Cristiano Ronaldo and British film director Matthew Vaughn have started an independent film studio, in what will be the Portuguese football star’s first foray in the movie-making business.
The two partners have financed and produced two action films together and are about to start a third in the same series, their UR•MARV independent film studio said in a statement. Details of the first film will be unveiled soon, according to American magazine Variety, which first reported the news.
The statement did not say how much Ronaldo and Vaughn plan to invest in the 50-50 joint venture. Vaughn, 54, is known for directing films such as Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011) and the Kingsman series (2015 to 2024).
The investment comes as streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ boost independent film producers by offering to distribute their films to a global audience.
“This is an exciting chapter for me, as I look ahead to new ventures in business,” Ronaldo said in the statement on April 10.
Over the past decade, the 40-year-old has dipped into a range of investments, including stakes in a hotel chain, a porcelain maker and a media company in Portugal. He recently concluded the acquisition of a tennis and padel club in Lisbon.
Ronaldo recently said he would like to own several football clubs once he retires. He had played for clubs such as England’s Manchester United and Spain’s Real Madrid.
A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, the football icon joined Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr in 2022 for a reported annual salary of around US$200mil (RM887mil). He has yet to give an indication of when he plans to retire. – Bloomberg
