president of television)
[2] [3]
Products Motion picture, television production
Divisions
  • Film
  • Television
  • Entertainment Marketing
Website www.westbrookinc.com

Westbrook Inc. is an American multimedia and entertainment venture company founded by actor Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The company was founded in 2019, to create and distribute media content. [4] The company is currently headquartered in Calabasas, California. [5]

Contents

History

In August 2021, the company signed a first-look deal with National Geographic to produce unscripted projects in the areas of adventure, exploration, travel, and science. Projects resulting from this deal include Welcome to Earth (2021) and Pole to Pole (2026). [6]

Candle Media made a minority investment in Westbrook in December 2021. [7] Concurrently, Westbrook acquired Telepool, a German film and television distribution company, signifying Westbrook's initial international expansion. [8]

Westbrook's debut film, King Richard , garnered widespread acclaim and earned numerous awards including six nominations (including Best Picture; the first nomination for this company) at 94th Academy Awards and four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama), winning Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Smith.

In January 2022, Candle Media announced that they purchased a strategic minority investment 10% stake in Westbrook, Inc. [9] Two days later in that month, Westbrook announced that they launched their own international division and had acquired Germany-based film and television distribution sales company Telepool and its division Global Screen, marking Westbrook's first international expansion. [10]

In 2024 Westbrook Racing was founded and joined the UIM E1 World Championship—the world’s first all-electric powerboat racing series—in its inaugural 2024 season. The team was co-founded by actor Will Smith alongside investors Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio and Alshair Fiyaz. [11] The team's entry added to the high-profile list of celebrity-owned franchises in the series, which includes teams owned by Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal, and LeBron James. [12] Smith's involvement, along with that of the other high-profile owners, provided the championship with significant global visibility. The team and the series have publicly stated a commitment to promoting sustainable innovation in marine mobility, aligning with E1's goal of advancing clean energy and environmentally responsible racing. [13]

In May 2024, Westbrook Inc. announced the sale of its German content house Telepool to Vuelta Group. Telepool was subsequently merged with Vuelta Group's existing German producer and distributor, SquareOne Entertainment. [14] [15] [16]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotes
2021 King Richard Reinaldo Marcus Green Warner Bros. Pictures Co-production with Star Thrower Entertainment
2022 Emancipation Antoine Fuqua Apple TV+ Co-production with Apple Studios, McFarland Entertainment, Escape Artists and Apple Original Films. [17] [18]
2024 Bad Boys: Ride or Die Adil & Bilall Sony Pictures Releasing Co-production with Columbia Pictures, 2.0 Entertainment and Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films [19]
2025DebutantesContessa GaylesComcast Xfinity Black ExperienceCo-production with BET Studios, NBC News; 2024 Tribeca FF premiere [20]
TBA
Good ShotJoris DebeijTBACo-production with Religion of Sports, RTG, Unanimous Media, Iconoclast; 2025 ABFF premiere [21]
Are We Getting Married?TBATBACo-production with Ebonylife Media [22]
BrillianceTBA Paramount Co-production with Weed Road Pictures [23]
Hancock 2TBA Sony Pictures N/A [24]
Hitch 2TBA Sony Pictures N/A [25]
I am Legend 2TBA Warner Bros. Co-production with Outlier Society, Weed Road Pic [26]
The Last TigerTBATBACo-production with Circle of Confusion, Antoine Fuqua [27]
ListenBrian BirchTBACo-production with Bound Entertainment, Iris Shim [28]
Night of the Living DeadTBA Amazon Co-production with Vertigo Entertainment, Village Roadshow
Clean AirTBA Amazon MGM Studios Co-production with Kick The Habit Productions and NASCAR [29]
Fast & Loose Michael Bay Netflix Co-production with 87North Productions and STXfilms [30]
Netflix placed this project on hold from April 2022 [31] to October 2024 [32]
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun TBATBACo-production with Yoruba Saxon [33]
Planes, Trains and Automobiles TBA Paramount Pictures N/A [34]
Redd Zone Matthew A. Cherry Netflix [35]
The Elephant's BackTBATBACo-production with Akimoto Project [36]
Untitled I Am Legend sequel TBA Warner Bros. Pictures Co-production with Outlier Society and Weed Road Pictures [37]
Queen Latifah BiopicTBATBACo-production with Flavor Unit, Jesse Collins Entertainment, HarbourView [38]
RegulatorsTBATBACo-production with ThreeSixZero [39]
ResistorTBA Sony Co-production with Escape Artists [40]
Sugar Bandits Antoine Fuqua Paramount Pictures Co-production with 3Arts [41]
DA UnderstudyTBATBACo-production with Mike Soccio, Tyler Cole, Spike Lee [42]
Elephant's BackTBATBACo-production with Akimoto Studios [43]

