Both Wizard World and Sony Pictures Entertainment will discover and develop new intellectual property.

NORTH AMERICA–Fan convention producer Wizard World and Sony Pictures Entertainment are joining forces to find the next generation of movies for a number of strategic initiatives.

“As Wizard World continues to grow its brand across the globe, we see IP development as only the first step in the relationship,” says Jeffrey Godsick, executive vice president, brand strategy and global partnerships, Sony Pictures Consumer Marketing. “We will work with Wizard World to develop opportunities across several areas, including licensing, retail and location-based entertainment. There are tremendously talented artists and storytellers presenting their properties at the conventions, and this relationship with Wizard World will afford us direct and early access to what might turn out to the next great idea for a film.”

Under the new deal, Sony Pictures and Wizard World will jointly discover top talent, optioning their work to incubate and develop these stories into various media. Wizard World and Sony Pictures will also option and develop original IP. 

“Sony Pictures Entertainment is uniquely aligned as a studio with dominance in the motion picture, television, and electronics spaces,” says John D. Maatta, chief executive officer, Wizard World. “As Wizard World expands into a full spectrum media company from our roots in live exhibition, the partnership with Sony Pictures allows for an exceptional array of new opportunities and initiatives across many business extensions. It also creates a new and powerful voice in the pop culture."