Blue Ant Media’s Beach House Pictures has further expanded its business operations with the acquisition of a majority stake of Tokyo-based prodco Vesuvius Pictures and the appointment of Felix Feng as general manager, Beach House Pictures China.

Founded in 2012, Vesuvius Pictures credits include feature-length documentary Samurai and Idiots – The Olympus Affair, an episode of Dirty Money for Netflix, an episode of interactive web docuseries Earn a Living for ARTE and VPRO and Yosep Anggi Noen’s short film Rumah.

Co-founders Hyoe Yamamoto and Deborah Barillas (pictured left and right) will maintain a minority stake in the company and stay on in their positions as creative director and managing director, respectively.

The two will report to Beach House Pictures managing director Jocelyn Little and creative director Donovan Chan. All changes are effective immediately, according to a press release.

All told, the acquisition complements Singapore-headquartered Beach House Pictures production capacity as a scripted and unscripted programming creator for international and U.S.-based streamers and broadcasters, according to a release which went on to note that Vesuvius Pictures has seasoned English-speaking talent across all its business pillars “creating a unique offering for North American co-producers and commissioners who seek opportunities to create premium content in Asia.”

“These investments in Japan and China reflect our excitement about these two markets, as well as the creative and economic dynamism of the Asia Pacific region in general. We are honoured to welcome Hyoe, Deborah and Felix to our company,” said Blue Ant Media co-president, global production, Sam Sniderman in a statement.

Meanwhile, based in Beijing, former Youku senior producer Feng (pictured left) is tasked with growing and overseeing a slate of broadcast, digital and branded content for the Chinese market and international distribution. His role also includes overseeing Beach House Pictures’ development and production as well as the relationships and business in the region.

Further, the GM – who previously served as director of business development for Discovery Channels China – will report to Chan and Little, working closely with them on the company’s overall production strategy.

Beach House Pictures, which also operates in the U.S., specializes in scripted and unscripted programming for international streamers and cable networks. Series under its belt include Ed Stafford: First Man Out, MasterChef Singapore, Wild City and China From Above.

The company’s divisions also include Beach House Kids; Beach House Entertainment, which produces formats and general entertainment programs; Beach House Labs, which focuses on digital and branded content; and Beach House Academy, which offers outreach programs and skills training for producers throughout Asia. In 2019, it made its move into scripted production.