'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone embark on 'Important' new venture

Matt Stone and Trey Parker

Credit: AP Photo/Charles Sykes

“Having worked with several different studios over the years, we came to realize that our favorite people in the world are ourselves,” said "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in a statement announcing their new venture, Important Studios. “We hope to work with ourselves for a long time and are excited to now work with ourselves in a much greater capacity.”

Hey, at least they're being honest about it.

Having recently expanded their brand appeal with yet another successful title, Broadway mega-hit "The Book of Mormon," the multi-hyphenates have partnered with "boutique merchant bank" The Raine Group to form the new company, which will finance a slate of new projects designed to both expand existing franchises and create new ones, while also widening distribution of the comedy duo's work.

According to the New York Times, a "Book of Mormon" feature film will be one of the studios' first priorities.

“Trey and Matt are unique content creators, having built two iconic global media brands," said Raine Group co-founder Joe Ravitch in a statement. "They have established themselves as thought leaders in the entertainment and digital world, while at the same time using satire to make their audience aware of critical social issues."
    
Parker and Stone hit paydirt after Comedy Central bought their potty-mouthed animated series "South Park" in 1997. The show, now in its sixteenth year, proved to be a massive hit, spawning an Oscar-nominated 2000 feature and a hugely lucrative line of merchandising. In March 2011 "The Book of Mormon" opened to rave reviews on Broadway, later taking home nine Tony Awards including Outstanding Musical. The show has grossed nearly $140 million in its New York run alone.

Would you like to see a "Book of Mormon" movie? What about another big-screen "South Park"? Let us know in the comments.

Chris Eggertsen
Producer

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A former contributor to sites including Bloody-Disgusting and AfterElton, Eggertsen enjoys rock music, rainy days and smelling the pages of old books. You should read all of his articles and follow him on Twitter because it's the right thing to do.