EXCLUSIVE: Amid an accelerating expansion into live-action, Laika is entering into the uncharted territory of television, as the company has appointed Amblin alum Alex Maggioni to the role of Head of TV, hiring film industry veteran Zac Locke as Head of Business Affairs.
Maggioni joins after more than eight and a half years at Amblin Television, where she shepherded over 300 hours of programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms as Senior Vice President and Head of Development. Locke comes to the company from for Topic Studios, the award-winning entertainment studio from First Look Media, where he served as Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs. Both of the new hires will report to Laika’s President of Live Action Film & Series, Matt Levin.
Laika’s hires come at a time when the renowned Oregon studio already has at least two live-action features in the works. Most recently, Laika announced Crumble, which Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You) will direct from his own original script, with Lord Miller producing. Then, there’s Seventeen, based on the action thriller novel from screenwriter John Brownlow (The Miniaturist). It’s been a busy period for Laika, which is currently in production on its sixth animated feature Wildwood. Recently, they announced that Laika founder, President and CEO Travis Knight will next helm an animated adaptation of Piranesi, the bestselling novel from Susanna Clarke, on behalf of the studio.
In a statement on Maggioni’s hiring, Laika’s Levin said, “Alex is an incredible executive with impeccable taste, expertise and deep relationships built over decades in the business. We deeply admired her most recent work at Amblin and could not imagine anyone better suited to lead us into this exciting new chapter in TV.”
Levin observed that Locke “is that rare combination of creative dealmaker, strategic thinker, and wonderful colleague. We are thrilled he’ll be bringing his rich and diverse experience, his deep passion for storytelling and his entrepreneurial drive across both our live action film and tv endeavors.”
Stated Maggioni, “LAIKA has an incredible track record of creative excellence in the feature film space. I can’t wait to work with the team to bring that same commitment to compelling, emotional and character-driven storytelling to the TV series format.”
Added Locke, “I’d always admired LAIKA from afar, specifically the studio’s dedication to story, artistry, and artisanship. I’m thrilled to be part of the team to help imbue that DNA into creating bold, inventive and emotional live action film and television at such a special place.”
During her time at Amblin, Maggioni shepherded series including Halo (Paramount+), Masters of the Air (Apple TV+), Tiny Toons (Max/Cartoon Network), Resident Alien (Syfy), Amazing Stories (Apple TV+), Why We Hate (Discovery), and The Americans (FX). In addition, she spearheaded acquisitions and packaging on high profile series projects including All the Sinners Bleed (Netflix), Friends like These (Amazon), and The Challenger (Amazon). Prior to her time at Amblin, Maggioni held senior executive positions at Sunswept Entertainment, E! Networks and UBU Productions, among other companies.
While at Topic, Locke drove development, financing, production and distribution for the company’s Narrative Film, Scripted Television, Non-Fiction Series & Documentaries, and Podcast verticals. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs at Blumhouse Productions, leading the business and legal teams for approximately 20 narrative features including Jordan Peele’s Oscar winner Get Out. Prior to Blumhouse, Locke worked as Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs at the recently shuttered Participant Media, handling deal negotiations, strategy, contracts and legal advice for the Narrative Film, Documentary Film, Marketing, and Social Action departments. Among the complex projects for which he led business affairs and legal efforts was Tom McCarthy’s Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight. Locke is an Associate member of the Producers Guild and a member of the California Bar Association.
Best known for its work in animation, Laika garnered Oscar nominations for its stop-motion features Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link. The company’s next animated film, Wildwood, is slated for release in 2025. In addition to aforementioned projects, the company is currently developing the animated feature The Night Gardener, based on an original idea from Ozark’s Bill Dubuque.