Following the overwhelming success of its League of Legends animated spinoff series Arcane, video game developer and publisher Riot Games has appointed former Disney executive Cristina Fiumara as its first global head of animation content development for film and TV.
Details:
- In the newly created role, Fiumara will head the development of animated tv series and features for Riot, leaning heavily on the company’s IP catalog. She will report to Riot chief content officer Brian Wright and work closely with Arcane creator-showrunners Christian Linke and Alex Yee and Fortiche head of animation production Melinda Dilger. She will also expand the pipeline of animation studio Fortiche Productions, which Riot has a controlling stake in.
- Speaking to Deadline about the appointment, Wright said: “I can’t think of a better person to join our team during such an exciting time at Riot Entertainment. Cristina’s experience and success in developing and producing prestigious animated content makes her the perfect addition to Riot as we develop new and exciting content for the League of Legends cinematic universe and beyond.”
- The new role is the latest in a series of moves by Riot meant to capitalize on the success of its Emmy-winning Netflix original animated series Arcane, arguably the most important animated series release of 2021. After the show’s breakout two-part first season, Riot acquired a non-controlling stake in Fortiche Productions, the show’s animation studio and a long-time Riot collaborator which produced numerous animated shorts for the League of Legends video game.
- Of her new role, Fiumara said: “Riot is known for creating innovative and high-quality programming at the forefront of animation with projects like Arcane. I am looking forward to joining the company as they continue to enhance the player experience through expansions into film and television content.”
- Fiumara was most recently vp of streaming content at Walt Disney Animation studios, where she was responsible for the strategy, development, and production of Disney+’s streaming animation pipeline. Shows produced during her tenure include Iwaju, Tiana, Moana, Olaf Presents, and Zootopia+. She has also helped develop content for 20th Century Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and others.
