Madman Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film and television production, distribution, entertainment, rights management |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Tim Anderson, Paul Wiegard |
| Headquarters | East Melbourne, Victoria , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
Key people | Tim Anderson (CEO) |
| Products | Feature films, documentaries, TV series, home entertainment, theatrical releases |
| Owner | Tim Anderson, Paul Wiegard, investor group |
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., frequently referred to as Madman Films and branded as MADMAN, is an Australian company specializing in film and television production, distribution, entertainment, and rights management. Headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, it focuses on feature films, documentaries, and TV series for theatrical release and home entertainment throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Early history
Established in 1996 by Tim Anderson and Paul Wiegard, Madman began as a mail-order enterprise concentrating on imported anime titles, inspired by the success of Manga Entertainment in the US and UK markets. Initially, the company distributed content on VHS. Madman was among the first Australian distributors to produce DVDs internally, debuting with Ghost in the Shell (1995). By 1998, it had expanded into television distribution with Neon Genesis Evangelion airing on SBS TV.
Madman handles live-action content under several labels such as Madman Films, Directors Suite, Madman Sports, Madman Laughs, Madman Television, Bollywood Masala, and Eastern Eye. Children's programming is distributed through Planet Mad and Mad4Kids. Its theatrical branch operates under the name Madman Cinema. The company also distributes shows acquired or produced by Australia's Special Broadcasting Service. Since 2015, Madman has served as the Australasian distributor for WWE, taking over from Shock Entertainment for DVD and Blu-ray releases. Prior to 2005, Madman was the distributor for Umbrella Entertainment films.
Acquisition by Funtastic Limited
On 1 May 2006, Funtastic Limited acquired Madman Group for , gaining media rights tied to Funtastic’s toy licenses. Founders Tim Anderson and Paul Wiegard continued their involvement by remaining on Madman’s board under employment contracts.
In 2007, Madman obtained licenses to distribute original Cartoon Network and Adult Swim series on DVD across Australia and New Zealand. The company also managed Adult Swim's anime programming block until its discontinuation on Cartoon Network Australia in January 2008.
On 23 February 2008, a distribution agreement was secured with Viz Media to handle manga titles within Australia and New Zealand. This collaboration concluded in April 2016 when Simon & Schuster assumed distribution responsibilities for Viz's catalogue, ending Madman's role in manga distribution.
At the 2008 Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Madman unveiled new distribution initiatives by launching the Madman Screening Room VOD platform, debuting with School Rumble. The company commenced Blu-ray production in June 2009 with The Transformers: The Movie. On 1 June 2009, Madman produced an English dub of Tamagotchi: The Movie and planned a sequel dub that was ultimately cancelled.
In April 2008, a partnership was formed with UK-based Warp Films to co-produce a minimum of two films over three years, starting with Tyrannosaur.
Independent company
Funtastic Limited announced intentions to divest Madman Entertainment on 4 March 2014 after its market value decreased to half of its book value. Subsequently, on 31 July 2014, original founders Tim Anderson and Paul Wiegard, together with a small investor group, reacquired Madman Entertainment from Funtastic for .
In April 2017, Madman Media Group purchased Garage Entertainment from SurfStitch Group for a nominal cash amount. This acquisition included Garage Entertainment Pty. Ltd. and TMG Media Pty. Ltd., alongside negotiating a strategic alliance focused on content creation and advertising solutions.
Divestment of Madman Anime Group and continued film initiatives
On 17 February 2018, CEO Tim Anderson announced that Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, acquired a minority stake in Madman Anime Group on 15 November 2017 via a private share issuance.
By May 2018, following a strategic assessment by PwC that valued the company at approximately , investors Adrian MacKenzie, Brett Chenoweth, and Charbel Nader began considering either selling Madman Media or introducing new equity partners.
Subsequently, on 6 February 2019, Madman Entertainment completed the sale of Madman Anime to Aniplex for .
On 13 February 2020, Madman Entertainment collaborated with Curzon and Cinéart to establish a USD 1.6 million film development fund spanning three years. This initiative offers first-look distribution rights and supports around 16 film projects. Managed from Curzon’s London office, early projects include Swimming Home, Sweet Maddie Stone, and The Ballad of a Small Player.
On 11 July 2023, APRA AMCOS initiated legal action against Madman’s streaming platforms DocPlay and Garage Entertainment concerning unpaid music licensing fees. The matter was swiftly resolved, with both platforms becoming among the first to formalize ongoing music fee agreements with APRA AMCOS.
DocPlay
DocPlay is a subscription-based video-on-demand platform dedicated exclusively to documentary films. Launched by Madman Entertainment on 1 December 2016, it debuted with a catalogue of 130 documentaries, including 20 Australian titles.
In November 2016, Madman Entertainment obtained funding from Screen Australia's Enterprise program, facilitating the introduction of a revenue-sharing scheme for documentary creators and enabling growth in its Australian content offerings.
On 23 July 2019, DocPlay broadened its content through a licensing deal with ABC Commercial, adding more than 180 hours of factual programming sourced from ABC’s archives, featuring productions from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.