The Onion has announced a film production partnership with Lionsgate
Digital media company Onion, Inc. (responsible for both The Onion and Clickhole) today announced a joint partnership with award-winning production company, Serious Business, to create multiple films over two years for premier next generation global content leader, Lionsgate.
Onion Studios, the in-house film and TV development arm of Onion, Inc., will team up with Jason U. Nadler, Alex Blagg, and Jon Zimelis, creators and executive producers of Comedy Central‘s Emmy-winning late-night show, @midnight with Chris Hardwick, to develop three films for Lionsgate over the next two years. Jordan Gilbert, Vice President of Digital Production for Lionsgate, will oversee creative for the Studio.
The new partnership plans to utilize Onion, Inc.’s peerless creative staff and extensive alumni network alongside Serious Business’ deep comedy relationships to develop multiple projects both from existing Onion IP and original ideas mined from the creative community.
“We’ve plotted our takeover of the film industry for some time,” said Kyle Ryan, Vice President of Onion Studios. “With the help of Serious Business and Lionsgate, we’ll make room on our award shelf for some Oscars. To the basement you go, Pulitzers.”
“The Onion has always been one of our favorite comedic institutions,” says Nadler, “and we’re excited to help them do to the film industry what they’ve already done to publishing. In a good way.”
“Somebody needs to be the grown-up in this press release and give a substantive quote, so I guess it will be us,” adds Lionsgate’s Gilbert. “This deal represents an expansion of Lionsgate’s breadth of partnerships with meaningful online publishers, while adhering to our core strategy of utilizing non-traditional marketing techniques to help our product to rise above the noise.”
In addition to managing all distribution, Lionsgate will utilize the growing marketing reach of Onion, Inc. and Fusion Media Group properties to promote the films.
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