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Rovio sells off TV animation studio

The former CEO of Angry Birds owner Rovio Entertainment has bought the company’s TV animation studio in Vancouver and hired some of its veteran producers to set up a new company.

Rovio creation Angry Birds

Mikael Hed, who held the top job at Rovio between 2010 and 2015, has formed Kaiken Entertainment, which will be based in LA, Helsinki and Vancouver.

It will focus on creating content for film, apps, streaming video and publishing, having also bought Rovio’s book publishing business Kaiken Publishing, as well as certain non-Angry Birds-related pieces of IP.

The transaction is part of the “ongoing reorganisation” of Rovio’s animation division, the Angry Birds producer said.

Mikael Hed

Hed will serve as executive chairman of Kaiken Entertainment, while Kaiken Publishing CEO Laura Nevanlinna will be head of franchise and portfolio development.

Veteran Rovio producer Ulla Junell has been appointed head of animation and president of Kaiken Canada, while another Rovio veteran, producer Joonas Rissanen, will serve as Kaiken’s creative director.

Former Rovio, Aardman and DreamWorks senior executive Steve Pegram and Tommy Korpinen, Rovio’s president of animation, previously of Disney and DreamWorks, have both joined Kaiken Entertainment’s advisory board.

“This team has been integral to building the hugely successful franchise around Angry Birds,” said Hed. “With this amazing team of experts and storytellers we are thrilled to be pursuing the next big hit.”

Kaiken will continue to partner with Rovio on certain projects, including producing Angry Birds content and serving as the master licensee of the Angry Birds brand in books publishing.

“We are happy to announce this transaction and look forward to a continued partnership with Kaiken in animation series productions and books publishing,” said Kati Levoranta, CEO of Rovio Entertainment.

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