In December of last year, we reported that famed comic book creator Stan Lee and his POW! Ent. teamed with a company called Celebrities In Action (CIA) to produce animated programming and merchandise that turns well-known celebrities into superheroes. Now the two entities are joining forces to co-produce and co-develop a second animated series.
Tentatively titled The Fantasy Zone, the new franchise will introduce a parallel universe where celebrities can go to live out their own fantasies and dreams. Production is scheduled to begin by summer of this year and products will include animated direct-to-video productions, feature films, video games, apparel, publishing and other consumer products.
Lee comments, “Now fans can see what their favorite celebrities secretly aspire to be, giving us insight into the dreams and aspirations they would have if they had not already become famous.”
Lee will head the artistic and creative aspects of the animated project, working with partners Gill Champion and Arthur Lieberman, co-founders of POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Ent. Stan Medley and Chris Nassif of CIA will head business development and talent management along with Lara Blume who will handle celebrity relations.
POW! has more than 40 projects in development, including a new animated property based on former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. Financed, produced and distributed by IDT Ent., the venture will see Starr transformed into a reluctant superhero with a great sense of rhythm. Starr will lend his voice to his animated alter ego, joining Lee’s pantheon of superhero characters, which includes Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men and The Hulk. POW! will develop the project with Starr’s Rocca Bella shingle for television, home entertainment, publishing and all categories of licensing and merchandising. Production on the animated series will begin in 2005 with a DVD rollout planned for the first quarter of 2006.
Also on the drawing board at POW! is the Hugh Hefner adult animated series Hef’s SuperBunnies, as well as Who Wants to Be a Superhero? and Superhero Christmas.
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