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Activision Blizzard announced earlier today it’s expanding into film and television. Activision Blizzard Studios’, as it’s called, focus will be on developing properties based on the company’s deep catalogue of video game titles. Nick van Dyk has signed on as co-president with a creative executive to be named in the coming weeks, according to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick.

An animated series, based on “Skylander Academy”, will be the first offering from the studio with characters voiced by Justin Long, Ashley Tisdale, Jonathan Banks and Norm Macdonald.

The studio operation will be housed at Activision Blizzard’s Santa Monica, CA headquarters.

Kotick spoke more on the subject stating the company has a “track record in taking plenty of time and pouring resources into game development. I intend to do the same with film and TV projects. We’ve killed games, we’ve stopped projects after years of development. If we don’t think we’re putting our best creative foot forward, we don’t do it.”

This move is not unprecedented among video game companies. Ubisoft formed Ubisoft Motion Pictures with its first movie offering, “Assassin’s Creed”, based on the best selling game of the same name and staring Michael Fassbender, slated for release December of 2016.

 

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