Variety: The highly anticipated biblical epic Mary, financed by Peachtree Group and featuring the legendary Anthony Hopkins, has recently been acquired by Netflix.
Through the perspective of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus Christ, this new biblical epic brings to life her story. Directed by D.J. Caruso (known for Disturbia) and Written by Timothy Michael Hayes, the film follows Mary, Joseph, and their newborn son, Jesus, as they escape the relentless chase of King Herod, played by Anthony Hopkins.
Mary will premiere on Netflix later this year. Stay tuned for more information.
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ATLANTA (March 17, 2025) – Peachtree Group (Peachtree), a leading private equity firm, successfully showcased two of its financed films, We Bury the Dead and The Surfer, at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival, further solidifying its presence in the entertainment financing sector.
SXSW, which took place March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, is one of the industry's most influential festivals, bringing together filmmakers, industry leaders and media professionals. The selection of Peachtree-backed films at SXSW 2025 underscores the firm's expanding role in providing senior-secured financing for compelling storytelling.
We Bury the Dead made its World Premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section, telling the story of a woman searching for her missing husband in the aftermath of a military experiment gone wrong—only to make a chilling discovery when the dead begin showing signs of life.
Starring Daisy Ridley, who 'stuns in this beautifully horrific road trip,' and backed by reviews praising its aesthetics—such as, “The film’s visuals highlight this delicate balance, showing how grief can be both painful and profoundly beautiful”—it is sure to be an enormous success.
The Surfer, which had its North American premiere in the Festival Favorite category, follows a man who returns to his childhood beach with his son, only to find him self locked in a tense conflict with a powerful group of locals that pushes him to his breaking point.
Peachtree's involvement in SXSW 2025follows The Surfer’s world premiere at prestigious Cannes Film Festival, which scored a six-minute standing ovation, and cemented the firm’s reputation as a prominent lender in TV and film productions.
"Our increasing activity in film and television financing is a natural extension of our lending capabilities," said Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO of Peachtree. "The entertainment industry presents unique investment opportunities, and our goal is to provide financing solutions that align with the creative vision of filmmakers while delivering strong returns for our stakeholders."
Peachtree targets productions ranging from $5 million to $50 million, a segment experiencing growing demand for flexible capital solutions.
"By combining capital investment with deep industry expertise, we deliver tailored financial solutions that align with the evolving demands of today's entertainment market," said Joshua Harris, managing partner of Peachtree.
Peachtree continues to expand its film and television portfolio, with roughly 15 projects in development. In add it ionto The Surfer and We Bury the Dead, the firm has financed several high-profile films, including:
· The Fabulous Four with Susan Sarandon and Bette Midler
· Sleeping Dogs with Russell Crowe
As digital transformation accelerates, premium content expands and consumer viewing habits shift, the demand for entertainment financing continues to grow. Peachtree, a fully capitalized lending platform and one-stop shop for entertainment financing and production, offers deep industry expertise—providing creators with the capital and strategic support to bring their projects to life.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
In a recent episode of the Peachtree Point of View podcast, CEO Greg Friedman sat down with Joshua Harris, managing partner and executive producer and Emily Crooke, director investment strategies for Peachtree Group to discuss an often misunderstood but highly profitable investment strategy: film finance.
While Peachtree Group is widely recognized for its commercial real estate investments, many aren't aware of the firm’s growing media finance division. As Greg explains, this expansion stems from the core philosophy of uncovering niche and non-traditional opportunities where risk is mispriced to its advantage, driving outsized returns on its investments.
What makes Peachtree's approach to film finance unique? Unlike traditional film investors who take substantial creative risk hoping for the next blockbuster, Peachtree operates strictly as a senior lender. Drawing on his 25+ years of experience in financial services and media finance, Josh has developed a conservative underwriting approach that mirrors Peachtree's private credit lending strategy.
"People don't understand the difference between investing in film and lending in film," he explains. "We're not making an investment of capital into something that's just based off a script."
Instead, Peachtree advances against three forms of collateral:
1. Distribution agreements from major players like Netflix, Sony, and Amazon
2. Tax incentives from film-friendly states and countries
3. Carefully selected unsold territories with significant intrinsic value
Emily frames it simply: "In film finance, it's really, in simplistic terms, accounts receivables-based lending." She compares it to pre-selling condo units to use as collateral for construction financing.
A critical risk mitigation factor is the requirement for completion guarantees. Every Peachtree-financed film is protected by an AAA-rated bond company that monitors production spending and guarantees [on-time, on-budget] delivery. This eliminates both creative risk (will the film be good?) and production risk (will the film be finished?).
The result? Debt investments with equity-like returns. By leveraging their expertise and banking relationships, Peachtree achieves "strong 20s and 30s percent" yields at the investment level.
With approximately a dozen completed films ranging from $5 million to $80 million budgets, Peachtree Group is scaling up to finance around 12 films annually. The portfolio already includes an $80 million Guy Ritchie film hitting theaters this summer.
For investors seeking diversification with similar risk-reward profiles to private credit lending commercial real estate, this emerging alternative presents an intriguing opportunity. The complete podcast offers deeper insights into how Peachtree's disciplined underwriting approach translates to this growing asset class.
Listen to the full episode of Peachtree Point of View to learn more about this innovative investment strategy that delivers "equity type outcomes" with carefully managed downside protection.
Variety: The highly anticipated biblical epic Mary, financed by Peachtree Group and featuring the legendary Anthony Hopkins, has recently been acquired by Netflix.
Through the perspective of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus Christ, this new biblical epic brings to life her story. Directed by D.J. Caruso (known for Disturbia) and Written by Timothy Michael Hayes, the film follows Mary, Joseph, and their newborn son, Jesus, as they escape the relentless chase of King Herod, played by Anthony Hopkins.
Mary will premiere on Netflix later this year. Stay tuned for more information.
