J. J. Abrams’ production company Bad Robot is rolling out a new division: Bad Robot Audio. The new entity will produce and develop original scripted and non-scripted audio content. Bad Robot Audio is launching in exclusive partnership with Spotify. It will be led by former Audible and Spotify Emmy-nominated Audio and Digital Executive, Christina Choi. Bad Robot’s President and COO, Brian Weinstein made the announcement.
Bad Robot has enjoyed global creative and commercial success across film and television thanks to great storytelling and worldbuilding. Its exclusive, multi-year partnership with Spotify will open up new ways to tell stories through audio, with both narrative non-fiction and fiction podcast productions.
Filmmaker J.J. Abrams formed Bad Robot in 2001. The company has produced television series such as Alias, Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest, Westworld, Lovecraft Country, and Lisey’s Story; films such as Super 8, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, the Star Trek, Mission: Impossible and Cloverfield franchises; and also interactive content including the mobile app Action Movie FX. Bad Robot’s first foray into publishing, S., a novel conceived by Abrams and written by Doug Dorst, was a New York Times Best Seller.
Discussing the announcement, Abrams said:
“Podcasts have obviously become a go-to destination for entertainment, education and discovery. Given Bad Robot’s work in TV, film, games and music, podcasts was an obvious topic of conversation within the company for a long time. We are thrilled to welcome Christina Choi to lead the way, and to collaborate with Dawn and the incredible Spotify team to bring some incredible stories to life.”
Dawn Ostroff, Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer at Spotify, also welcomed Abrams and the Bad Robot team.
“We’re incredibly honored to welcome visionary J.J. Abrams and his renowned Bad Robot productions into the Spotify family. Bad Robot productions have produced some of the world’s most riveting and award-winning content and we cannot wait to see how their imaginative stories transcend into the audio space”
Bad Robot Audio joins two other Bad Robot entities. Loud Robot, an artist-friendly independent music label, launched in 2018; and Bad Robot Games, a newer entity, develops large and indie-scale original games for mobile, PC, and console.
