Ice Cube and Cube Vision Set to Executive Produce, With Ice Cube to
Lend Voice Talent in a Lead Role
Original Creator Eric Fogel to also Executive Produce, With
Additional Talent to Come
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 5, 2018--
MTV Studios today announced plans to reimagine “Celebrity Deathmatch,”
the seminal stop-motion satire that skewered celebrities, politicians
and everyone in between during its famed original run. Ice Cube joins
the franchise for the first time and will both star and executive
produce alongside his partner Jeff Kwatinetz through his Cube Vision
production company. Series creator Eric Fogel will return to executive
produce as well, with additional showrunners and talent to be named
shortly.
The all-new “Celebrity Deathmatch” will be available as a weekly series
for an exclusive SVOD or premium broadcast partner in 2019. The move
marks the first step in reinventing the franchise across consumer
products, gaming, theatrical and more.
Ice Cube/Cube Vision are represented by WME. “Celebrity Deathmatch”
expands Ice Cube’s long-standing relationship with the MTV family, with
Cube Vision currently producing “Hip Hop Squares” for MTV sister brand
VH1.
“We’re excited to grow our partnership with Ice Cube and Cube Vision to
reimagine this fan favorite,” said Chris McCarthy, President of MTV, VH1
and CMT. “’Deathmatch’ was the meme before memes, remains a hot topic on
social media and will be a smart, funny way to tackle the over-the-top
rhetoric of today’s pop culture where it belongs – in the wrestling
ring.”
“Happy to once again be working with Viacom and MTV on a fan favorite
like ‘Celebrity Deathmatch’ and to continue our success together,” said
Ice Cube.
“Celebrity Deathmatch” is among the most beloved series in a long line
of MTV animation classics. The original “Celebrity Deathmatch” is highly
regarded as an incubator for world-class comedic talent, including New
York Times-bestselling author A.J. Jacobs (1999-2002) and writers
and producers who went on to contribute to comedy classics from “The
Simpsons” to “Key and Peele” to “Family Guy” and more.
Multitalented director, writer, animator, producer and voice actor Eric
Fogel is represented by Gotham Group. Ben Hurwitz from Cube Vision will
also co-executive produce.
About MTV
MTV is the leading global youth media brand in 180 countries, reaching
nearly 450 million households in more than 30 different languages across
every platform. A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV
operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, theatrical films
and MTV Studios, a unit that produces new and reimagined content for
SVOD and linear platforms based on MTV’s library of over 200+ youth
titles and franchises.
About Cube Vision
Cube Vision is a film and television production company, founded in 1998
by award winning actor, writer, producer and music legend Ice Cube. The
company’s debut film was Next Friday, the sequel to Cube’s 1995 classic
Friday, a film that he both wrote and starred in. Since then, Cube
Vision has gone on to produce hit films such as Barbershop 1, 2 and The
Next Cut, Are We There Yet, Ride Along 1, 2 - as well as the critically
acclaimed documentary film Straight Outta LA for ESPN Film’s 30 for 30
and the scripted series Are We There Yet for TBS. Most recently, Cube
Vision produced the Oscar nominated film Straight Outta Compton, a
biographical film inspired by the rise and fall of the world's most
dangerous group N.W.A. - which grossed over $200 million worldwide and
topped the US box office for 3 consecutive weeks. In total, Ice Cube and
Cube Vision films have grossed over 1 billion dollars at the box office,
making it one of the most successful independent production companies in
Hollywood.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181205005661/en/
Source: MTV Studios
Kelly Andersen | Kelly.Andersen@viacom.com
Stephanie
Perez | Stephanie.Perez@viacom.com