Disney Television Studios has launched a creative acquisitions department led by Elizabeth Newman and Jordan Moblo, with the goal of acquiring and packaging new intellectual property to be developed into projects across Disney-owned platforms, the company said Friday.
The new team “will focus on identifying and securing the rights to upcoming and bestselling books, podcasts, news stories and other I.P., connecting creators and rights holders with ABC Signature and 20th Television’s roster of showrunners, writers, directors and talent for series targeting ABC, Hulu, Freeform, FX, Disney+, NatGeo and other platforms,” per Disney Television Studios.
Newman, who was most recently vice president of development at Disney’s Touchstone Television, has been named vice president of Disney Television Studio’s new creative acquisitions department. Moblo is set as director of creative acquisitions for Disney Television Studio’s new branch, after previously working at Disney’s 20th Television where he secured rights to and helped develop fiction, non-fiction, podcasts, theatre, journalism, foreign formats, and life rights for series adaptation.
“Now more than ever, securing compelling I.P. which captures the imagination of showrunners and consumers alike can be the start of a hit television series,” Walt Disney Television President of Entertainment Craig Hunegs said in a statement Friday. “Elizabeth and Jordan are talented executives with impeccable creative taste and deep relationships with agents, publishers, authors and producers. Together, they will strategically serve up source material to our studios and platforms which will redound to the benefit of all of Walt Disney Television.”
Newman and Moblo added in their own joint statement: “We believe in the power of storytelling to change the world and hope to champion material that is as culturally impactful and timeless as it is entertaining. We’re excited to advocate for distinctive source material and create opportunities for the studios’ talent to bring these stories to the screen.”