Griffin Gaming Partners launches HITpoint Entertainment for film and TV adaptations

Griffin Gaming Partners has launched HITpoint Entertainment, a new company dedicated to adapting video games for film and television, in partnership with talent management and production firm Entertainment 360.

The venture will, in the founders' words, "combine Griffin's relationships with game developers and publishers with Entertainment 360's producing track record on IP-driven franchises." Entertainment 360's clients are currently involved in the live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, while Griffin co-founder and managing director Peter Levin was a key investor in Amazon's Fallout television series.

The firms told The Hollywood Reporter that the new venture will "mine relationships across the broader creative community, pairing each property with the filmmakers, talent, and studio partners best suited to bring it to the screen." HITpoint will also keep game creators closely involved from initial development through production.

What does HITpoint change for developers?

For studios, the pitch is direct access to Hollywood. HITpoint intends to give game creators "direct access to leading writers, filmmakers, actors, and producing partners" while aligning incentives across development and production.

Levin framed the vehicle as a resource tied to Griffin's existing footprint. "Griffin has spent many years building trusted relationships across the gaming community, from major publishers to the independent studios we support," he said. "We see this vehicle as a differentiating resource for our over 100 portfolio companies, our strategic partners as well as the gaming ecosystem writ large."

In plain terms: Griffin-backed studios now have a dedicated pipeline for screen adaptations of their IP.

How does the indie fund fit in?

HITpoint aims to adapt major franchises as well as independent games, with the latter drawing on Griffin's $100 million indie fund led by Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender. That Special Opportunities Fund has invested in fifteen indie titles and six unannounced projects to date.

Griffin co-founder and managing director Nick Tuosto, who discussed the fund's operation with GamesIndustry.biz, described its core strategy as one of providing "capital and support independent studios to launch successful games."

"Beyond that, we're excited about the possibility of activating these new intellectual properties in other formats and mediums," Tuosto said.

Why build the infrastructure now?

Entertainment 360 positioned the venture against an established Hollywood practice. "There has long been an infrastructure in Hollywood for discovering books and other underlying material early," the firm said. "HITpoint brings that same focus to gaming. Together, with Griffin, we can identify compelling IP at an early stage, bring it into a development environment, and pair it with filmmakers who genuinely understand the material and what makes it special."

Levin added that successful adaptation depends on understanding developers. "Video games represent one of the most exciting sources of stories and characters in film and television, but adapting them successfully requires a real understanding of the creativity and passion developers bring to their work," he said.

In short, HITpoint wants to institutionalize early-stage game IP discovery for the screen, the way books have long been treated in Hollywood.

What comes next?

The venture launches with no announced projects of its own, but its pipeline potential is measurable: 100-plus Griffin portfolio companies, fifteen funded indie titles, six unannounced projects, and existing Entertainment 360 involvement in the live-action Legend of Zelda adaptation. The first HITpoint project announcement will signal how quickly the venture can convert those relationships into screen deals.

By James Calloway