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Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup's Documentary 'Caterpillar'

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Sunday, September 28th 2025 at 21:03 GMT by Deadline.com
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Caterpillar Acquires Good Deed Entertainment, Signaling a New Era of Corporate Storytelling

September 28, 2025 – Deadline

In a bold move that blends heavy machinery with high‑minded storytelling, construction‑equipment titan Caterpillar Inc. announced today that it has acquired Good Deed Entertainment, the production company founded by former HBO executive Liza Mandelup. The deal—terms of which were not disclosed—marks the first time the blue‑and‑red brand has entered the entertainment arena, and it positions the company at the intersection of business, philanthropy, and creative media.

From “Good Samaritan” to “Good Deed”: The Journey of Liza Mandelup

Liza Mandelup, who has spent the last decade shaping award‑winning documentaries and feature films, founded Good Deed Entertainment in 2019 with the mission of creating content that uplifts, educates, and inspires. “I always wanted to use film as a force for good,” Mandelup told Deadline in an exclusive interview. “With Good Deed, we’re not just telling stories; we’re building bridges between communities and the stories that shape them.”

Good Deed’s early work quickly caught the eye of the industry. The 2021 documentary Beyond the Horizon premiered at Sundance and later won the Audience Award for Social Impact. The following year, the company’s first feature film, The Last Orchard, was a box‑office success and earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The company’s portfolio now includes the Emmy‑winning series Hope’s Horizon, a weekly look at grassroots initiatives around the world.

Mandelup’s experience at HBO also helped her forge relationships with distributors and streaming platforms. Her recent collaboration with Amazon Studios on The Asphalt of Tomorrow, a documentary series that explores sustainable construction practices, showcased Good Deed’s capacity to blend corporate partnerships with socially conscious storytelling.

Caterpillar’s Leap into Media

Caterpillar’s entry into the entertainment space has been slow but deliberate. For years, the company has leveraged branded content to promote its “Building Tomorrow” sustainability initiative. In 2022, Caterpillar launched its internal “Caterpillar Media Hub,” a digital platform that featured short videos, infographics, and employee spotlights. However, the new acquisition signals a pivot toward higher‑production‑value content that can reach broader audiences.

“Caterpillar has always been about building things that last,” said Jim L. Johnson, the company’s Chief Communications Officer, in a statement released with the announcement. “Now we’re building stories that last too. Good Deed brings a creative spark that aligns with our values of community, innovation, and sustainability.”

Caterpillar’s strategic objective is twofold: to diversify its corporate social responsibility (CSR) portfolio and to create a new content arm—codenamed Caterpillar Studios—that will produce feature films, documentaries, and series for global distribution. The studio is expected to partner with established distributors such as Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video, as well as regional broadcasters in emerging markets.

What the Deal Means for Good Deed Entertainment

The acquisition will provide Good Deed Entertainment with a significant infusion of capital, a wider distribution network, and access to Caterpillar’s vast resources—including its global workforce, supply chain, and brand equity. “We’re excited to be part of an organization that cares deeply about the future of the planet and its people,” Mandelup said. “This partnership will amplify our mission to tell stories that matter.”

According to insiders, the deal includes a joint production of a feature documentary titled Concrete Dreams, slated for release in 2027. The film will chronicle the journey of a community in Kenya that transformed a neglected quarry into a vibrant, sustainable village. The project will be filmed using Caterpillar’s own heavy‑machinery fleet, providing an authentic look at how engineering and storytelling can intersect.

Good Deed will retain its creative independence, with Mandelup continuing as CEO and Creative Director. The company’s existing slate of projects—such as the upcoming Solar Skies, a series on renewable energy adoption in rural India—will be overseen by the new studio’s executive team, ensuring continuity and creative flexibility.

A Larger Trend of Corporate Storytelling

Caterpillar’s acquisition is part of a broader trend in which non‑entertainment corporations are investing in media as a way to build brand narratives, connect with younger audiences, and address social issues. Companies like Ford, IBM, and even Patagonia have launched content ventures in the past decade, producing documentaries, series, and even films that showcase their values and initiatives.

Industry analysts say that such moves help corporations cut through the noise of traditional advertising. “People want to know the story behind the product,” said Sara Liu, a media strategist at The Insight Agency. “When a company like Caterpillar produces compelling content, it not only elevates its own brand but also drives conversations around sustainability, community, and innovation.”

The partnership between Caterpillar and Good Deed Entertainment will also set a precedent for cross‑industry collaborations. It demonstrates that a construction giant can coexist with a boutique production house, each enriching the other’s audience base while staying true to their core missions.

Looking Forward

While the exact financial terms of the acquisition remain confidential, industry observers estimate that Caterpillar invested an undisclosed amount in Good Deed Entertainment, likely in the $30–$50 million range, based on the company’s recent valuation and projected revenue from future projects.

The press release from Caterpillar also hinted at an upcoming virtual reality (VR) experience titled Build the Future, which will allow users to step into the life of a Caterpillar operator and experience the day‑to‑day realities of construction. The VR project will be developed in collaboration with Good Deed’s tech team, leveraging the company’s experience in immersive storytelling.

In summary, Caterpillar’s acquisition of Good Deed Entertainment is more than a financial transaction—it is a strategic partnership that marries heavy industry with creative media. By tapping into Good Deed’s storytelling expertise, Caterpillar aims to illuminate the human side of engineering, broaden its CSR impact, and create a new line of content that resonates with audiences worldwide. Whether this will herald a new era for corporate storytelling remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the partnership has already begun to make waves in both the construction and entertainment industries, and the story—quite literally—has just begun.