What Nomadic Pictures does

Nomadic Pictures is a Calgary-based, privately held film and television production company founded in 1995 by Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev. The company develops, finances, and produces scripted content across formats — feature films, Movies of the Week, mini-series, and multi-season television series — for a roster of enterprise buyers that includes Netflix, Amazon/Prime Video, AMC, FX/MGM, BBC America, SYFY, Discovery, Showtime, Focus Features, Bleecker Street/Sony, Castle Rock Entertainment, Mubi/Film4, and Scripps Networks. Its portfolio spans 97+ productions with a combined production value of approximately $1.5 billion and includes Emmy-winning titles such as Fargo (FX/MGM), Broken Trail (AMC), and The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (Showtime), alongside longer-running series like Hell On Wheels (6 seasons, AMC) and Van Helsing (5 seasons, SYFY/Netflix).

The company operates a project-based B2B production model rather than a software or platform business. Revenue is generated through co-production deals, pre-sales to networks and streamers, production fees, and backend participation in licensing and distribution arrangements. Nomadic typically works within multi-party co-production consortiums — partnering with entities such as The Wonder Project, Kingdom Story Company, Lionsgate Television, Castle Rock Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures, and The Bureau — to share financing and rights across series and films.

Nomadic maintains offices in Calgary, Alberta (headquarters) and Vancouver, British Columbia, supported by a lean team of 11-50 personnel including the two co-founder/co-chairmen, a Producer/VP of Business Affairs, and production finance staff. Recent strategic emphasis has shifted toward faith-based scripted content (House of David on Amazon with The Wonder Project) and high-profile theatrical/arthouse projects (Spinal Tap II with Bleecker Street/Sony; A Long Winter with Mubi/Film4), signaling diversification beyond its traditional broadcast/SVOD episodic base.

Name

Nomadic Pictures

Legal name

Nomadic Pictures Corporation

Website

https://nomadicpictures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nomadic Pictures is a Calgary-based independent production company founded in 1995 that develops, finances, and produces television series, mini-series, and feature films for tier-1 broadcasters, streamers, and theatrical distributors including Netflix, Amazon, AMC, and FX.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Television and Film Production: Nomadic Pictures develops, finances, and produces television series, mini-series, MOWs (Movies of the Week), and feature films. Revenue is generated through production fees, backend participation, and co-production arrangements with networks and streaming platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nomadic Pictures is an independent Canadian production company that develops, finances, and produces scripted television series, mini-series, Movies of the Week (MOWs), and feature films on behalf of major U.S. broadcast networks and streaming platforms. The company operates as a B2B producer, securing co-production deals, pre-sales, and distribution agreements with platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, AMC, FX/MGM, BBC America, SYFY, Discovery, Showtime, Focus Features, Bleecker Street/Sony, and Castle Rock Entertainment. It delivers fully-financed, multi-season content under long-standing relationships with these distributors.

Product overview

Nomadic Pictures is a Canadian-based production company that develops, finances, and produces feature films, Movies of the Week (MOWs), mini-series, and TV series. Founded in 1995 by Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev, the company operates as a portfolio of distinct productions rather than a unified software product or platform. Their production portfolio includes acclaimed series like Fargo (FX/MGM) and Hell On Wheels (AMC), supernatural dramas such as Van Helsing (SYFY/Netflix) and The Order (Netflix), biblical epics including House of David (Amazon/Wonder), feature films like Land (Focus Features), Wind River: The Next Chapter (Castle Rock), and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Bleecker Street/Sony), among over 90 television and film projects worth over $1.1 billion in production value. The company has received 71 Emmy nominations and 3 Emmy Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House of David Scripted historical biblical epic television series co-produced for Amazon MGM Studios, following the story of David from shepherd to warrior to king. Targeted at global streaming audiences.
• Fargo Scripted crime anthology television series produced for FX/MGM and based on the Coen Brothers film. Award-winning series licensed to FX Networks across three seasons.
• Hell On Wheels Scripted Western drama television series produced for AMC Networks following the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Six-season long-running series.
• Van Helsing Scripted action horror television series produced for SYFY/Netflix/SuperEcran following Vanessa Helsing in a post-apocalyptic world. Five-season long-running series.
• The Order Scripted supernatural drama television series produced for Netflix combining werewolves and magic. Two-season series.
• The Imperfects Scripted science-fiction television series produced for Netflix about young adults created by scientists who accidentally turn them into monsters. Single-season series launched in 2021.
• Wu Assassins Scripted action television series produced for Netflix combining martial arts and supernatural elements. Single-season series.
• Ghost Wars Scripted supernatural horror television series produced for SYFY set in a remote Alaskan town. Single-season series.
• My Life With The Walter Boys Scripted drama television series produced for Sony/Netflix. Two-season series with Season 2 released in 2025.
• Wilderness Scripted mini-series produced for Amazon based on the novel by Carvanna. Targeted at global streaming audiences on Prime Video.
• Broken Trail Scripted Western mini-series produced for AMC as the network's first scripted original, starring Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church. Emmy-winning production.
• Land Feature film starring Robin Wright, produced for Focus Features/Big Beach and premiered February 12, 2021.
• Spinal Tap II: The End Continues Sequel feature film to the 1984 comedy classic featuring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, with Rob Reiner returning as director. Distributed theatrically by Bleecker Street/Sony and produced with Castle Rock.
• Wind River: The Next Chapter Sequel feature film to the 2017 film Wind River starring Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood, Chaske Spencer, and Martin Sensmeier. Directed by Kari Skogland. Co-produced with Castle Rock Entertainment and Thunder Road Pictures.
• The Thicket Feature film starring Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis, produced as a Western crime thriller.
• One Mile 2024 action thriller feature film starring Ryan Phillippe about an ex-military veteran protecting his daughter on a college tour. Sequel chapter also produced. Co-produced with Kapital Entertainment.
• The Horseman 2026 Western feature film starring Barry Pepper and Kiefer Sutherland about a grieving father who forms a bond with a young colt. Directed by Rod Lurie. Co-produced with Scripps Networks.
• A Long Winter 2026 feature film starring Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Martin Freeman, Caitriona Balfe, and Kit Connor. Written and directed by Andrew Haigh. Distributed by Mubi/Film 4 and produced with The Bureau.
• Klondike Scripted historical mini-series produced for Discovery based on the Klondike gold rush. Targeted at cable broadcast audiences.
• Copper

