Hasbro has set its leadership team for its “asset-lite” entertainment division, a series of moves that come after the toymaker sold eOne to Lionsgate for $500 million and it “right-sizes” its entertainment footprint with a focus on kids content.Olivier Dumont, previously President of Family Brands for eOne, will run Hasbro Entertainment, the company said Wednesday. Gabriel Marano, who was Co-Head of Scripted Development for eOne, will oversee television and Zev Foreman, who was President of Film Production for eOne, will run film.Dumont becomes President of Hasbro Entertainment, with Marano as Head of Television and Foreman as Head of Film. Foreman and Marano were primarily focused on Hasbro IP projects while at eOne and will continue this work in their new roles for Hasbro.Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said Hasbro Entertainment would have a new “marquee mission” to develop, finance and produce entertainment based on its brands after the sale.Hasbro Entertainment is currently developing and producing more than 30 projects and is focused on brands including Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Nerf, Play-Doh, Magic The Gathering, Peppa Pig and My Little Pony.It currently has in the works Transformers One, directed by Josh Cooley and starring Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth and Jon Hamm, as well as a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series for Paramount+.Marano was Co-Head of Scripted Development for eOne alongside Jacqueline Sacerio and worked on the Dungeons & Dragons series as well as Netflix’s Power Rangers series. He was previously SVP, Drama Programming & Development at Fox.Foreman oversaw projects including Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts at the company, where he led creative development and production.The news marks the latest changes after the $500M deal, which also sees Steve Bertram, President, Film and TV and Michael Lombaro, President of Global Television, set to leave the new Lionsgate-owned company.Tim Kilpin, President, Toy, Licensing and Entertainment, Hasbro, said, “Entertainment is core to Hasbro’s strategy and its mission to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Audiences can count on Hasbro to keep creating compelling and fun entertainment that brings to life our wide array of iconic brands, including Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, and Transformers, reaching audiences through varied platforms in ways that resonate in today’s fast-paced world.”Dumont added, “We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter, building upon our rich heritage of storytelling to continue delighting audiences across generations. Gabe, Zev, and I look forward to working with the industry’s best creative talent, studios, and distribution platforms to push the envelope with innovative storytelling that will let fans engage with their favorite brands like never before, while also building exciting new worlds and the next wave of Hasbro franchises for a growing audience.”
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