Lion Forge Entertainment, formerly known as Lion Forge Animation, is expanding its horizons with the help of a veteran family entertainment executive. On March 22, Stephanie Sperber was announced as the newly renamed studio’s president and chief content officer. The change in leadership comes alongside the news that Lion Forge will take on live-action programming, with a focus on kids, family, and young adult content.
Sperber will lead the studio as it looks to monetize its own IP to build franchises and create another IP for publishing businesses. A seasoned entertainment executive with a career spanning more than 30 years, Sperber has earned plenty of accolades in her previous positions. Before turning her focus to Lion Forge, Sperber served as the president of Imagine Kids+Family, a division of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment. There, she oversaw the creative IP development and production of IKF’s TV and film projects. She also executive produced the upcoming feature The Slumber Party on Disney+. In her new position, Sperber will be responsible for building global transmedia franchises, expanding strategic production and distribution partnerships, spearheading licensing and merchandising initiatives, and overseeing aspects of the company’s new live-action film and TV division.
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“What I’m hoping to achieve is pretty simple,” says Sperber. “I am looking forward to working with creators and helping them tell their own stories authentically. We’re looking at diversity across the spectrum of groups who have historically been underrepresented and building an entertainment company that creates opportunities both in front of the camera as well as behind the camera.”
The studio hopes to build on the success of its previous productions, like Oscar-winning short film Hair Love, while embracing new stories and forms of storytelling. Steward says he’s looking forward to branching out.
“The Lion Forge brand has stood for diversity and representation in animation for the past four years, and I’m thrilled to take the brand and that mission into the live-action series and feature space,” said the Lion Forge CEO in a release announcing the studio changes. “We believe that it’s important for kids and teens to see themselves and their experiences reflected in the content.”
