Video Interview: eOne’s John Morayniss

NEW YORK: John Morayniss, the CEO of Entertainment One (eOne) Television, talks to World Screen about the company’s strategy to grow its scripted business and the types of innovative partnerships it engages in.

eOne Television has been busy building out its scripted drama business. Its stable now includes The Firm, adapted from John Grisham’s best-selling novel; the AMC original Hell on Wheels, which has been renewed for a second season; and two titles from producer Ilana Frank, Rookie Blue and Saving Hope, the latter of which premieres this June on NBC and CTV.

Morayniss says that part of the company’s strategy to grow its scripted business has been to partner with the best writers and the best showrunners, and that track record, in turn, draws in new top-level producers, writers and agents. He says that the U.S. networks have become increasingly open to the idea of working with independents like eOne. With its independent strategy, Morayniss explains, eOne is able to be more generous with the partners and the parties that bring in projects.

In this video interview, Morayniss provides some examples of innovative partnerships that eOne has done and the flexibility required when entering deals nowadays. He also discusses how eOne has been taking advantage of new opportunities in the digital space.