Relish Interactive Hires Luke Carroll As Its First Ever SVP Of Animation

Toronto-headquartered Relish Interactive has appointed producer Luke Carroll (Netflix’s The Willoughbys) to the newly created role of svp, animation at a time of fast growth for the company.

Here are the details:

• Carroll will have a dual role, serving as both svp of animation at Relish and svp of development at Wasabi Entertainment, the company’s original content division.
• Wasabi is developing a slate of originals including its first feature Shadowrail Circus, the story of a young girl with magic powers who joins a circus troupe pursued by a “sorcerous Pirate Queen.” The film is slated for release in 2022.
• As well as The Willoughbys, Netflix’s second original animated feature, Carroll has produced Escape from Planet Earth for The Weinstein Company and Henchmen at Bron Animation (which also developed and animated The Willoughbys). He previously produced a number of straight-to-video movies for Mattel.
• Founded in 2007, Relish is best known for its hit storybook app Weirdwood Manor, which has since been spun off into a book series and upcoming tv show. (Shadowrail Circus is set in the same universe.) It also animated the series Treasure X and Kindi Kids, and is at work on Super Punch, a new show for Cartoon Network Latin America.
• Relish has had a busy 2020. It acquired Costa Rica’s Rocket Cartoons in February and recently opened a studio in Duncan, British Columbia, where it will produce animation. The company also received a Megagrant from Epic Games, with which it will further integrate Unreal Engine into its production pipeline. Its upcoming Shadowrail Circus will use Unreal Engine to “shorten production time and lower costs while maintaining cinematic quality.”
• Carroll said in a statement:

Relish has such an impressive track record in combining great creative with the latest technology. To be able to apply this knowledge to a slate of wildly exciting animated feature films is an unbelievable opportunity. The fact that we get to do this on Vancouver Island is beyond incredible.

• Wasabi CEO Paul Pattison added:

We’re delighted to have Luke join the team. Not only will his experience producing animated features prove invaluable, but we share a common vision for building an artist-driven studio that puts story first while also pushing technical boundaries. We want to capture imaginations, touch hearts, and tell unforgettable stories that will inspire a new generation.

Image at top courtesy of CNW Group/Relish Interactive Inc.