Vancouver-based Mainframe Studios and global franchise management agency Cookbook Media has announced a new strategic partnership to establish a fully integrated commercial, franchise and business development engine designed to unlock new market growth opportunities across Mainframe’s original intellectual property and work-for-hire portfolio.
Cookbook Media will work with Mainframe Studios on business development, production partnerships, global distribution, and licensing and merchandising. The two companies will review original projects from both creative and commercial perspectives to align with audience demand, platform requirements, and long-term franchise planning. Cookbook will assist Mainframe in presenting its development slate to secure commissioning, co-productions, pre-sales, and financing, while also seeking to increase the value of Mainframe’s existing content library by opening new revenue channels across broadcast, digital, and consumer platforms. The partnership will extend to brand collaborations, consumer products, publishing, live events, and experiential initiatives, as well as digital strategies across YouTube, social media, and gaming.
Mainframe Studios president and chief creative officer Michael Hefferon said, “As we continue to invest in building and owning original IP while delivering world-class work-for-hire productions, having an integrated commercial strategy is critical, and this collaboration with Cookbook marks an incredibly important evolution in the growth of Mainframe Studios. Cookbook brings a proven track record in franchise-building, licensing, and global distribution strategy. Together, we are creating a turnkey model that strengthens our ability to grow franchises from concept through long-term, multi-platform success.”
Cookbook Media co-founders Claudia Scott-Hansen and Rob Bencal shared, “Mainframe has an extraordinary legacy of creative excellence and production expertise. This collaboration reflects our shared vision with Mainframe to build enduring franchises by aligning story development, production strategy, and commercial expansion from the earliest stages of development.
Projects under the Mainframe Studios and Cookbook Media partnership include The Immortals & The Shadow Realm, an original CG-animated series created by Hefferon. The series combines stylistic elements influenced by K-Pop Demon Hunters, Arcane, and anime. The partnership also covers Ghost Town, a horror-comedy in development with creators Josh Saltzman and Evan Thaler Hickey.
