Leonine Studios rebrands Odeon Entertainment as Madame Zheng Production

Leonine Studios strategically realigns its production company Odeon Entertainment under the new brand name Madame Zheng Production. The brand represents a company that develops and produces emotional, value-driven non-fiction content that is as entertaining as it is relevant. The company’s primary focus lies on equality and diversity in every aspect of the production business, both in front of and behind the camera. Tina Wagner, previously Producer and Executive Producer at RedSeven Entertainment, and Nina Etspüler, Co-Head of Entertainment at Leonine Studios, are joining the management team and will lead the company under Tina Wagner's direction along with Martin Schneider, Odeon Entertainment’s long-standing managing director.

Fred Kogel, CEO and Co-Head of Entertainment at Leonine Studios, said: "Ever since Nina Etspüler joined LEONINE in January 2021, we have jointly pursued the goal of establishing a production brand that advocates for equality and diversity in front of and behind the camera, to firmly anchor these themes, which are essential for LEONINE Studios, in the production market. The entertainment sector in Germany, in particular, has a lot of catching up to do, which is why we want to champion equality and diversity consciously. I am very pleased that we can now put our plans into practice with such a distinguished and talented colleague as Tina Wagner. Madame Zheng Production perfectly complements our existing entertainment brands i&u TV and SEO Entertainment. In its entirety, LEONINE Studios now covers an even broader spectrum within non-fiction production. This will generate further growth for our LEONINE Production division.”

Tina Wagner previously worked at RedSeven Entertainment as a producer and executive producer and has developed and realized a variety of highly successful docutainment formats. Her productions include "Moms Make Porn," "Kiss Bang Love," "Five Senses For Love," which was nominated for the German Television Award, as well as "Old People's Home For 4 Year Olds" and "Married At First Sight," which won the German Television Award. Tina Wagner, Managing Director of Madame Zheng Production, added: "We want to create programs that appeal to everyone and don't limit ourselves to specific genres or target audiences. Our main focus is to develop entertaining, value-driven, and glamorous formats that are visually innovative, recognizable, and unique. The new company name reflects our brand essence. Madame Zheng, the name of a legendary pirate, symbolizes for us a strong, unconventional woman who is very successful at what she does. And that's how we're starting out now - ready to conquer the TV landscape. I'm very excited to embark on this journey with Nina Etspüler, Martin Schneider, and our great, professional team as part of LEONINE Studios."

Nina Etspüler is Co-Head of Entertainment at Leonine Studios and Managing Director of i&u TV and Madame Zheng Production. Previously, she was Group Creative Director of Red Arrow Studios, responsible for global format and content development and acquisitions and international market launches at Red Arrow Studios, a ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE company. Throughout her career, she was instrumental in the development and international roll-out of numerous worldwide format hits such as "Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds", "Kiss Bang Love," "Buying Blind – Das Hauskauf Experiment," and "Look Me In The Eye." Before she produced "Circus Halligalli" and "Das Duell Um Die Welt" with Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf at Florida Entertainment, Nina Etspüler spent over ten years as Executive Producer at ProSieben and Sat.1, where she was responsible for formats such as "Elton Vs. Simon", "Comedystreet" and "Rent A Pocher." Moreover, Nina Etspüler, Co-Head of Entertainment at LEONINE Studios and Managing Director of Madame Zheng Production, stated: "Equality and diversity are part of the core values that guide LEONINE Studios' corporate strategy. I am very excited that they will become even more visible and tangible with Madame Zheng. Tina Wagner has already produced many outstanding, innovative and successful television formats. Now, as Madame Zheng Production, we want to create television programs that people talk about."

Martin Schneider is Managing Director of Madame Zheng Production. He previously headed Odeon Entertainment and was responsible for the development and production of various non-fiction productions, including the mystery docu-series "Haunted - Seelen Ohne Frieden," the high-profile 12-part concert series "Met Stars Live In Concert" commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, or the Austrian format "Wirt Sucht Frau," which was awarded a Romy, the prestigious Austrian film and television prize. Martin Schneider, Managing Director of Madame Zheng Production, said: “I look forward to working with Tina Wagner, Nina Etspüler, and the entire team under the flag of Madame Zheng.”