Arnold Schwarzenegger Expands Deal with Genius Brands International

Source: Genius Brands International

Legendary action star Arnold Schwarzenegger may be eyeing an investment in Genius Brands International Inc.

Schwarzenegger, who is starring in and co-producing Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten with Genius Brands, Lee’s POW! Entertainment, Alibaba Group, and his own Oak Productions, has reportedly elected to receive warrants to purchase shares of Genius Brands common stock as an advance against his profit participation in the show.

“We are grateful to have Arnold, not only as a co-producer, but also as a warrant holder, which is a tribute to his belief in both the series and Genius Brands,” says Andy Heyward, chairman & CEO, Genius Brands. “Not only is Arnold a legendary entertainer and a leading voice in promoting children’s education and fitness, he is also a uniquely accomplished investor who brings the perspective of having been Governor of California, the fifth-largest economy in the world. I can think of no better or smarter partner.”

According to Genius Brands, any further payouts to Schwarzenegger will likely be in the form of cash payments.

Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten is set to debut next year on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

Genius Brands recently named Margaret Loesch as the head of its new Kartoon Channel. In 2016, Loesch joined Genius Brands to lead its Kid Genius effort.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.