Television

YearsTitleCreatorNetworkNotes
2018
One Strange Rock N/A National Geographic Co-production with National Geographic
2018-2022 Red Table Talk N/A Facebook Watch Co-production with Very Tall Productions
2018–2025 Cobra Kai Josh Heald
Jon Hurwitz
Hayden Schlossberg 		YouTube Red (season 1)
YouTube Premium (season 2)
Netflix (seasons 3–6)		Continued from Overbrook Entertainment; co-production with Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions (seasons 1–2), Heald Productions (season 2), Counterbalance Entertainment (seasons 3–6) and Sony Pictures Television
2020–2021Red Table Talk: The EstefansN/A Facebook Watch [44] N/A
2021 Welcome to Earth N/A Disney+ Co-production with National Geographic Partners
Amend: The Fight for America N/A Netflix
2022–present Bel-Air Andy Borowitz
Susan Borowitz 		Peacock co-production with Arbolada Roads, Ra Shines Inc., Cooper Films, The 51, and Universal Television [45]
2022 Women of the Movement Marissa Jo Cerar ABC Co-production with Two Drifters, Roc Nation, and Kapital Entertainment
2023African Queens: Nijinga (Pt 1 & 2)Peres Owino, NneNne Iwuji Netflix Co-production with Nutopia [46]
2026Pole to PoleN/A Disney+ Co-production with National Geographic, Nutopia [47]
TBABright Young ThingsSamantha Stratton Amazon Freevee [48]
Untitled The Inheritance Trilogy series N. K. Jemisin TBACo-production with Searchlight Television [49]
Phatty PattyIndia Sage WilsonTBA [50]
The Amazing Mr. XTBATBACo-production with Emanata Studios [51]
This JokaTBARoku Channel [52]
Queen of FlowJorge ReyesPeacockCo-production with UTV [53]

