EXCLUSIVE: MrBeast, the content creator better known as Jimmy Donaldson, will be searching for someone new to run his studio division after Corie Henson stepped down.
Deadline understands that Henson, who joined as president of Beast Industry Studios last year, is exiting the role in order to move back to Los Angeles to be closer to her family, having spent much of the past 12 months in Greenville, North Carolina.
It comes after Beast Games, the Amazon competition series hosted by Donaldson, wrapped production on its third season.
Henson’s departure is said to be amicable, with Donaldson and Jeff Housenbold, CEO of Beast Industries, supportive of her decision. She will help with the transition.
Sources within the company said Henson has been instrumental as the company moves into its next phase. In addition to working on Beast Games, Henson was involved in expanding the range of content that Beast Industry Studios produces. The company has been developing various short- or long-form projects including a theatrical feature and it launched an animation studio and a video game platform.
This is on top of the main MrBeast YouTube channel, which has more than 510 million subscribers, on which she also worked.
Beast Industry Studios will now start the search for Henson’s replacement, though it’s unclear whether it will be a like-for-like move.
Last year, Housenbold told Deadline that he wants to turn Beast Industries into the next Disney. “Just like Disney has Mickey [Mouse], it also has Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel, Searchlight, ABC, ESPN, and so on — we have Jimmy. We know how to build virality into everything we do, and we’re looking to continue building large-scale viewership,” he said.
Before working with MrBeast, Henson was EVP, Unscripted Content, Competition and Game Shows at NBCUniversal, where she oversaw series such as America’s Got Talent, The Voice, The Traitors and Love Island. Before NBCU, Henson worked at Warner Bros Discovery, where she was Head of Unscripted for TBS, TNT and truTV, Fox, Electus and ABC.
