U.K. production and distribution company 108 Media said Wednesday that it has acquired a majority stake in Singapore-based animation studio Robot Playground Media (RPM).
Co-founded and run by Ervin Han and Bernard Toh, RPM has developed and produced animation projects for clients including Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney Southeast Asia, MediaCorp, StarHub and Viacom. In 2019, Toh directed Mickey Go Local, a short animated series commissioned by The Walt Disney Company as its first animated original series produced in Southeast Asia. Han directed and was the showrunner on Downstairs, which was acquired by Netflix and is now in its third season. He also created Singapore’s first animated prime time series Heartland Hubby for MediaCorp.
The deal was brokered by Abhi Rastogi, CEO of 108 Media; Justin Deimen, president of 108 Media and RPM’s Han and Toh. 108 Media’s finance director Eamon Sullivan and financial analyst Andrew Gwilt also helped put the acquisition together.
108 Media described the deal as the first of several planned acquisitions in Singapore this year, part of a plan towards building a global studio system for top-tier international content that draws on various sales, production and financing ecosystems. The company also recently acquired DCD Rights and a majority stake Revolution Media.
“We’ve been so impressed with the world-class quality and creativity on display from Robot Playground delivering to international and regional clients since their inception in 2013,” said Rastogi via a statement from London. “They fit the DNA and culture we’re building at 108 Media so well with the artistic teams they’ve assembled, mentored, and led. We’re laying the groundwork of something truly special with the teams we are carefully building in our corporate and creative expansion across markets as we move into production.”
The new partners said RPM will work in direct coordination with 108 Media’s distribution and production teams around the globe. The first phase of their integrated slate is now in pre-production and is expected to be ready for delivery within 2023/2024. The projects include RPM’s The Violinist, an animated feature film set in World War II era Southeast Asia based on their award-winning short film. 108 Media’s LA-Taiwan-Singapore co-production A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, an 8x30min adult horror animation based on the novel of the same name by Ying Compestine and co-produced with Studio76, and an anticipated 6x30min series adapted from Sonny Liew’s three-time Eisner award-winning graphic novel, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, co-produced with Finding Pictures in Singapore.
Added Toh and Han in a joint statement: “We’ve always held a strong belief in being able to share exciting and diverse stories from the Asia Pacific, in particular Southeast Asia, with the world, while showcasing the unique talents in the regional animation landscape. Aside from the injection of new growth capital towards accelerating our scale-up plans in order to drive and co-produce larger and more strategic international projects, we also welcome a new global partner in 108 Media, who shares our passion and ambition in realizing the importance for Asian animated stories in all genres to be produced for global audiences.”
