James Duffen to Lead Imaginae Studios

Fremantle has enlisted James Duffen as the CEO of Imaginae Studios, its new AI native studio.

Reporting to Andrea Scrosati, group COO and CEO for Continental Europe at Fremantle, Duffen’s role is effective October 20. He will oversee setting the strategy, culture and operating model of Imaginae Studios. He was most recently managing director for AI and machine learning at Aurelius Advisers. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Zodiak Media and TRX.

Scrosati said: “I’m delighted to welcome James as the new CEO of Imaginae Studios. With his deep expertise in AI and his connections across the AI ecosystem, James is the perfect executive to lead this new venture that will build a unique opportunity for a completely new generation of creative talent to explore, experiment and produce content. Under James’ leadership, Imaginae Studios will break barriers to entry by serving as a bridge between human creativity and technology as part of Fremantle’s commitment to providing creative talent with the cutting-edge tools and support to deliver outstanding content to audiences worldwide.”

Duffen added: “The entertainment industry is standing at the start of something extraordinary. Having spent my career at the crossroads of media and technology, I’ve seen how new ideas can reshape entire industries. AI isn’t here to eclipse human imagination but to amplify it and to expand what’s possible. Imaginae was founded on that belief: that technology and artistry, working together, can shape the next chapter of storytelling.”