Hammerstone Studio has appointed Karina Manasir as Senior Vice President (SVP) of Creative and Brand Development. Manasil has over 10 years of experience in the media and entertainment field, most recently as the Founder and President of Kaijo, a production company focused on creating original and adapted IP with artists.
In his new role, Hammerstone will not only build on the film foundation, but also help expand into publishing, merchandising, gaming and live events. The independent production company said it expects Manasil to play a role in “bringing culturally focused content for high-level artists and athletes.”
Hammerstone was prolific, making 18 films in less than eight years. It has now moved on to video game adaptations, anime, manga, and star-driven original productions. Manasir’s Banner Sea Castle is folded into Hammerstone.
Manasil has already worked with Hammerstone on the animated film Slime, directed by Jeron Braxton, starring Willow Smith, Kid Cudi, John Boyega, Anna Sawai, Teyana Taylor, Lakeith Stanfield, John Cho and Winston Duke.
Previously, Manasil co-founded Mad Solar with Kid Cudi and launched the company in the Amazon Prime documentary “A Man Called Scott.” She was an executive producer on Ti West’s trilogy “X,” “Pearl,” and “MaXXXine” at A24. Manasir received an Emmy nomination for Netflix’s animated musical romance Entergalactic, which was released at the same time as Kid Cudi’s album of the same name. She began her career as a talent agent at WME, representing artists such as Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Dax Shepard, Stephen Merchant, and Paul Reubens.
Alex Lebovisi, founder and CEO of Hammerstone Studios, said: “Karina is a great talent and her network of contacts spans the entire industry.” “She is the kind of leader we need as Hammerstone enters its next phase of growth. Building on the company’s strong foundation in film, her experience will enable us to thoughtfully expand our reach into original and adapted IP while continuing to produce culture-defining content.”
“It is a great honor to partner with Alex Lebovisi and the team at Hammerstone,” said Manasir. “From the first time I met Alex when he cast Scott Mescudi in Bill & Ted Face the Music to working together to produce Slime, I have always admired his creative, passionate, audience-first approach. My goal is to create content that speaks to the culture, and I’m excited to be part of the team that brings that vision to life.”
Hammerstone Studios is currently in post-production on David Sandberg’s Kung Fury: The Movie and Gabriel Basso’s directorial debut, The Iconoclast, starring Courtney Eaton, Noah Centineo and Rayne Spencer. and “By Any Means,” directed by Elegance Bratton, starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
