Morning Moon Productions

What Morning Moon Productions does

Morning Moon Productions is an independent film and television production company founded in 2019 by Kyle Owens and Austen Rydell, headquartered across Los Angeles and New York. The company develops and produces original content across drama, comedy, documentary, and action-adventure genres, with a stated emphasis on diverse storytelling and underrepresented perspectives (e.g., neurodivergent identity in 'Wildflower' and disability representation in 'Watershed'). Its current portfolio includes feature films 'Wildflower' (Hulu), 'Late Fame' (Magnolia Pictures, Venice Film Festival), 'The Pirate King' (co-produced with Pine Bay and Traction), 'Hot Water' (Sundance, Rich Spirit), documentary 'Watershed', and the optioned novel 'What Is Missing'. The team combines entertainment production with an in-house music production capability led by Dan Lotti (Head of Music) and Mike Sivilli (Director of Music Production), an unusual structural feature for a six-person company.

The business model is a project-based production model: Morning Moon develops and produces films, then monetizes through distribution deals with theatrical distributors (Magnolia Pictures, Momentum Pictures, Rich Spirit), streaming platforms (Hulu), and licensing partners. It selectively co-produces with established partners (eOne, Limelight, Hunting Lane, Pine Bay, Traction) to share production risk and access talent. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors, and currently operates with a lean team of 6 employees. Management was professionalized in 2024 with the appointment of Ethan Lazar as CEO, complementing the founder-Co-Presidents and partner-producer Billie Lourd. Distribution is global via SVOD/AVOD and theatrical channels, though the company's own geographic footprint is anchored to LA and New York. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with the B2B nature of licensing deals to studios and distributors.

Name

Morning Moon Productions

Legal name

Morning Moon Productions

Website

https://morningmoon.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Morning Moon Productions is an independent film and television production company founded in 2019 with offices in Los Angeles and New York, developing and producing drama, comedy, documentary, and action-adventure content for major streaming platforms and theatrical distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Action TV Movies, Miniseries & Specials Production (MPADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Production & Talent Services (Casting, Crew, Production Management) (MPAAAMAF)

Keywords

• Film production services
• Television development
• Independent film production
• Music production services
• Literary acquisitions

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Morning Moon Productions is an independent film and television production company that develops, finances, and produces original content across drama, comedy, documentary, and action-adventure genres. The company integrates film and television production with in-house music production and a literary acquisitions function, optioning novels for adaptation and delivering completed projects to theatrical distributors and streaming platforms.

Product overview

Morning Moon Productions is a film and television production company operating as a single-brand production entity. The company develops and produces films across various genres including drama, comedy, documentary, and action-adventure. Their portfolio includes produced films such as 'Wildflower,' 'Watershed,' 'The Pirate King,' and 'Late Fame,' as well as projects in development like 'Hot Water' and the optioned novel 'What Is Missing.' The company partners with talent including Billie Lourd (Partner & Producer), Kyle Owens and Austen Rydell (Co-Presidents), and CEO Ethan Lazar to develop and produce content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildflower A dramedy featuring a landmark depiction of neurodivergent adults, starring Kiernan Shipka, Jean Smart, Alexandra Daddario, Charlie Plummer, and Jacki Weaver. Produced for distribution to streaming platforms including Hulu and acquired by Momentum Pictures.
• Late Fame A New York poet comedy-drama directed by Kent Jones, starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival and acquired by Magnolia Pictures for theatrical and home entertainment distribution.
• The Pirate King An action-adventure film featuring an ensemble cast including Rob Riggle, Jordana Brewster, Billie Lourd, Matt Barr, and Elizabeth Tulloch. Co-produced with Pine Bay and Traction.
• Hot Water A Sundance road movie with cross-cultural themes, part of the American road movie tradition with a distinctive twist. Acquired by Rich Spirit for distribution.
• Watershed A documentary film following Paralympian Mallory Weggemann and Jay Snyder's IVF journey, with coverage on CNN and People.com.
• What Is Missing An optioned novel by Michael Frank that Morning Moon Productions acquired rights to develop for potential film adaptation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Films acquired by major distributors including Magnolia Pictures, Momentum Pictures, and Rich Spirit
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rich SpiritcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2026Acquired Sundance road movie 'Hot Water' from Morning Moon Productions for distribution.
• Magnolia PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2025Acquired 'Late Fame' from Kent Jones for distribution. The film stars Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee and premiered at Venice Film Festival.
• Pine BaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Co-producer on 'The Pirate King' alongside Morning Moon and Traction. The film stars Rob Riggle, Jordana Brewster, Billie Lourd, Matt Barr, and Elizabeth Tulloch.
• TractioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Co-producer on 'The Pirate King' alongside Morning Moon and Pine Bay. The film is a production collaboration with multiple partners.
• Momentum PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2023Acquired 'Wildflower' starring Kiernan Shipka and Jean Smart from Morning Moon Productions for distribution.
• LimelightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Co-producer on 'Wildflower' alongside Morning Moon and Hunting Lane. The film stars Jean Smart, Kiernan Shipka, Alexandra Daddario, Charlie Plummer, and Jacki Weaver.
• Entertainment One (eOne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Co-producer on 'Wildflower' alongside Morning Moon and Hunting Lane. The film was acquired by Momentum Pictures for distribution.
• Hunting LanecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Co-producer on 'Wildflower' alongside Morning Moon and Limelight. The film was produced in collaboration with eOne.
• IMDB ProminorOthersListed on IMDB Pro as a production company (company ID: co0784701) for industry visibility and professional credentialling.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Annapurna Pictures: Annapurna Pictures is an independent production and distribution company focused on auteur-driven, prestige films, comparable to Morning Moon's talent-attached, festival-positioned development approach.
• Neon: Neon is an independent film distribution and production company recognized for festival circuit acquisitions and release strategy, directly comparable to Morning Moon's festival-positioned indie film output.
• A24: A24 is a leading independent film production and distribution company with strong festival pedigree and auteur-driven projects, making it the most direct peer in producing and releasing original indie films for festival and streaming audiences.
• Blumhouse Productions: Blumhouse is an independent film and television production company producing original content across genres, comparable to Morning Moon's independent production model with multi-genre output.
• Magnolia Pictures: Magnolia Pictures is a specialty film distributor and producer that acquires independent films for theatrical and home entertainment release, directly comparable as both a partner and a market peer in the indie distribution ecosystem.
• Hunting Lane Films: Hunting Lane Films is an independent production company that co-produced Wildflower with Morning Moon, making it a closely comparable co-production peer in the indie film production space.
• Participant Media: Participant Media is an independent production company focused on socially impactful storytelling, comparable to Morning Moon's differentiated focus on inclusive and representation-driven content like Wildflower and Watershed.

Broad incumbents

• Searchlight Pictures: Searchlight Pictures is the specialty film label of a major studio focused on prestige and indie releases, serving as a broader incumbent comparator for festival-selected, talent-driven indie production.
• Focus Features: Focus Features is the specialty film division of a major studio producing and distributing independent and prestige films, comparable as a larger incumbent operating in the same indie/festival space.
• STX Entertainment: STX Entertainment is an independent film and television production and distribution company operating at a larger scale across genres, comparable to Morning Moon's independent production and distribution model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/morningmoonproductions/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morning-moon-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Morning Moon Productions