Irish Animation Studio, Boulder Media, who have produced TV shows in the past for the likes of the BBC, Nickelodeon and Disney has been acquired by toymaker Hasbro Inc. 

Boulder Media was founded in 2000 by Robert Cullen and is one of the fastest growing animation studios in Ireland. The studio currently employs 150 full time staff. Boulder will retain its brand and report into Stephen Davis who leads Hasbro’s entertainment and consumer products licensing division.

Hasbro of course are one of the biggest toymakers in the world, owning the rights to among others, Monopoly, Transformers, My Little Pony and Play-Doh. 

“As one of the largest independent studios producing animation in Hollywood, the time is right for Hasbro to acquire its own animation studio, allowing us to expand our animation and storytelling capabilities even further,” said Stephen Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, Hasbro.

“In Boulder, we have found one of the most progressive, innovative and creative teams in the business. We are thrilled to partner with Rob Cullen, Pete Lewis, Jenni MacNeaney and the entire Boulder team as we significantly enhance the execution of our story-led Brand Blueprint strategy.”

“Boulder and Hasbro have ambitious plans for growth, and working together, we will substantially expand our team and our business,” said Robert Cullen, Creative Director, Boulder. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring to life the Hasbro stories and characters that mean so much to our team, and join a company that’s emerging as an entertainment powerhouse.”

Boulder will continue to produce animated series on behalf of third-party clients, in addition to producing animation projects for Hasbro’s best-known brands. Here's hoping that means Boulder will be working on bringing a new Transformers series to life at some point!