Tag Archives: Blink49 Studios

Industry News

Blink49 Studios launches Canadian unscripted division

From a media release:

Blink49 Studios is expanding its content business by adding an unscripted arm to develop a slate of non-fiction entertainment targeting the Canadian and international marketplace. The new division will be led by Toby Dormer, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Television with Allison Brough named as Vice President, Unscripted Television, effective immediately.

Based in Vancouver, Dormer will report to John Morayniss, CEO of Blink49 Studios and will be responsible for all aspects of Blink49’s unscripted business, including overseeing development, production and related strategic initiatives.  Reporting to Dormer and based in Toronto, Brough will take the lead on the creation of Blink49’s unscripted portfolio.

Most recently, Dormer was Executive Vice President, Unscripted, Canada at Entertainment One (eOne) where he oversaw the company’s extensive slate which included, Project Bakeover (Food Network), Arctic Vets (CBC/NatGeo), Hunt for the Chicago Strangler (Discovery+), and Border Security (Netflix/Global). In 2003, Dormer founded Remedy Productions and within four years it grew to become the largest producer of entertainment programming in the UK by volume. In 2011, Remedy was acquired by the Argonon Media Group and Dormer led the company’s expansion into North America where he Executive Produced titles such as Cabin Truckers (Cottage Life/A&E), My Floating Home (HGTV/Channel 4) and two seasons of First Dates (Global).

Before joining Blink49 Studios, Allison Brough was Vice President of Development, Unscripted Television & Head of Podcast Network for eOne. She created, championed and maintained a ‘podcast to broadcast’ model in addition to managing a robust slate of unscripted television including the forthcoming, four-part series, Thunder Bay (CTV/Crave). Prior to that, she was Director of Development at Lone Eagle Entertainment where she helped spearhead numerous, green-lit projects like Meme gURL (Slice Network), Raising the Bar (CMT Canada), Starving Artist (Food Network) and Dead Funny (CBC). Brough also served as Development Executive at Tricon Films and Television where she worked on popular series such as Après Ski (Bravo), Restaurant Takeover (Food Network), Pop-Up Gourmet (OWN) and The Expendables (HGTV).

Blink49 Studios is a content venture with Endeavor Content as its anchor investor and lead strategic partner. Focusing heavily on a creative-first approach, Blink49 Studios is dedicated to partnering with best-in-class writers, creators and producers, as well as aggressively pursuing IP in Canada and throughout the world. The indie studio is committed to applying significant resources to support new and diverse Canadian voices. 

   

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Industry News

Blink49 Studios and Bell Media strike long-term pact with world-renowned entertainer Lilly Singh

From a media release:

Blink49 Studios and Bell Media announced today they are partnering with world-renowned entertainer Lilly Singh and her company Unicorn Island Productions on a unique first-look global scripted and second-look unscripted deal.

Spearheaded by Singh and Polly Auritt, Head of Development at Unicorn Island Productions, Carolyn Newman, Executive Vice President, Global Scripted and Virginia Rankin, Executive Producer for Blink49 Studios, the deal will focus on creating and producing compelling television content that showcases underrepresented communities.

Projects developed under the pact will be executive produced by Singh, Auritt, Newman and Rankin with Blink49 Studios handling production and the worldwide distribution.

Named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list, Fast Company’s Most Creative People and as one of the most influential people on the internet by TIME, Lilly Singh is a multi-faceted entertainer, actress, producer, writer, creator and a New York Times bestselling author. She is a leading force in the digital world having amassed a global audience of more than 38 million followers across her social media channels. This year, Singh was a judge on CityTV’s Canada’s Got Talent, was part of the star-studded cast for the DreamWorks Animation action-comedy The Bad Guys and launched her book club Lilly’s Library that spotlights South Asian stories for everyone. Up next, she will headline the new Disney+ comedy series The Muppets Mayhem alongside several Muppet stars. Singh is also a co-owner of Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Blink49 Studios is a content venture with Endeavor Content as its anchor investor and lead strategic partner. Focusing heavily on a creative-first approach, Blink49 Studios is dedicated to partnering with best-in-class writers, creators and producers, as well as aggressively pursuing IP in Canada and throughout the world. The indie studio is committed to applying significant resources to support new and diverse Canadian voices.

ABOUT BLINK49 STUDIOS

Co-founded in 2021 by industry veterans CEO John Morayniss, Non-Executive Vice Chair Patrice Theroux, COO Jeff Lynas and CFO Nelson Kuo-Lee, Blink49 Studios is a full-service indie studio focused on the development, production, and monetization of premium scripted and unscripted content for a global market. Headquartered in Toronto with offices in Los Angeles, Blink49 Studios was formed in partnership with its anchor investor and lead strategic partner Endeavor Content. With a combined experience of innovative deal-making and strong relationships in the creative community, Blink49 Studios takes a content-first approach by partnering with best-in-class writers, creators, producers, and talent as well as supporting new and diverse voices.

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Industry News

Blink49 Studios plans TV adaptation of internationally bestselling author Marissa Stapley’s sophomore novel ‘Things To Do When It’s Raining’

From a media release:

BLINK49 STUDIOS, the recently launched content venture-backed by global film and TV studio Endeavor Content, has pre-empted rights to New York Times bestselling author Marissa Stapley’s second novel, Things To Do When It’s Raining, a Canadian epic romantic drama.

Things To Do When It’s Raining, which will be set in Canada’s 1,000 Islands, centers around a woman who is driven by deception and despair to return home from the city to her grandparent’s inn. There, she encounters Gabe, the island-dwelling boy who was her companion as a child and her first love as a teenage girl, but then disappeared from her life without a trace. The ultimately life affirming story unravels the past and braids together three generations of love affairs. Things To Do When It’s Raining published with Simon & Schuster Canada and Graydon House US in 2018 and has since sold in Germany, Norway, the Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey, France, and Slovakia. Interest in the property renewed after Stapley’s 2021 novel Lucky became the first Canadian novel to be selected for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club.

BLINK49 STUDIOS will serve as the studio for the television adaption. Newman and Rankin will Executive Produce the series on behalf of BLINK49.

Marissa Stapley is the internationally bestselling author of four novels, most recently the New York Times bestselling Lucky (S&S Canada), which was selected as a Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick in December 2021. Her first novel was Mating for Life (published by S&S Canada, Atria US, Rowohlt Germany); then Things to Do When It’s Raining (S&S Canada, Graydon House US, multiple translation territories); followed by The Last Resort (S&S Canada, Graydon House, Allen & Unwin ANZ, and multiple translation territories). The Last Resort was named one of 2019’s Best Beach Reads by Oprah Magazine, New York Post and The Globe and Mail, and shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award (Best Crime Fiction Novel). Stapley recently teamed up with bestselling author Karma Brown (Recipe for a Perfect Wife), as the writing duo Maggie Knox to publish holiday romances, launching with The Holiday Swap, which was an instant bestseller and is already under option for TV (Putnam US/Penguin Canada/Hodder Books).

BLINK49 STUDIOS is a newly launched content venture with Endeavor Content as its anchor investor and lead strategic partner. Focusing heavily on a creative-first approach, BLINK49 STUDIOS is dedicated to partnering with best-in-class writers, creators and producers, as well as aggressively pursuing IP in Canada and throughout the world. Committed to applying significant resources to support new and diverse Canadian voices, the indie studio recently acquired the rights to “Hold My Girl”, the upcoming novel from emerging Canadian author Charlene Carr.

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