Jan 29, 2026 - Business

Ex-Paramount co-CEO raises $100 million for animation

Dan Primack

Illustration of a box of popcorn with hundred dollar bills as the sides that is overflowing with popcorn. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Big Shot Pictures, an animation company founded by former Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins, raised around $100 million in startup funding.

Why it matters: This is modern media in a microcosm.

Test a ton of stuff cheaply on social media to see what resonates, before going long-form with the winners, all while avoiding a studio system that's rife with union concerns about AI.

Zoom in: Investors include CAA, Greycroft, MarcyPen Capital Partners, Sony Pictures, and ValueAct Capital.

The bottom line: This is the second time Robbins has launched an alt studio. His first effort, AwesomenessTV, sold to Viacom for around $300 million in 2018.

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Ex-Paramount co-CEO raises $100 million for animation

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