HBO’s former head of programming, Michael Lombardo has joined Entertainment One as the Head of Global TV where he will be overseeing programming for a multitude of Hasbro owned properties includingPower Rangers,Transformers, andDungeons & Dragons. Lombardo previously spent 33 at HBO, serving as the president of programming the past nine years where he greenlit a number of high-profile series includingGame of Thrones,True Detective, andSilicon Valley.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Michael to the eOne team. His incredibly impressive history of success during his long tenure at HBO resulted in some of the most ground-breaking, iconic television series over the past two decades,” said Steve Bertram, president film & television at Entertainment One in a press release last week. “A true champion of creative excellence, Michael is the ideal leader to guide our television strategy at a time where audiences are demanding content of the highest quality.”
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Hasbro acquired Entertainment One in December 2019 for $3.8 billion, in an all-cash deal to secure hit children’s series from the indie studio includingPeppa Pig,Ricky Zoom, andPJ Masks. Hasbro will be able to bring merchandising in house for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks once existing licensing deals end in 2021. “The acquisition of eOne adds beloved story-led global family brands that deliver strong operatingreturns to Hasbro’s portfolioand provides a pipeline of new brand creation driven by family-oriented storytelling, which will now include Hasbro’s IP,” said Brian Goldner, Hasbro chairman and CEO in a statement.
While Entertainment One will handle the television side for Hasbro owned properties, Paramount Pictures currently has the film rights forPower Rangers,Transformers, andDungeons and Dragons. Paramount is currently in early production stages for new entries in all-three franchises, including a secondPower Rangersreboot set in the 90s. The film is being helmed byThe End of the F***ing Worlddirector Jonathan Entwistle and will ignore the events of the 2017 film of the same name.
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