Not long after rumors started swirling about what Brian Robbins would do next, we now have official confirmation that the former Paramount co-CEO and Nickelodeon boss has launched a kids & family animation studio called Big Shot Pictures.

As previously reported, this new venture has a major digital-first emphasis, focusing on where kids are most likely to discover new content. Big Shot’s strategy is to test IPs on platforms like YouTube before expanding them into longer-form content like theatrical films and streaming series.

“By partnering with creators, acquiring existing channels and building new [ones], the company will leverage audience data to understand what characters resonate, what storytelling works and what drives engagement,” according to a release. “This digital-first approach allows Big Shot to be nimble and responsive to audience preferences before committing to larger-scale productions.”

The studio’s kick-off partnership is a first-look theatrical distribution deal with Sony Pictures, which will cover fully animated films as well as some hybrid animated/live-action title. Sony is also an investor in Big Shot, alongside Greycroft, MarcyPen Capital Partners, ValueAct Capital and CAA. (And though the fledgling company hasn’t said how much has been raised, Deadline puts the value of the strategic investment at around US$100 million.)

Robbins’ studio has also managed to scoop up the entertainment rights to author Kay Thompson’s classic kidlit franchise Eloise (pictured below), which has sold more than 15 million English-language books since 1955, telling stories about a six-year-old girl who lives in New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel. 

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That said, the exact nature of this deal is still a bit unclear, since there’s a completely different Eloise project in the works for Netflix, directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Ryan Reynolds. First announced in November, this live-action feature (which is now in production, according to the streamer) is being overseen by MRC Films, which announced that it picked up the rights to the books back in 2019. 

Kidscreen has reached out to all partners for comment about what’s going on with these dueling content plays. But we can already spot a few differences, starting with the fact that Big Shot isn’t just planning one project; its goal is to spin Eloise out as a multi-platform franchise spanning film, TV, digital content, consumer products and experiences. And while Netflix has kept the logline of its own film under wraps, it did hint that there will be some new original elements added, such as a brand-new villain who’s not part of the books.

However things shake out, this will mark a return to the book property for Robbins. Paramount had been working with Maximum Effort and MRC to develop an Eloise film during his tenure—a project that the media giant last mentioned in 2024, when it renewed its deal with Reynolds’ company.