Diversified holding company Ballantyne Strong has launched Strong Studios, a new wing of its entertainment division, with two scripted series already in the works for 2022.Supernatural horror outing Safehaven and Michael Rapaport dramedy Flagrant have been greenlit by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Screen Media subsidiary, which will distribute them.
The company’s ad-supported streaming services, Crackle, Popcornflix and Chicken Soup for the Soul have premiere rights.Cementing the connection between Strong and Chicken Soup for the Soul is David Ozer, who has been appointed president of Strong Studios.
Ozer formerly was CEO of Landmark Studio Group, a division of Chicken Soup. In part because of the familiar executive relationship, the companies said “many additional collaborations are expected” down the line.Based in New York, Strong Studios will develop and produce original film and TV projects as well as acquiring distribution rights to third-party productions.
Along with investments in forest management, lumber production, reinsurance and other non-entertainment areas, Ballantyne Strong has stakes in cinema equipment, theme park products and services and digital mobile advertising.Safehaven is a supernatural horror series based on a graphic novel.
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