WarnerMedia-based Bad Robot is expanding further into the animation space. The production company, helmed by J.J. Abrams and his producing partner/wife Katie McGrath, has onboarded John Agbaje as senior VP animation.
Agbaje, a former FX executive, will work across the company’s film and TV groups on animated projects including feature Oh, The Places You’ll Go and short The Boy The Mole, The Fox and the Horse. In his new role, Agbaje will report to Bad Robot film president Hannah Minghella.
Commenting on the appointment, Minghella stated, John’s arrival marks an exciting new chapter for Bad Robot. With his taste, passion and creative vision, we are thrilled to further our animation ambitions and expand the landscape of our storytelling.”
At FX, Agbaje spent the past four years developing animated and live-action series for the John Landgraf-led basic cable network. He has avid experience on the creative side and as a dealmaker. During his time at FX, Agbaje worked on short form animated showcase Cake and worked on live-action entries like breakout comedy Dave, among others. Prior to FX, he spent two years working in former Fox chairman Peter Rice’s office, and also served as a business development exec at Illumination Entertainment.
“My career began with Peter Rice and I’m thankful to have had a true role model as an executive, leader and person during my early days at Fox/Disney. I’ll be forever grateful for the time I spent at FX and the skills I learned from Kate [Lambert], Gina [Balian], John and the brilliant development team. Their evolved perspective on storytelling and always putting the artist first will be a guiding light in my work as a producer. I’ve long admired that Katie, J.J. and Brian [Weinstein] built Bad Robot as an artist led company with the ability to balance original projects with the most storied IP. Applying the ambition that has expanded Bad Robot into games, music and publishing, to animation is incredibly exciting. At its best, animation is a direct tap into a creator’s imagination. I’m excited to bring my perspective as an artist and an executive to this visionary company as we take the medium of animation to even more diverse and surprising places. I’m thrilled to be working with Hannah, Ben [Stephenson] and Rachel [Rusch] on this great initiative,” Agbaje added.
