Hidden Pigeon Co. (HPC) has appointed Kristofer Updike as its Senior Vice President, Creative. He will report directly to CEO Karen K. Miller.
Updike will collaborate with HPC Founder Mo Willems and Executive Producer and Showrunner Tim McKeon to oversee all TV and theatrical endeavors. This includes developing the company’s character IPs, such as Elephant & Piggie, Knuffle Bunny, and The Pigeon.
With decades of experience across all key aspects of the kids and family space, from television and film to theater production, Kristofer will be invaluable in helping HPC achieve many important wins ahead in the areas most important to the company’s growth.
Updike boasts 20 years of experience across various entertainment media. He previously served as the Vice President, Development at Peacock, where he spearheaded the implementation of the Peacock Kids streaming portfolio. Prior to Peacock, Updike worked as Senior Director, Original Programming and Development at Universal Kids; Director and Senior Manager, Original Production at Sprout; and Vice President of Production at Bix Pix Entertainment.
HPC, the multiplatform kids’ entertainment company, was founded last year and aims to expand the reach of characters and stories found in Willems’ children’s books. Willems has published more than 71 children’s books, including Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, the Elephant & Piggie early reader series, and more.
HPC hopes to see Willems’ portfolio of children’s characters make its way to new entertainment platforms, including TV, film, live events, licensing, and more. Updike will directly support these goals in his new role at the company. “We have a lot of exciting things in the works as we look to bring these standout character brands into a whole new chapter of opportunity and success,” he says.