References

  1. ↑ Tani, Max (January 7, 2024). "The fall of Will and Jada's media empire". Semafor. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Westbrook Names Denise Bailey-Castro as CFO". 29 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "20th's Terence Carter to Head Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's Westbrook Studios". 26 September 2019.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 10, 2019). "Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith Launch Multimedia Cross-Platform Venture Westbrook Inc". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (March 4, 2021). "How Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Media Thrived in a Pandemic". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 18, 2021). "Will Smith & Westbrook Studios Ink First-Look Deal With Nat Geo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (January 3, 2022). "Westbrook Sells Minority Stake to Keven Mayer and Tom Staggs' Candle Media". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Buys Telepool". The Hollywood Reporter. January 5, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  9. ↑ Middleton, Richard (January 5, 2022). "Kevin Mayer & Tom Staggs' Candle Media buys into Will Smith's Westbrook Studios". TBI Vision. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  10. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (January 7, 2022). "Will Smith Takes Full Control Of Telepool, Launches Westbrook Int'l". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Will Smith Unveils New UIM E1 World Championship Team". E1 Series. May 9, 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Team Westbrook- Led By Will Smith, Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio and Alshair Fiyaz- Places Third in Its Inaugural E1- Series Race". GeekWire. May 21, 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Inside E1, the F1 for eco-conscious speed boaters backed by the likes of Will Smith, Tom Brady, and Steve Aoki". Business Insider Africa. November 8, 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (April 30, 2024). "Will Smith's Westbrook to Partner With Telepool, SquareOne on German Local-Language Film Slate". Variety. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  15. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (May 8, 2024). "Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Sells Germany's Telepool to Vuelta Group". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  16. ↑ Tani, Max (January 7, 2024). "The fall of Will and Jada's media empire". Semafor. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  17. ↑ Will Smith's 'Emancipation' Shifting to 2023, Apple Eyes New Date After Slap (EXCLUSIVE) Archived 2022-05-09 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved from Variety on 08 May 2022)
  18. ↑ Will Smith Loses Another Movie Release Archived 2022-05-09 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved from GiantFreakinrobot.com website on 08 May 2022)
  19. ↑ "Will Smith and Martin Lawrence Guns Blazing on Atlanta StreetsFor 'Bad Boys 4' Shoot-Out EXCLUSIVE". TMZ. May 22, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  20. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 8, 2024). "'The Debutantes' Documentary Series From The Westbrook Team To Chronicle Black Cotillion Tradition; BET Studios Boards". Deadline. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  21. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (August 10, 2021). "Steph Curry Documentary 'Underrated' in the Works at A24". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  22. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 16, 2021). "Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith's Westbrook Inks Film & TV Deal With Mo Abudu's EbonyLife Media". Deadline. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Paramount Taps 'Ms. Marvel's Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy To Helm Marcus Sakey Novel 'Brilliance'; Will Smith Producing And Eyed To Star". Deadline. September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Will Smith Teases 'Hancock 2,' Says Zendaya Being Eyed For a Role". Deadline. February 20, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  25. ↑ "'Hitch' Director Andy Tennant Says Will Smith Is Developing A Sequel Film Without Him". Deadline. February 12, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  26. ↑ "'I Am Legend 2': Steven Caple Jr. In Talks To Direct". Deadline. July 27, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Circle of Confusion Promotes Josh Adler, Charles Mastropietro & Susan Solomon Shapiro To Partner". Deadline. December 9, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  28. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 31, 2025). "Noah Centineo To Star In 'Listen', A Thriller Produced By Will Smith's Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood.
  29. ↑ Kroll, Justin (August 23, 2021). "Will Smith's Westbrook Studios, The Chainsmokers And NASCAR Team On Rom Com 'Clean Air' At Amazon Studios, Alison Rose Greenberg Penning Script". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  30. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 27, 2021). "Netflix Acquires Hot Package 'Fast & Loose' From STXfilms With Will Smith Starring And David Leitch Directing". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  31. ↑ Masters, Kim (April 2, 2022). "Netflix Backs Away From Will Smith Film 'Fast and Loose'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  32. ↑ Kroll, Justin (October 7, 2024). "Will Smith And Michael Bay Eyeing Reunion On Netflix Action Pic Fast And Loose". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  33. ↑ Grobar, Matt (February 16, 2022). "'Onyeka And The Academy Of The Sun': Will Smith & David Oyelowo To Produce Film Adaptation Of Upcoming Tọlá Okogwu Book For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  34. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 17, 2020). "'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' Gets Paramount Pictures Remake With Will Smith & Kevin Hart Starring; Westbrook, Hartbeat Produce". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  35. ↑ Lang, Brent (December 1, 2020). "Jada Pinkett Smith to Star in 'Redd Zone' for Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  36. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 8, 2021). "Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Form Partnership With Akimoto Project; 'The Elephant's Back' Movie In The Works". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  37. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 4, 2022). "'I Am Legend' Next Chapter: Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan To Star & Produce Together For First Time; Akiva Goldsman Back To Write". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  38. ↑ Petski, Denise (September 4, 2024). "Queen Latifah Movie Produced By Will Smith's Westbrook Set At Paramount". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  39. ↑ "Universal Acquires Westbrook Studios Action-Comedy 'Regulators' Starring Nicky Jam". Deadline Hollywood. September 26, 2022.
  40. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 18, 2024). "Will Smith To Star In Sony Pictures' Sci-Fi Thriller 'Resistor'". Deadline Hollywood.
  41. ↑ Kroll, Justin (September 4, 2024). "Will Smith Exits Action Movie 'Sugar Bandits'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  42. ↑ "'Creed III' Star Jonathan Majors' Next Move: Amazon Pic 'The Understudy,' Spike Lee Circling". Deadline. March 3, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  43. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 8, 2021). "Will Smith's Westbrook Partners With Japanese Producer & Manager Yasushi Akimoto For Content Venture The Dream Master". Deadline. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  44. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 26, 2021). "'Red Table Talk: The Estefans' Renewed For Season 2 At Facebook Watch". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  45. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 8, 2020). "'Bel-Air': Peacock Gives 2-Season Order To 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot From Morgan Cooper & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  46. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (February 11, 2023). "Jada Pinkett Smith On Netflix's 'African Queens: Njinga,' 'Black Panther' & 'The Woman King'—And The Need For Authentic Representation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  47. ↑ Chuba, Kirsten (February 8, 2022). "Will Smith and Nat Geo's 'Pole to Pole' Journey Gets First Look". The Hollywood Reporter .
  48. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (December 16, 2020). "Coming-Of-Age Series 'Bright Young Things' In Works At IMDb TV From Samantha Stratton & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  49. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 12, 2021). "N.K. Jemisin's 'The Inheritance Trilogy' To Be Developed As TV Series By Searchlight TV & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  50. ↑ Patski, Denise (August 25, 2021). "Zoë Kravitz To Headline & EP Coming-Of-Age Animated Series 'Phatty Patty' From Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  51. ↑ White, Peter (November 16, 2021). "Beano Studios & DC Thomson Launch Emanata Studios To Adapt Comic IP For TV & Film; Set Deals With Jerry Bruckheimer TV & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  52. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie; Patski, Denise (April 2, 2020). "Will Smith To Host 'This Joka' Stand-Up Comedy Series For Quibi From Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  53. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 29, 2023). "Becky G To Star In 'Queen Of Flow' Drama Series In Works At Peacock From Jorge Reyes & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood .
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