Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox unit is formalising its film and TV foray with a new division focused on expanding the video-game giant’s franchises into other media.

The entertainment division called XP will grow Xbox’s footprint in film, TV, products, events and theme parks, Microsoft said Thursday in a statement.

“Fans don’t just play our franchises. They watch them, wear them, attend them, celebrate them, and connect with them in countless ways,” Kayleen Walters, the group’s new president, wrote in an email to her new team, Microsoft said.

Walters, who was president of Microsoft’s Minecraft unit Mojang, previously worked at Star Wars steward Lucasfilm for 13 years, including as a vice president of franchise marketing. She was an executive producer on the Minecraft movie, which set box office records and earned $157 million its first weekend. Its sequel is in production.

Microsoft also on Thursday named a new head for Mojang. Maria Angelidou-Smith, who previously worked for Reddit Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., will become the unit’s chief executive officer this month. A Minecraft theme park is set to open in London in 2027.

Although not a social network like those two companies, Minecraft does let people express themselves, crafting items in the game. Tens of millions of people play Minecraft every day. It has sold more than 300 million copies.

Microsoft’s ambitions in entertainment remain strong, after mass layoffs and studio spin-outs to sharpen the focus of its gaming arm. Xbox’s Fallout TV show has seen major success. ’s Prime Video, where the show airs, reported that 100 million people watched at least a little of the series, which was just renewed for a third season.

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