James Farrell Launches Red Sage Studios and Shares Exciting First Projects for His New YA Company
James Farrell Launches Red Sage Studios for Young Adult Storytelling
James Farrell, the former head of Amazon MGM Studios International, has officially announced the creation of his new production company, Red Sage Studios. The company aims to focus on premium storytelling for the young adult audience, unveiling an ambitious initial slate of projects.
Operating in partnership with Sun Distribution Group, Farrell will serve as CEO of Red Sage Studios. The collaborative effort is expected to target intellectual properties with strong, existing fanbases in both traditional publishing and popular digital platforms like Wattpad and Webtoon. Many of the stories in development will span multiple books, allowing for expansive, multi-film storytelling and ongoing creative partnerships with authors and filmmakers.
The inaugural live-action film slate includes The Bridge Kingdom, the first in a six-part, New York Times bestselling romantasy series by Danielle L. Jensen.
Following that is She’s With Me, adapted from a Wattpad series by Jessica Cunsolo, which has garnered over 215 million reads. This film is being developed in partnership with Webtoon Productions and centers on Amelia Collins, a high school senior trying to remain under the radar while confronting a dangerous past.
Another significant project is Let’s Play, based on the Eisner-nominated and Ringo Award-winning romance webcomic by Leeanne M. Krecic, which has become a phenomenon on Tapas, amassing more than 7.5 million subscribers and over 700 million views.
Farrell’s departure from Amazon to establish Red Sage was first reported early last year. He devoted nearly a decade to Amazon, ascending to Head of International Originals in 2018 as the company expanded its international film and television ventures. Prior to his tenure at Amazon, he held senior roles at Sony Pictures Entertainment and 20th Century Fox, as well as experience in finance at Bear Stearns.
Sun Distribution Group, a Uruguay-based film rights distributor, has also worked on prominent recent projects, including Nuremberg and Splitsville.
“Sun’s global perspective and seasoned experience in bringing some of the biggest YA stories to an international audience align perfectly with our mission,” Farrell stated.
Red Sage Studios is represented by CAA, with the rights deal for The Bridge Kingdom negotiated by Hotchkiss Daily & Associates on behalf of Tamar Rydzinski at Context Literary Agency. Krecic, the author of Let’s Play, is represented by Matthew Sugarman of Weintraub Tobin and Tom Akel of Akel Entertainment.