Quantifiable outcome

• 97+ television & film projects produced worth $1.5 billion in combined production value
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Wonder ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for House of David series (multiple seasons) with Amazon MGM Studios. The Wonder Project is a faith-based production company led by Jon Erwin and Dallas Jenkins.
• Kingdom Story CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for House of David series alongside Nomadic Pictures, The Wonder Project, Argonauts, Lionsgate Television.
• Lionsgate TelevisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for House of David series alongside Nomadic Pictures, The Wonder Project, Argonauts, Kingdom Story Company.
• Castle Rock EntertainmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Wind River: The Next Chapter. Castle Rock is the entertainment company founded by Rob Reiner.
• Thunder Road PicturesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Wind River: The Next Chapter alongside Castle Rock Entertainment and Nomadic Pictures.
• Castle Rock EntertainmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues alongside Nomadic Pictures and Bleecker Street/Sony distribution.
• Kapital EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for One Mile feature film alongside Nomadic Pictures.
• Mubi/Film4majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistributor and co-production partner for A Long Winter alongside Nomadic Pictures and The Bureau.
• The BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for A Long Winter alongside Nomadic Pictures and Mubi/Film4.
• Scripps NetworksmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor and production partner for The Horseman western film starring Barry Pepper and Kiefer Sutherland.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Entertainment One (eOne): Canadian-headquartered entertainment company producing and distributing film/TV content. Comparable as a North American independent producer with multi-platform commissioning relationships.
• Bad Robot: J.J. Abrams-led independent production company producing film and prestige TV (Lost, Westworld, Fringe). Comparable as a producer-led indie with multi-season streaming and broadcast deals.
• Imagine Entertainment: Ron Howard/Brian Grazer-led production company producing film, television, and documentaries. Comparable as a long-running indie producer with major studio and platform partnerships.
• Blumhouse Productions: Independent film and television production company producing high-volume, lower-cost genre content with backend economics. Comparable as a privately-held indie producer delivering slate content to major platforms.
• Legendary Television: Independent film/TV production company producing tentpole and prestige content for global platforms. Comparable as a co-financing and co-production partner for major streamers.
• Annapurna Pictures: Independent film and television production company producing auteur-driven content. Comparable as a privately-held indie producer targeting prestige distribution channels.
• Lionsgate Television: Independent studio producing scripted television and feature films, including co-production partnership with Nomadic on House of David for Amazon. Highly comparable in business model as a co-production partner supplying prestige content to global streamers.
• A24: Privately-held independent film and television production company producing prestige and genre content for global distribution. Highly comparable as a relationship-driven indie producer with strong brand and awards pedigree.
• Skydance Media: Independent film and television producer with multi-platform deals (including Paramount/Amazon). Comparable business model as an indie producer licensing co-developed content to major streamers.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon MGM Studios: Major studio and streamer that commissions independent producers including Nomadic. Relevant as a counterparty shaping deal terms and as a broader incumbent whose in-house expansion could displace indie producers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nomadic Pictures