Jump to content

Ryan Wiik

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by MariaSky (talk | contribs) at 06:42, 12 January 2018 (Removed redundant information.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ryan Wiik
Wiik at a Hollywood red-carpet event in 2007
Born
Gunnar Ryan Wiik

(1981-09-23) September 23, 1981 (age 42)
Hamar, Norway
Occupation(s)actor, producer, entrepreneur
Years active2005 - present

Gunnar Ryan Wiik (/ˈvɪk/; born September 23, 1981), also known as Ryan Wiik, is a Norwegian actor, producer and entrepreneur best known for his work to build the publicly traded entertainment company WR Entertainment, and his work to develop a film series based on Morgan Kane with himself in the title role.[1][2][3]

Career

In the late summer of 2005, Wiik was a contestant in a Norwegian talent search TV show, Filmstjerne (English translation: “Movie Star”).

In 2007, Wiik appeared in the thriller, Timber Falls, directed by Tony Giglio, playing the role of James.[4]

Morgan Kane

In January 2016, it was announced that Wiik would star as the title role in the planned Morgan Kane films.[5]

In December 2016, it was reported that Wiik's credit was removed from IMDB and it was speculated he would no longer star.[3]

Wiik's claim to the role was in 2017 widely debated by stockholders of WR Entertainment in tabloids, the financial media and entertainment trade magazine Variety.[6][7][3]

WR Entertainment

In 2007 Wiik founded a film development company, Without You LLC, which in 2009 was acquired by his second company WR Films Entertainment Group Inc where Wiik became a major shareholder alongside several film and entertainment executives, including James Cardwell, Duane M. Eberlein and composer Michael J. Smith.[2]

On May 9, 2011, Daily Variety broke a story that WR Films had acquired the motion-picture rights to all 83 novels in the best-selling Morgan Kane series, which had sold more than 20 million books to date.[8] Over the next years Wiik led development of a Hollywood film-franchise of the Morgan Kane Western series by Norwegian author Kjell Hallbing.[9][3]

In the spring of 2012, the Norwegian financial press reported on Wiik's plans to launch a $90M film fund, reporting that investment banks, investors, and publicly traded companies in the U.S. such as Lionsgate Entertainment were interested in providing the funding. The transaction did not close.[10][11]

In 2015, WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc. became acquired by Norwegian parent company WR Entertainment ASA, where Wiik was Vice Chairman of the board of directors.[12]

Public Listing

On January 13, 2016, WR Entertainment ASA rang the opening bell and became a publicly traded company on the Oslo Stock Exchange Merkur Market in Norway. The listing made headlines and initial trading priced the company at NOK 1.1 billion.[13][14] Tasmin Lucia-Khan was named CEO of the company.[2] Later in January 2016, WR Entertainment ASA's stock price fell such that Wiik lost NOK 320 million (approx. USD 35 million) in one trading day.[12]

In March 2016 it was known that several high-profile investors, including airline magnate Bjørn Kjos, had acquired a significant stake in WR by providing NOK 30 million in fresh operating capital to the company.[15] [16]

On December 11, 2016 Wiik resigned from all corporate positions in WR, over "creative differences" following a shareholder rebellion that also ousted WR's Chairman James Cardwell.[17][18]

Litigation

WR's legal disputes with its founder was widely covered by the media, and often front-page news in Norway.[19]

The Norwegian media reported that WR had spent $470,000 on its legal disputes with Wiik during the first six months of 2017.[19]

On Dec 13 2017 Variety wrote that the lawsuits between Wiik, Khan and WR had been resolved in a settlement.[20]

Personal life

Wiik resides in Los Angeles, California.[10][5] and comes from the seaside town of Drøbak, Norway.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Maddaus, Gene (16 July 2017). "Meet the Norwegian Cowboy Being Chased by 300 Angry Investors Over a Failed Western". Variety. Retrieved 18 Nov 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Sæter, Kjetil (20 May 2017). "Mannen som ville være Morgen Kane" [The man who would be Morgan Kane] (in Norwegian). Dagens Næringsliv. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Ripegutu, Halvor. "Nordmannen Ryan Wiik fjernet som Morgan Kane" [Norwegian Ryan Wiik removed as Morgan Kane] (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  4. ^ IMDB. "Ryan Wiik at the Internet Movie Database".
  5. ^ a b Stavrum, Gunnar (12 January 2016). "Norske Ryan Wiik blir verdenskjent som "Morgan Kane"" [Norwegian Ryan Wiik becomes world famous "Morgan Kane"]. Nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  6. ^ Østbø, Stein (23 September 2017). "Balladen om Morgen Kane" [Balladen om Morgan Kane] (in Norwegian). VG. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  7. ^ Maddaus, Gene (20 March 2017). "Norwegian Investors in 'Morgan Kane' Fire Back at Ousted Actor". Variety. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  8. ^ McNary, Dave (9 May 2011). "WR saddles up for Kane Westerns". Variety. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  9. ^ Stavrum, Gunnar (18 March 2016). "Norske milliardærer satser på Morgan Kane". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  10. ^ a b Furuly, Jan Gunnar (25 February 2013). "Vil filmatisere Morgan Kane" [Morgan Kane will be filmed]. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  11. ^ NTB (5 April 2012). "Morgan Kane-film snart virkelighet" [Morgan Kane movie will be released soon]. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  12. ^ a b Eckblad, Bjørn (15 January 2016). "Tapte 320 mill. på én børsdag" [Lost 320 million on one trading day] (in Norwegian). DN.no. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  13. ^ Jacobsen, Stian (14 January 2016). "Vill vest I aksjemarkedet priser Morgan Kane til 1.1 milliarder kroner" [Wild West in the stockmarket pricing Morgan Kane to 1.1 billion kroners] (in Norwegian). Hegnar. Retrieved 18 Nov 2017.
  14. ^ Framstad, Anders Park (13 January 2016). "Dette er de syv debutantene på Oslos nye markedsplass" [These are the seven debutants in Oslo's new marketplace] (in Norwegian). e24.no. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  15. ^ Stavrum, Gunnar (18 Mar 2016). "Norske milliardærer satser på Morgan Kane". Nettavisen. Retrieved 18 Nov 2017.
  16. ^ Ekeseth, Fredrich Chr. (18 Mar 2016). "Kjos inn i Morgan Kane selskap". DN. Retrieved 18 Nov 2017.
  17. ^ Strandli, Are (13 December 2016). "Gründer takker for seg" [Gründer thanks himself] (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  18. ^ Ripegutu, Halvor (14 Dec 2016). "Styreleder og hovedrolleinnhaver ute av styret". Nettavisen. Retrieved 18 Nov 2017.
  19. ^ a b Parr, Odd Steinar (6 October 2017). "Dramaet fortsetter i WR Entertainment" [The drama continues in WR Entertainment] (in Norwegian). Hegnar. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  20. ^ Maddaus, Gene (13 Dec 2017). "Norwegian Cowboy Actor Settles Lawsuit Against Ex-Lover". Variety. Retrieved 11 Jan 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Wiik&oldid=819955725"