Griffin Gaming Partners has launched a new company to support game adaptations for film and television in partnership with talent management and production firm Entertainment 360.
Called HITpoint Entertainment, the company will “combine Griffin’s relationships with game developers and publishers with Entertainment 360’s producing track record on IP-driven franchises.”
“In addition to providing opportunities for the firm’s clients, the new venture will mine relationships across the broader creative community, pairing each property with the filmmakers, talent, and studio partners best suited to bring it to the screen,” the firms told The Hollywood Reporter.
“HITpoint will keep game creators closely involved from initial development through production, aligning incentives while giving them direct access to leading writers, filmmakers, actors, and producing partners.”
Griffin co-founder and managing director Peter Levin was a key investor in Amazon’s Fallout television series, while Entertainment 360’s clients are currently involved in the live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.
“Video games represent one of the most exciting sources of stories and characters in film and television, but adapting them successfully requires a real understanding of the creativity and passion developers bring to their work,” said Levin.
“Griffin has spent many years building trusted relationships across the gaming community, from major publishers to the independent studios we support. We see this vehicle as a differentiating resource for our over 100 portfolio companies, our strategic partners as well as the gaming ecosystem writ large.”
Entertainment 360 added: “There has long been an infrastructure in Hollywood for discovering books and other underlying material early. HITpoint brings that same focus to gaming. Together, with Griffin, we can identify compelling IP at an early stage, bring it into a development environment, and pair it with filmmakers who genuinely understand the material and what makes it special.”
HITpoint aims to adapt major franchises as well as independent games, with the latter utilising Griffin’s $100 million indie fund led by Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender.
Griffin co-founder and managing director Nick Tuosto discussed how the Special Opportunities Fund works with GamesIndustry.biz, which has invested in fifteen indie titles and six unannounced projects.
Tuosto explained that the fund’s core strategy is to “simply provide capital and support independent studios to launch successful games.”
“Beyond that, we’re excited about the possibility of activating these new intellectual properties in other formats and mediums.”