Ex-Endemol Shine, Discovery & Nippon TV Execs Launch Empire Of Arkadia – Deadline

A trio of senior worldwide execs are taking their new Asia content-focused firm to Mipcom Cannes.

Former Endemol Shine Worldwide and Fremantle boss Fotini Paraskakis, ex-Discovery Asia Pacific and EMEA President Arthur Bastings and Japanese media exec Shigero ‘Cindy’ Chino have joined forces to create Empire of Arkadia (EOA).

The privately-owned enterprise goals to carry Asian-inspired scripted and non-scripted content material to the worldwide stage, targeted on tales that attraction to youthful audiences. It’ll function in co-development, co-production and distribution, working with creatives totally on content material that appeals to Get Z and younger adults.

EOA launches with places of work in London, Singapore and Tokyo, with bases in Seoul and Los Angeles deliberate for early 2023. It’ll debut at Mipcom with a slate of initiatives from Japan, South Korea, the UK and Europe.

Paraskakis launches the brand new enterprise after exiting The Story Lab, the place she was Managing Director for 4 years following a spell as Managing Director, Asia for Endemol Shine Group previous to its merger with Banijay. Additional again, she was Fremantle’s Head of Content material and has greater than 30 years’ expertise, engaged on codecs reminiscent of MasterChef, Huge Brother, The X Issue, Obtained Expertise and Idols.

Bastings is understood for main Discovery’s Asia and Europe companies. Just lately he’d been operating a start-up accelerator out of Singapore and California. He’s additionally constructed leisure franchises for Warner Bros and MTV.

Chino is finest referred to as the previous Affiliate Managing Director Worldwide Enterprise Improvement at Japan’s Nippon TV, and has brokered offers for codecs reminiscent of Shark Tank and Block Out and scripted sequence Mom, Your Dwelling Is My Enterprise! and Girl.

“That is the right time to launch an organization specializing in content material for future generations,” stated Paraskakis. “It truly is an thrilling and transformational interval within the content material business, the place actually anybody from anyplace has the chance for his or her tales to be seen worldwide. We’ll carry one of the best upcoming creators and Asian impressed tales with highest worldwide attraction to market, absolutely specializing in fulfilling calls for for Gen Z content material, tales that talk to audiences worldwide and that may stick with us all as we transfer into the long run.”