Xbox announces new XP division for film, TV, and theme parks

The new enterprise will be led by Kayleen Walters, the current president of Mojang Studios. Walters previously spent eight years overseeing franchise development at Microsoft and 13 years at Lucasfilm, where she served as vice president of franchise marketing and integrated planning.

Following her move to XP, Maria Angelidou-Smith will take over as president of Mojang Studios. Angelidou-Smith joins the Xbox division from Reddit, where she was chief product officer, after a decade-long tenure at Facebook.

The XP division is structured into four specific areas:

• Xbox Pictures for film and television adaptations;
• Xbox Products for licensing and merchandise;
• Xbox Partnerships for sponsors and brand partners;
• Xbox Places for broadcast, in-person events, theme parks, and other location-based experiences.

A major upcoming project is the Minecraft World destination, set to open at the Chessington World of Adventures in the UK in 2027. This follows a 2024 deal with Merlin Entertainments, which involves an investment of over $110 million into two Minecraft-themed attractions.

The unit will also oversee media adaptations of major franchises. This includes the "Fallout" TV series (a hit on Amazon Prime Video) and a Gears of War movie currently in development at Netflix. This follows the cancellation of the Halo series on Paramount+ after two seasons.