Hasbro Announces EOne Film, TV Business Commences Sale Process After ‘Inbound Interest from Several Parties’
By Movieguide® Staff
Hasbro recently announced that its board authorized the sale of a portion of eOne TV & Film Business after a review of the business encouraged by new CEO Chris Cocks.
Deadline reported:
The company has retained J.P. Morgan and Centerview Partners to move ahead with the sale process for a 6,500+ content library; the non-Hasbro branded film and scripted TV business which produces and finances content like The Woman King, Yellowjackets and The Rookie franchise; Hasbro’s interest in Entertainment One Canada Limited’s Canadian film and TV business; and Hasbro’s unscripted division, which includes the Naked & Afraid franchise.
Cocks said Hasbro had “received inbound interest from several parties for the part of the eOne television and film business that while valuable is not core to our go-forward strategy.” Hasbro will maintain the capability to develop and produce animation, digital shorts, scripted TV and theatrical films for audiences related to core Hasbro IP.
According to Hasbro’s latest announcement, they will look to focus investment on gaming, direct to consumer, franchise brands and licensing.
Popular brands for the company include Peppa Pig, Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, Play-Doh as well as board games like Monopoly, Clue, and Sorry!.
“Following our recent Investor Day where we introduced our new branded entertainment strategy, Blueprint 2.0, we received inbound interest from several parties for the part of the eOne television and film business that while valuable is not core to our go-forward strategy. This interest informed our decision to explore a sale process,” Cocks said.
“The acquisition of eOne delivered fantastic talent, top tier production and deal making capability and beloved brands with strong toyetic potential including Peppa Pig. We will retain these terrific capabilities while exploring the best way to maximize the value of the eOne TV & Film Business for the benefit of our shareholders,” he added.
For the time being, Hasbro’s entertainment department will still operate under the eOne production mark, according to Deadline.
Movieguide® previously reported on upcoming Hasbro-related content:
Hasbro’s classic game “Guess Who?” is headed to TV in an unscripted game show adaptation on NBC.
The live game show, produced by Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne) and Endemol Shine North America, will “feature contestants making snap judgments based on intuition and clues in an effort to win cash prizes in each episode,” TheWrap reported.
Hasbro’s “Guess Who?” made its debut in 1979 and is now sold worldwide.
“Guess Who?” is not the only household classic from Hasbro with an upcoming adaptation. According to TheWrap, the toy company is working with Fox to launch an animated “Clue” TV series. Other projects include a movie and TV series of “Dungeons & Dragons” and a scripted series based on the board game “Risk.”
Other toy companies are also hopping on the trend, like Mattel’s “Uno” card game.
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