Former TV Land Chief to Head VR Firm Blackthorn Media
Former TV Land president Larry Jones has joined VR firm Blackthorn Media as CEO.
Jones will oversee all creative development and business operations for the Los Angeles-based VR studio. Blackthorn is known for the VR series “The Abbot’s Book,” which was part of the 2016 Sundance film festival’s New Frontier program, and the fantasy film “Dragonflight,” featured at last year’s Tribeca film fest.
Michael Conelly, creative director and president of Blackthorn, said Jones’ background in the cable business would help the company expand its operations. Jones is the first to serve in the CEO spot at the company founded in 2014.
“The field is evolving quickly, but content remains king and Larry’s background in entertainment meshes perfectly with our vision for a VR-first studio cultivating a library of cutting-edge, story-driven experiences that our audiences will literally step into in the coming years,” Conelly said.
Jones left TV Land two years ago after 27 years with Viacom, including more than 10 years as president of TV Land. He spearheaded the cabler’s push into original comedies such as “Hot in Cleveland,” “The Soul Man” and the buzzy Sutton Foster starrer “Younger.”
“I thought I knew what VR was, then I met the team behind Blackthorn who are creating content at the highest levels that the art allows,” Jones said. “The confluence of so many new technological advances combined with great storytelling will redefine how Hollywood creates.”
Blackthorn was launched group of execs whose many credits include handling CG and visual effects for such pics as “The Hunger Games,” “Life of Pi” and “The Matrix.”
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