Imagine takes major stake in Jax

Ron Howard (left) and Brian Grazer

Ron Howard and Brian Glazer’s US prodco Imagine Entertainment has taken a majority stake in Tony Hernandez’s Jax Media.

No financials have been revealed for the takeover but Imagine has acquired a controlling part of the firm.

LA- and New York-based Jax was founded by Hernandez in 2011. Series on the company’s roster include Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne’s Russian Doll for Netflix and the revival of iconic comedy Roseanne for ABC.

The company recently hired Brooke Posch from Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions as its president of original programming.

Imagine was founded in 1986 by Grazer and director Howard and is behind dramas including Fox’s Empire and NBC’s Parenthood, as well as movies A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13.

It also produced event series Mars (6×60′) which was made in 4K for National Geographic Channel and mixed drama, CGI and interviews to tell the story of how humans could colonise the red planet.

In October, Imagine appointed the former chief content officer at Verizon’s now defunct shortform mobile service M4.