Starz ramping up digital efforts

Starz Media, the Liberty Global-owned producer and distributor, is set to expand its digital production arm with a number of live-action projects in the works. The company is also ramping up its activity in the video games business, turning a number of its TV and movie projects into casual games.

It has recently sold its animated series Bunnies Theatre to a raft of international operators and broadcasters including Vivendi Germany. “Bunnies Theatre has been a home run for us,” says Marc Debevoise, senior VP, digital media. “We’re expanding into live-action content with a director that we found on YouTube,” he adds.

Starz is launching a sequel to the casual game it launched for the action movie Righteous Kill, which stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and also launching a mobile game for the iPhone for sci fi horror film Pandorum, which is produced in association with Resident Evil-producer Constantin Films.

The company has already found success with a number of television spin-offs for EA games including Dead Space and its latest turn Dante’s Inferno. “We’re now looking to take the IP that we own and turning it into games,” adds Debevois.