Stone Kite, a new world-building studio founded by entertainment industry veterans, officially launched today.
The Los Angeles-based company, cofounded by author Margaret Stohl and Bungie cofounder Jason Jones, brings together creators from film, television, comics and literature to develop original universes across multiple forms of media.
Stone Kite was founded around a simple premise: audiences no longer experience stories through a single dominant medium, and the creative process should reflect that reality.
“I’ve spent my career creating books, games, comics, film and television, and I’ve seen how often the medium that tells the first story ends up defining everything that comes after it,” said Margaret Stohl, CEO and cofounder of Stone Kite, in a statement. “Stone Kite is about breaking down those old media silos. Instead of starting in one medium and adapting outward, we bring the best global creators from different disciplines into the room from day one to shape the world together.”
Stohl added, “We change the conversation. We never say that’s how it’s traditionally done. We build communities, and we listen to them. That’s how we’re creating worlds that people can explore for decades, in whatever ways they want.”
Stone Kite’s first universe is One Zero One
Stone Kite’s first universe, One Zero One, grew from an original manuscript by Jason Jones, creator of the Halo and Destiny franchises and cofounder of Bungie.
It debuts today with One Zero One No. 1, the first installment of a four-part limited comic series, including never-before-seen excerpts from Jason’s manuscript. New issues will be released for free online through early 2027, with prose, audio and screen projects further expanding the world of One Zero One throughout the year.
“I’ve spent my whole life making games, but I’ve always wanted to write,” said Jones, in a statement. “I used to bike fifteen miles along Lake Michigan to the used bookstores in North Chicago, and bike home again with a backpack full of sci-fi paperbacks. Margie was the first person to believe I could write a book of my own, the first person to read it, and the one person I trusted to help me develop it into epic entertainment that leaves the world a better place.”
Set in a near future that grows nearer every day, One Zero One tells the story of a coming worldwide conflict between humanity and a rogue army of AI-driven robotic soldiers.
Contributors to the One Zero One universe include Eric Heisserer, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter (Arrival, Bird Box, Shadow and Bone); Christina Strain, comic book writer and screenwriter (Shadow and Bone, The Magicians); Kris Anka, character and concept designer (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, X-Men); and critically acclaimed artists, including Dan Panosian (Batman), Ramón Pérez (Hawkeye), Alitha Martinez (Wonder Woman), Raúl Allén (Dune: The Graphic Novel), and Hyeonjin Kim (Power Rangers).
One Zero One will be available in both digital and print formats, with the print editions featuring a robust cover program. The debut issue includes covers from critically acclaimed and award-winning creators, including Björn Barends (Ghost Rider, The Hulk), Paolo Rivera (Spider-Man, X-Men), Tula Lotay (Spider-Man, X-Men), and Peach Momoko (Black Widow, Captain Marvel). Future cover artists include Adi Granov (Iron Man), InHyuk Lee (The Ultimates), Esad Ribić (X-Men, Thor), and many more.
One Zero One #1 is available to read digitally at ozo.stonekite.com and to pre-order in print at store.stonekite.com. The debut issue also features a fourth variant cover by Peach Momoko which will be a retailer exclusive, launching soon.
The team behind Stone Kite
The team behind Stone Kite has helped create and shape some of entertainment’s most successful franchises, generating billions of dollars in revenue and building global audiences across publishing, film, games, television and comics.
Founding members of Stone Kite include Margaret Stohl, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling novelist, Marvel Comics writer and game industry veteran; Jason Jones, creator of the Halo and Destiny franchises and Co-founder of Bungie; Stephen Wacker, current Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics and former Stone Kite SVP, Media; Lewis Peterson, former CEO of 7 Studios and Activision Blizzard executive; Matt Johnson, film and television writer and producer (Truth Be Told, Into the Blue, Afterburn); and Jeanine Schaefer, whose career spans Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Jones’s franchises have generated an estimated $15 billion in lifetime value and have reached more than 250 million players, viewers and readers worldwide.
More than 200 creators from across film, television, comics and literature have now contributed to Stone Kite’s upcoming slate of projects, including Jay Roach, director and producer (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents, Trumbo); Christian Ward, comic book writer and artist; Kyle Lambert, illustrator and artist (Stranger Things); Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author; and Akela Cooper, screenwriter (M3GAN, Malignant).
Stone Kite is a Los Angeles-based world-building studio. One of Stone Kite’s founding members was Stephen Wacker, but he had to leave to become the new editor in chief of Marvel Comics.