The US multinational toy and game company Hasbro has bought the Irish animation company Boulder Media, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Hasbro, known for its hugely popular Transformers, My Little Pony and GI Joe toys, films and animated series, previously did not have an in-house cartoon facility.
Boulder Media, which is based in Dublin, has produced a variety of award winning series for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney and BBC. Some of the company's works include the popular cartoons Danger Mouse, Go Jetters, Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends and The Amazing World of Gumball.
The company will continue to produce animated series on behalf of third-party clients in addition to producing animation projects for Hasbro's best-known brands, although specific details of the deal have not been disclosed.
#Hasbro acquires Boulder Media animation studio, expanding its TV & feature film capabilities https://t.co/BXNJ8akJNM @BoulderMediaLtd #deal
— Hasbro (@Hasbro) July 13, 2016
Boulder was founded by Robert Cullen in 2000 and over the past 16 years has gone on to become one of Ireland's largest animation studios, employing over 150 people who work in the Dublin-based studio.
Cullen said of the news: “Boulder and Hasbro have ambitious plans for growth, and working together, we will substantially expand our team and our business.
Danger Mouse - one of the Boulder Media's productions
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring to life the Hasbro stories and characters that mean so much to our team, and join a company that’s emerging as an entertainment powerhouse.”
Hasbro's chief content officer Stephen Davis said: "As one of the largest independent studios producing animation in Hollywood, the time is right for Hasbro to acquire its own animation studio, allowing us to expand our animation and storytelling capabilities even further."
