Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil’s Mortal Media invests in animation firm Swaybox Studios

Swaybox Studios uses a proprietary animation technology called Momo Animation

LA-based production company Mortal Media, led by NBA basketball player Blake Griffin and retired NFL star Ryan Kalil, has led an investment round for Louisiana-based animation firm Swaybox Studios.

Swaybox Studios, co-founded a decade ago by co-CEOs Theresa Andersson and Arthur Mintz, has developed a proprietary animation technology for TV and film called Momo Animation, which combines CGO animation, the practical elements of stop-motion, and live-action real-time performances.

The funding round, led by Mortal Media with the participation of Joel Whitley and IAG Capital Partners, aims to provide capital to allow Swaybox to expand its infrastructure and streamline its production pipeline.

With the investment, Mortal Media has also joined the advisory board at Swaybox.

The companies are also collaborating creatively, with Mortal Media putting an untitled hybrid live-action and animation project into development at Swaybox.

Mortal Media said it will actively collaborate with the animation studio to identify projects that would work for it, and that can fully unlock the potential of Swaybox’s animation technology.

Independently of Mortal Media, Swaybox is developing several projects with directors and writers including US filmmaker Matt Reeves’ prodco 6th & Idaho.

Mortal Media’s credits include the sci-fi dramedy Hello Tomorrow! for Apple TV+ and the reboot of White Men Can’t Jump for Disney/20th Century Studios, in addition to a raft of development projects with the likes of Netflix, Paramount Global and Disney.