Sandbox Entertainment president/CEO Jason Owen‘s Sandbox Productions has inked a deal with Sony Music Entertainment’s premium content division to produce several original long-form projects. Under the multi-year agreement, Sandbox and SME will collaborate on creating, producing and distributing scripted and unscripted content in various formats, including TV, film and digital.
Among the deal’s first projects is the “definitive” documentary film centering on the story of June Carter Cash. As Sandbox Entertainment’s “Succession” division manages the estates of both Carter Cash and Johnny Cash, the film will feature never-before-heard interviews with members of the Cash family, as well as archival footage, to trace June Carter Cash’s journey to stardom. Sandbox Productions and Sony Music Entertainment also partnered on songwriter Tom Douglas‘ film Love, Tom, which is now streaming on Paramount+.
The companies additionally aim to create a “library of projects that tell the stories of music, history, and culture set in the south”—a goal that fits well with Owen’s work as a manager for artists including Kacey Musgraves, Dan+Shay, Faith Hill, Kelsea Ballerini and more. Meanwhile, Sony’s premium content division will distribute and finance all joint-venture projects.
Owen said, “I’m thrilled to announce Sandbox Production’s partnership with SME’s Premium Content Division. Tom Mackay and his team at SME share the same enthusiasm and passion for thinking big picture and value the importance of creating content that is engaging for all audiences. We have a lot more film and TV projects currently in development and I can’t wait for everyone to see these incredible works come to fruition.”
“Jason is at the forefront of storytelling in Nashville and his relationships across the entire entertainment industry make him an incredible partner to work with,” said Tom Mackay, president, premium content, Sony Music Entertainment. “We are inspired by his vision to bring new life to beloved stories and look forward to continuing our relationship with Sandbox Productions to reach new audiences across all formats.”
Separately, Sandbox Productions is working on projects including Icon, a drama series profiling several music legends including The Judds, as well as the original series My Kind of Country and Monarch, the Fox drama starring Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins. Previous Sandbox Productions projects include Musgraves’ Star-Crossed: The Film, and The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show, as well as the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert special Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul.