‘Hateful Eight’ producer joins Activision Blizzard Studios

Late last year, Activision made waves when they announced the launch of Activision Blizzard Studios, a new division devoted to creating television and films based on the company's signature intellectual properties. Looking to bolster this venture, the company today named acclaimed producer Stacey Sher co-president of the division.

Sher brings with her a ton of experience, having produced more than two dozen motion pictures, including Quentin Tarantino's most recent film "The Hateful Eight." She has also produced nearly a dozen TV series and TV movies.

"Stacey is a rare talent behind two decades of award-winning television series and films. Her ability to collaborate with the most inspired, talented people in entertainment and her unyielding commitment to creativity make her perfectly suited to Activision Blizzard Studios," said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard. "As custodians of some of the world's most successful entertainment franchises, we are thoughtfully and creatively expanding our franchises through television and films in a way that will honor the commitment our audiences make to our games."

Sher joins former Disney executive Nick van Dyk in co-leading Hollywood's newest studio. "Stacey's immense talent is a great fit for Activision Blizzard Studios, and together we'll bring Activision Blizzard's hugely popular intellectual property to both existing fans and new audiences," van Dyk commented. "Our model is unique: we have a rich library of franchises created over three decades with tens of millions of fans, direct relationships with our audiences and Activision Blizzard's business capabilities, which enable us to operate with incredible efficiency in content creation, marketing and distribution as compared to the traditional studios. Our focused and disciplined strategy will drive tremendous franchise value for Activision Blizzard as we bring audiences new ways to engage with the intellectual property they love. I couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Stacey in building this business."

Sher is a two-time Academy Award nominee, most recently for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. She was previously nominated for Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich, with Julia Roberts and Albert Finney. Her film credits also include Academy Award Best Picture nominee Pulp Fiction, the 2005 Independent Spirit Award-winning Garden State, and three films with director Steven Soderbergh: Contagion, Erin Brockovich, and Out of Sight.

Activision hasn't announced specific plans for the new studio, but has previously mentioned the development of a "robust cinematic universe" based on the Call of Duty franchise. At the time of the studios unveiling, the company had envisioned a "series of Call of Duty feature films as well as the possibility of television adaptations."

Of course, Activision Blizzard has plenty of other IPs to pull from as well, including Skylanders, Diablo, and StarCraft.

Given Sher's expertise and experience and Activision's robust catalog, this seems like a perfect match.