Carrington to head Zodiak Kids Studios

Zodiak Kids has created a studio that will bring together the DeAgostini-owned company’s UK and French production arms.

Zodiak Kids Studios will consist of UK-based prodco The Foundation and France’s Marathon Media and Tele Images Productions, with Foundation CEO Michael Carrington taking on the same post for the umbrella brand. Marathon’s chief creative officer Eryk Casemiro takes on the same role at Zodiak Kids Studios.

The group will house shows such as Floogals, Mister Maker, The Ranch, Lolirock, Millie Inbetween and Get Blake!, and sits alongside Zodiak Kids’ distribution and consumer products arms.

Carrington, the former BBC Children’s and HIT Entertainment content chief who joined Zodiak Media’s children’s division last year, said the restructure was about “transforming how we work together”.

Further changes see Foundation managing director Gwen Hughes becoming chief executive of subsidiary Zodiak Kids Studios UK and Tele Images and Marathon boss BenoÎt Runel named MD of Zodiak Kids Studios France.

Runel’s predecessor at Marathon, Philippe Alessandri, recently launched his own production business, WatchNext Media, as TBI revealed last month. Another key Zodiak Kids exec, senior VP Karen Vermuelen exited earlier this year.

A Zodiak Kids spokeswoman confirmed both the Marathon and Foundation brands would continue to operate within the group.

“Going forward we will focus our efforts through a single strategy to help us leverage and align the strengths and diversity of all three companies, improving our development and production capability, and working with more collaboration and agility to deliver on Zodiak Kids commitment to creative excellence,” said Carrington.

“In Zodiak Kids Studios we are combining our best creative and production talents across Paris and London to create one single pipeline of Zodiak Kids properties with global appeal and to strengthen our leadership in Europe and beyond,” added Zodiak Kids CEO Jean-Philippe Randisi.