Universal Pictures and Rogue Pictures have signed a multi-yearproduction and co-financing deal with new production and financing companyIntrepid Pictures.

Founded by Trevor Macy and Marc Evans, Intrepid is backed by aconsortium of institutional investors and a revolving credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase.

The company will finance 50% of each picture it produces, as wellas its own overhead and development, and plans to produce and co-finance threeto five pictures each year amounting to a minimum of eight over five years withRogue.

Universal and Rogue will retain all worldwide distribution rightsunder the non-exclusive first-look deal, which kicks off next year with Roguereleases Waist Deepstarring Tyrese Gibson, Meagan Good and Larenz Tate, The Game directed by Vondie Curtis Hall, and TheReturn starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"As we build Rogue, a long-term creative and financial partnersuch as Intrepid will provide sound, incremental support to our continuedexpansion," Rogue chief David Linde said.

"Trevor and Marc's solid instincts and proven business acumen willalso benefit the films we work on together. We're already off to a great startwith them on our first two projects together, with many more to come."

"We're developing most of our pictures in-house, but we'll alsocollaborate on pictures generated by Universal and Rogue," Macy and Evansadded.

"Intrepid offers investors a slate of pictures and a library, andoffers talent a great home for their projects - especially with a topcreative and business partnership in place with both Universal and Rogue."

Macy previously served as chief operating officer at PropagandaFilms, and vice president of the Sundance Group. His independent executiveproducer credits include Paul Schrader's Auto Focus.

Evans was chieffinancial officer of Revolution Studios for four years, and before that heldsenior at Turner Pictures and the Turner Network Television Originals Group.