- BBC Studios (and its UKTV division) has hired former Sky head of acquisitions Sophie Judge as a global acquisitions manager. She will work across all genres, sourcing and securing content for UKTV’s channels and free streaming service U, as well as for Beeb outlets such as BBC iPlayer and BBC Select. Judge reports to Harriet Armston-Clarke, senior global acquisitions manager for UKTV and BBC Studios.
- After just six months with Wow! Stuff, a UK toyco that counts Disney, DC and Moonbug among its licensing partners, senior national account manager Kaya Leadsford has been promoted to head of global sales. Leadsford has 19 years of experience in the consumer products business, including five as a senior national account manager at Moose Toys and a decade at kids lifestyle product manufacturer Worlds Apart.
- Columbia Pictures EVP of production and development Palak Patel (pictured, Venom) has left the studio to join DNEG’s Prime Focus Studios as chief content officer. Prime Focus recently co-produced The Garfield Movie with Alcon Entertainment for Sony. The film premiered in May 2024 and has earned more than US$257 at the global box office. Prime Focus is looking to ramp up its TV and film production slate by developing well-known IPs, and Patel has experience producing big-budget features in this vein, including Oz the Great and Powerful and Maleficent.
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