Former NBC top executive to lead the MrBeast Studio division 

MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, has become one of the most recognized names in digital entertainment. His move into more traditional formats continues with the appointment of Corie Henson as president of Beast Industry Studios. The division oversees Donaldson’s YouTube channels and the expansion into streaming, animation, gaming, and film production.

The announcement reflects the increasing overlap between creator-driven projects and the structures of conventional media. While MrBeast built his audience through massive online spectacles, the studio now signals a shift toward formats that can stand alongside long-form television and theatrical releases. The involvement of an executive with years of experience in unscripted content places these projects in a wider industry context.

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Career path leading to the studio

Corie Henson has an extensive background in non-scripted programming. At NBCUniversal, she oversaw America’s Got Talent and The Voice, as well as Peacock titles such as The Traitors and Love Island. She also greenlit Deal or No Deal Island, which returned for a second season following strong ratings, and Destination X, described as an international adventure format expected to debut soon.

Before joining NBC, Henson held senior roles at Warner Bros. Discovery, Turner, Fox, Electus, and ABC Entertainment. Her credits include the reboot of Wipeout, The Go-Big Show, The Cube, and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses, the competition series fronted by Helen Mirren. Her professional history shows a strong link to reality formats and large-scale productions, the same type of content that has been central to MrBeast’s growth.

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MrBeast's expansion through multiple projects

The appointment comes at a moment when Beast Industries is clearly looking past YouTube. There is a book in the works with James Patterson, an animation studio taking shape, a video game platform being built, and even a theatrical feature on the way. It feels like each step is meant to stretch the brand further, without losing the oversized, spectacle-driven style that first pulled in a worldwide audience.

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Beast Games as a turning point

Beast Games has become the most visible example of this transition. The competition series premiered on Prime Video in December and gathered one thousand contestants for physical, mental, and social challenges. The show awarded a total of 25 million dollars, with a record-breaking 10 million going to the winner. The format mirrored the large spectacles familiar to YouTube audiences but adapted them to the pace of episodic storytelling on a streaming platform. The success led to a renewal for two more seasons in May.

Jimmy Donaldson explained to Deadline that the concept was to take what his channel was already doing and expand it. With more episodes, the show was able to focus on the contestants, their stories, and the investment in each challenge. The goal, he said, was to make the games ten times bigger and twenty times better.

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The vision of Jeff Housenbold

Corie Henson will report to Jeff Housenbold, CEO of Beast Industries. Speaking to Deadline, he said the company’s goal is to become the next Disney. He pointed to the way Disney operates across many divisions, from Lucasfilm to Pixar, Marvel, and ESPN, and drew a parallel to Beast Industries starting with Jimmy Donaldson. According to Housenbold, the company already knows how to build virality into its productions, whether short-form or long-form, and Henson will be central to accelerating that process.

He also emphasized her track record of scaling franchises and her ability to combine traditional media practices with the innovation of creator-led content. For Housenbold, this mix is key to the next phase of the studio.

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Anticipation for upcoming steps

MrBeast now has an audience that passes 440 million subscribers across his channels, a number that shows just how far his reach goes. With Corie Henson stepping in to run the studio, the projects already on the table include more seasons of Beast Games, the book with James Patterson, an animation studio, a video game platform and a feature film. These projects are shaping the studio’s shift from being tied only to digital videos to becoming something closer to a full entertainment portfolio.

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Conclusion

The decision to appoint Corie Henson as president of Beast Industry Studios signals a direct link between her long career in unscripted television and the rapid expansion of one of the largest creator-led companies. Beast Games has shown that the format can thrive in streaming with massive scale and record prize money.

The additional ventures in publishing, animation, gaming, and film add new layers to the studio’s reach. With Henson in place and Housenbold outlining the long-term vision, Beast Industries positions itself as a company capable of blending YouTube origins with traditional entertainment frameworks.