Moonbug Vets Jiella Esmat, Karine Ahton on The Ambitious Plans for Their New London-Based Kids and Teen IP Firm 8 Lions

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the formation of 8 Lions by Jiella Esmat and Karine Ahton is a game-changer in the kids and teen entertainment sectors. Their extensive backgrounds at Moonbug Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, NBCU, and other global organizations speak volumes about their capabilities to drive success.


Veteran team members from Moonbug Entertainment, Jiella Esmat and Karine Ahton, have established 8 Lions, a fresh London-based company focused on growing and developing intellectual properties in the entertainment industry.

8 Lions, as established by its creators, plans to employ a data-centric strategy for the creation, development, and expansion of properties tailored for children and adolescents globally. This method will be bolstered by extensive industry expertise gained from working within the realm of kids and teen entertainment over many years.

Beyond their common tenure at Moonbug, Esmat recently functioned as the chief executive of income generation for Amuse Animation and Amuse Studios. Additionally, Esmat has held high-ranking positions at Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, and NBCU. Meanwhile, Ahton was the legal advisor at Moonbug and Envision Racing, and previously worked with Anrio and ITV.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that prior to its official debut this week, my favorite production house, 8 Lions, has made some exciting strides. They’ve been working behind the scenes with the popular YouTube channel Cosmic Kids to bring their first TV series, “Jamie’s Yoga Adventures,” to life. This series is set to premiere as a Sky Original.

Esmat and Ahton are being accompanied by Lovely Chavez in the role of Vice President of Digital Strategy & Commercial Partnerships, Helen Wong as senior commercial manager, and Fletcher Williams as corporate & strategy executive on their 8 Lions launch team. All three possess impressive resumes, having worked with renowned organizations like Moonbug, Wildbrain, NBCU in the past. Jerome Mazandarani, a previous Crunchyroll UK managing director, will offer guidance for projects related to Anime and adult animation.

During this year’s Unifrance Rendez-vous, a conversation took place between EbMaster and both Esmat and Ahton regarding the establishment of their new venture, as well as discussing the nature of the work they aim to accomplish at 8 Lions.

User: Moonbug is primarily concerned with acquisitions, but it seems that 8 Lions also plans to involve itself in developing original intellectual properties. Did the ambition to participate actively during the initial creative stages contribute to the establishment of the company?

Esmat and Ahton: To start, 8 Lions will help establish connections and foster growth for conventional production firms and independent IP creators by means of distribution, co-productions, merchandising, and more. Utilizing our broad network and resources, we aim to bolster and elevate existing intellectual properties.

A significant aspect of our long-term vision is developing unique intellectual properties (IPs) that we can call our own. We plan to assemble a diverse team of creative minds from Asia, the Middle East, and the West to generate content that appeals to children and teenagers worldwide. Our aim is to be actively involved in shaping the creative direction of these projects, guaranteeing they are not just captivating but also adaptable across various platforms, geographical regions, and merchandising markets.

How broadly will you be looking to represent these IPs? What formats do you plan to work with?

We focus on fostering connections and enhancing possibilities for the individuals we support. While screens (both linear and on-demand, as well as those in theaters) play a significant role in this, our influence extends much further. This encompasses audio platforms, publishing, merchandise, live events, gaming, and various other avenues too.

Is a digital-centric approach being emphasized, or is there also consideration for collaborating with conventional media such as free-to-air broadcasting, pay television, cinema releases, and streaming platforms?

Our approach is neutral and we provide a wide range of content distributions to our collaborators. With origins in conventional entertainment, we played a significant role in the digital transformation and have now established ourselves as pioneers in digital-first content. Our background encompasses a diverse spectrum, including major Hollywood film series as well as creator-led, YouTube-centric properties. We cover various distribution models, such as free-to-air, pay TV, carriage agreements, theatrical releases, on-demand services (SVOD, AVOD, TVOD, EST, FAST), and more.

Are there other areas you’re looking forward to venturing into?

Our primary emphasis is on anime – we’re teaming up with leading production firms to boost established intellectual properties (IPs) globally via distribution, merchandising, gaming, and other means. We also have plans for co-productions and financing of future spin-offs. In the anime category, we’re utilizing our robust connections in MENA and APAC regions to introduce new, captivating IPs to children and teenagers worldwide.

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2024-09-06 14:47