Chorion stake in Agatha Christie estate sold to Acorn
Media content group Chorion has sold its stake in Agatha Christie Limited to Acorn Productions Limited for an undisclosed cash sum.
The deal involved 64% of the Agatha Christie estate, with the Agatha Christie family retaining its 36% holding.
Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Prichard remains chairman of Agatha Christie Limited.
The estate owns more than 80 novels and short story collections, 19 plays and a film library of nearly 40 TV films.
Chorion MD Mary Durkan said the group had been "very proud" to co-own the Agatha Christie estate with the Christie family, adding "We believe Acorn will be a great future partner for the Christie family and will continue to nurture and treasure this property.”
Acorn's Peter Edwards meanwhile said the media group has had "the pleasure of representing Agatha Christie’s work in the DVD and digital markets of North America and Australia for many years" and that it is "honoured to have the additional opportunity to expand our efforts on behalf of her remarkable body of work.”
The stake in Agatha Christie Limited is the latest of a significant number of Chorion’s assets to have been sold, with properties remaining to be sold including the Enid Blyton estate and Noddy, which Chorion wholly owns, as well as Olivia, Gaspard & Lisa and Max & Ruby.