Chia Pet<\/a> brand have been acquired by writer and producer Adam Jay Epstein and producers Ari Daniel Pinchot and Jonathan Rubenstein via their IP holding company, Rakia Media, and their film and TV production banner, Crystal City Entertainment. With the acquisition, the trio is planning \u201ca vision of building an animated feature film or animated series.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\t\u201cThe Rakia Media and Crystal City team is actively exploring strategic partnerships and collaborators to fully realize the commercial and storytelling potential of the Chia Pet franchise,\u201d the press release for the acquisition says. <\/p>\n
\n\tFor the uninitiated, Chia Pets are terracotta figures on which chia sprouts are applied and grow to resemble hair or fur. Debuting in 1977, they became a pop culture sensation in the \u201980s, thanks in part to their ubiquitous TV commercials and indelible theme song. Over 30 million have been sold, and they\u2019re still creating new figures based on modern IP and celebrities, like Netflix\u2019s \u201cWednesday,\u201d \u201cRick and Morty\u201d and rapper Ice Spice.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cChia Pets have been featured on our shelves since childhood and we\u2019re thrilled to help grow the brand to new heights,\u201d Epstein said in a statement. \u201cWe can\u2019t wait for audiences to check out the world of Chia in theaters and screens across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cFor over 40 years, Chia Pet has remained one of the most recognizable brand icons in pop culture history,\u201d Joel Weinshanker, CEO of Chia Pet\u00ae brand owner Ad Populum, said in a statement. \u201cI\u2019m excited to work with a team that understands both its legacy and its potential for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThis is Rakia Media\u2019s second IP acquisition, following the \u201cBackyard Sports\u201d video game franchise, which is getting relaunched alongside Playground Productions.<\/p>\n
\n\tAs producers, Pinchot and Rubenstein have previously worked on \u201cEverything Must Go,\u201d \u201cHe Wanted the Moon,\u201d \u201cThe Ides of March,\u201d \u201cThe God Committee\u201d and \u201cLee Daniels\u2019 The Butler.\u201d They are currently adapting the Lisa Jewell bestseller \u201cThen She Was Gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tEpstein is the author of \u201cSnared\u201d and Have You Seen Gordon?,\u201d as well as the co-author of \u201cThe Familiars.\u201d He has written, directed and produced projects for Paramount, SYFY, Amblin, WB, Netflix, Fox, MGM, Sony Animation, Spyglass, Disney+, Lionsgate, Riot Games and MTV. He co-created horror series \u201cThe Unsettling\u201d for AwesomenessTV, and co-wrote the 2001 comedy \u201cNot Another Teen Movie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tCrystal City is repped by UTA. Adam Jay Epstein is repped by UTA, Fourth Wall Management and Lichter, Grossman.<\/p>\n
\n\tWatch a vintage Chia Pet commercial below.<\/p>\n\n