Range Media Partners has partnered with U.K. comics and sci-fi juggernaut Heavy Metal Magazine to bring their properties and titles into the film and television arena. Through this partnership, Heavy Metal will co-produce projects with Range Media, bringing their curated slate off the page, and into the global entertainment sphere. In conjunction with this partnership and multimedia expansion, Heavy Metal has tapped Tommy Coriale as its President and Head of Studio to launch the film and television division. Coriale is the former Head of DIGA Studios (Scream, Teen Wolf), and a multifaceted entertainment executive who oversees all aspects of content creation from development and packaging, through deal making and production. Tommy has worked across all mediums and genres, serving as an Executive Producer across both DIGA’s and Heavy Metal‘s rapidly expanding slates in scripted, unscripted, podcasting, and publishing.
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Heavy Metal continues to be led and operated by CEO Matthew Medney, and Chief Creative Overlord and Publisher David Erwin. Medney is a prolific writer/creator, who is also the co-founder of Herø Projects where he also still presides as CEO. With the ultimate goal of looking to expand minds and engage readers through high concept science fiction, Medney has authored best-selling works such as his hard sci-fi novel Beyond Kuiper: The Galactic Star Alliance and the graphic novel Dark Wing. In addition, he has penned multiple comic books including The Red, and his highly anticipated forthcoming work The Adventures of Adrienne James, which can best be described as “female Indiana Jones – in space.”
“Heavy Metal is one of those moments in time that if presented with, one has to build an army to realize its full potential,” Medney said in a statement. “There are no better generals I could have imagined acquiring than Peter Micelli, Michael Cooper, Dave Bugliari and the entire Range Media family. And with Tommy Coriale joining my inner circle, we have the pieces in place to launch an all out assault on reshaping and redefining how genre stories are told on the screen.”
In Erwin’s current role at Heavy Metal, he is in charge of the ever expanding Heavy Metal Universe, and is responsible for all creative strategies and franchise building within the brand. Prior to joining Heavy Metal, Erwin served as Hasbro’s Transformers Creative Lead on their boys’ properties including Micronauts, ROM, and more. Prior to Hasbro, he served as the Executive Creative Director of DC Comics for 16 years, building out their portfolio of brands with a specific focus of shepherding its premier properties such as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and many more.
“Unlike the other publishers of fiction, Heavy Metal is a destination brand recognized for cutting edge and inventive stories within the sci-fi, fantasy and horror space,” Erwin said. “It has influenced many of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers over the years, and we’ll continue to be a prime source of inspiration by continuing to deliver our brand promise of great stories and art, as well as maintaining its rock-n-roll attitude of making your parents a bit uncomfortable.”
“I am still pinching myself that Heavy Metal is the brand I get to help shepherd off the page,” Coriale added. “Joining forces with Matt and David is a dream come true, and now with Range by our side as both partners and facilitators we are poised to make history. Our message to our fans and to Hollywood is one in the same – buckle the f–k up, Heavy Metal has arrived.”
