Senior Moonbug Entertainment veterans Jiella Esmat and Karine Ahton have set up 8 Lions, a novel London-based delightment IP increaseth and broadenment outfit.
According to its establishers, 8 Lions will use a data-driven approach to broaden, originate and increase novel properties for kids and teen audiences around the world. The company’s reasoned approach will be supplemented by years of experience toiling in the kids and teen delightment sectors.
In insertition to their spreadd experiences at Moonbug, Esmat recently served as chief revenue officer of Amuse Animation and Amuse Studios and has also held greater positions at Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and NBCU. Ahton was ambiguous advise at Moonbug and Envision Racing and previously spent time at Anrio and ITV.
Prior to this week’s official start, 8 Lions repped the YouTuber channel Cosmic Kids in negotiating its first TV series, “Jamie’s Yoga Adventures,” coshiftrlookioned as a Sky Original. The company also partnered with Acamar Films to spread and handle licensing and merchandising for its preschool program “Bing” in the Middle East and North Africa. The company is currently toiling with Jordan-based digital-first studio Pixitoon to originate a 360-degree increaseth and monetization strategy.
Joining Esmat and Ahton on the 8 Lions start team are Lovely Chavez as VP of Digital Strategy & Commercial Partnerships, Helen Wong as greater commercial handler, and Fletcher Williams as corporate & strategy executive. Each boasts an astonishive resume, including stints at global organizations such as Moonbug, Wildbrain, and NBCU. Jerome Mazandarani, a createer Crunchyroll UK managing honestor, will recommend on Anime and grown-up animation-rcontent projects.
Variety spoke with Esmat and Ahton during this year’s Unifrance Rendez-vous about starting the novel company and the benevolent of toil they want to do at 8 Lions.
Variety: Moonbug is a company that cgo ines on acquisitions, while it sees enjoy 8 Lions will insert creating novel IPs to the equation. Was a desire to be comprised punctual on in the creative process part of the reason for starting the company?
Esmat and Ahton: At the outset, 8 Lions will ease connections and drive increaseth for traditional production companies and creator-led IP owners thraw distribution, co-productions, merchandising and beyond. By leveraging our extensive nettoil and capabilities, we aim to help and elevate existing IPs.
A key component of our prolongeder-term goal is to originate and own innovative IPs. We will transport together creative talent from Asia, the Middle East, and the West to broaden satisfyed that resonates with kids and teens globpartner. In these projects, we will have an vivacious role in shaping the creative honestion of the properties, ensuring they are not only compelling but also scalable atraverse multiple platcreates, regions, and derivative labelets.
How widely will you be seeing to recurrent these IPs? What createats do you structure to toil with?
We are all about facilitating connection and maximizing opportunities for the IPs we recurrent. While screens (licforfeit, on-need, theatrical) are a key part of that, our achieve prolongs far beyond. This comprises audio platcreates, unveiling, merchandise, live events, gaming, and more.
Digital-first seems to be the priority here, but are there also structures to toil with more traditional outlets and platcreates? Free-to-air, paid TV, theatrical films, streaming, etc.?
We are agnostic and supply the brimming distribution spectrum to our partners. Having roots in traditional delightment, we were part of the digital revolution and now have industry-directing expertise in digital-first satisfyed. Our experience spans everyleang from blockbuster Hollywood franchises to creator-led, YouTube-first properties atraverse all models — from free-to-air and pay TV distribution and carriage deals to theatrical frees and on-need createats (SVOD, AVOD, TVOD, EST, FAST).
Are there other areas you’re seeing forward to venturing into?
Anime is a key cgo in – we are partnering with presentant production companies to intensify existing IPs globpartner thraw distribution, merchandising, gaming and more. Co-productions and the financing of future spin-offs are also in the pipeline. In this categruesome, we are leveraging our strong relationships in MENA and APAC to transport new, exciting IP to kids & teens worldwide.
