Acorn raids Chorion for UK arm

US home entertainment firm Acorn Media has hired Chorion’s commercial director to oversee a new division that will house its newly acquired majority stake in the Agatha Christie estate.

Hilary Strong joins the firm’s London office as MD of newly formed Acorn Productions, which will manage the company’s 64% stake in Agatha Christie Ltd, the estate that houses TV brands Hercule Poirot and Mrs Marple.

“Agatha Christie’s works continue to inspire and delight and, with Acorn’s experience and resources, I look forward to introducing those works to new audiences throughout the world using new and existing formats,” said Strong.

Acorn Productions, which will be based in Covent Garden, is also overseeing production of the eighth season of ITV drama Foyle’s War. Acorn acquired rights to the show in late 2010. Acorn is best known as a distributor of television show DVDs.

Strong’s appointment comes after Acorn acquired Chorion’s stake in the Christie estate for a reported £20m (US$31.9m). UK-based rights and production company Chorion was forced to break up and sell its brands, which included Mr Men, Noddy and the Beatrix Potter literary estate, under the weight of multimillion-dollar debts.

Before Chorion, Strong was UK indie Hat Trick Productions’ group business director.

“With her great industry knowledge and experience, we are pleased to welcome Hilary into the Acorn fold. We look forward to working with her to develop Acorn Productions,” said Acorn Media’s US president Mark Stevens.