EXCLUSIVE: Australia’s Princess Productions is buying Irish agency Boulder Media from toy big Hasbro, we’ve discovered.
The deal is probably the most notable M&A on the worldwide animation marketplace for some time. It closed earlier this month and offers Princess expanded manufacturing providers capabilities for its in-house and third-party initiatives and permit it push into improvement in Ireland. Financial phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Boulder is considered one of Ireland’s largest animation studios, having labored on Hasbro’s Transformers and My Little Pony franchises and TV exhibits equivalent to Go Jetters and Danger Mouse. Its sale to Hasbro in 2016 was thought-about a serious signal of intent by the U.S. toy producer’s want to make and personal extra content material. Hasbro later acquired Pepper Pig and PJ Masks proprietor eOne however is now focusing extra on Hasbro-branded IP and has its different leisure belongings below strategic evaluation.
Princess is understood for grownup animation collection equivalent to Adult Swim’s Yolo Crystal Fantasy and Yolo Silver Destiny and is at the moment engaged on Hulu and twentieth Television Animation’s Koala Man via its three way partnership with Bento Box Entertainment, Princess Bento. Stars hooked up to that present embody Sarah Snook, Demi Lardner, Jermaine Clement, Rachel House and Jarrad Wright. It’s bought a busy animation studio of its personal in Melbourne, offering manufacturing providers to in-house exhibits and third-party initiatives equivalent to Adult Swim’s Smiling Friends; a slate of Aussie comedy initiatives; and has produced comedies equivalent to Chris Lilley exhibits We Can Be Heroes: Finding the Australian of the Year (aka The Nominees), Summer Heights High and Jonah From Tonga, together with docs and podcasts.
Dublin-based Boulder, based again in 2000, has an intensive file of offering animation providers and producing TV exhibits and options. Titles embody Disney’s Wander Over Yonder and Randy Cunningham: ninth Grade Ninja, Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy and Transformers: Cyberverse for eOne, a number of My Little Pony initiatives, BBC and Fremantle collection Danger Mouse, the BBC’s Go Jetters and Cartoon Network’s The Amazing World of Gumball amongst others.
“We’re beyond thrilled to join Boulder Media to the Princess Pictures group,” mentioned Princess Pictures’ Managing Director Emma Fitzsimons. “In Boulder, we have found a studio that boasts not only first-class artists but also kindred spirits that share our sense of humour and passion for great stories. Boulder Media has an established reputation in kids’ animation production and we’re going to add a new focus: prime-time adult comedy production.”
“This synergetic relationship opens up unique opportunities for our future slate and enables us to amplify our creative offering in the market,” added Boulder Managing Director Jenni MacNeaney. “It’s an exciting step forward in building the Boulder brand, one that values the great work we’ve produced over the last 22 years, while setting us up for future success.”
‘Championing talent’
Fitzsimons mentioned new hires would quickly comply with for Boulder and Princess’ Australian studio, and gave Deadline a taste of the path of journey in Europe.
“Whether animation or live action, we’ve always championed brilliant creative talent, giving them all the support they need to get their show on the screen,” she mentioned. “We’ll continue that ethos in Ireland, looking for great storytellers who have a clear vision and something to say. We’re particularly interested in under represented voices who offer a perspective on the world that global audiences might not have heard before.”
She added that whereas comedy “remains the most popular genre for adult animation, and Ireland has such a rich tradition of comedy that we’d be mad not to embrace it,” there’s “other opportunities for different genres.”
Fitzsimons added that the expansion of YouTube and international streamers had “introduced U.S. audiences to international talent and shows in a much bigger way than had ever happened before.”
“The floodgates are open now and the US appetite for different voices from foreign lands isn’t going to go away, so we expect to continue to be able to take Australian and now hopefully Irish talent over to U.S. and global buyers.”
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