(Cannes) “It is the creators who make our industry tick,” argued actress Eva Longoria, announcing, Monday at Mipcom in Cannes, the launch of a new production studio, financed by the behemoth Banijay and intended as a talent incubator.
This new company, Hyphenate Media Group, was co-created by Cris Abrego, the president of Banijay in the United States and Latin America. The word “hyphenate” refers to the nickname given to multi-hatted artists like Eva Longoria, actress, producer and director.
“I’ve always been interested and curious about being behind the camera,” the series star explained Desperate Housewiveswho made his first film, Flamin’hotreleased this year on Disney+, and launched its production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment in 2005, itself absorbed by Hyphenate.
“But wanting to do more doesn’t work in Hollywood, because it’s an industry that really wants you to stay in your lane, […] especially if you are a person of color or a woman,” she added, lamenting that talented creators are “stifled by the system.”
“With Hyphenate, we want to provide an alternative model, with a modern approach to creating visionary content with strong cultural impact.” “We’re not just going to create great content, we’re going to create the infrastructure to cultivate it and that’s something that’s lacking in Hollywood,” she said.
Banijay, the world’s number one independent producer of audiovisual programs, specified in a press release that Hyphenate’s mission would be to invest in media companies and produce original content in the United States, without quantifying its participation.
“This is a first key strategic investment for us in the American market for scripted productions (series, editor’s note), which we have been seeking to integrate for some time,” declared the group’s CEO, Marco Bassetti, quoted in the press release.
Hyphenate already has the catalog from Eva Longoria’s previous company, including her new series Land of Womenexpected on Apple TV+ in 2024.