AMGI Studios has launched early access for its free-to-play title My Pet Hooligan — a AAA title available exclusively through the Epic Games Store. The action-packed bunny fighter blends Hollywood-style animation technology, solid physics-based mechanics and a team deathmatch gameplay, featuring a roster of diverse playable rabbit characters.
“My Pet Hooligan merges Disney-style animation with proprietary technology in a Fortnite-style platform,” explained AMGI Studios Chief Creative Officer & Chief Technology Officer Colin Brady, a former animation lead at Pixar. “Our lively community rallies behind freedom-fighting rabbits using quirky weapons battling MetaZuckBot’s oppression. Along with battle games, players can customize and chat in social arenas like theaters, karaoke bars and malls.”
In addition to being available on the Epic Games Store, AMGI has signed a 12-month collaboration with Prime Gaming, which will offer exclusive content drops monthly for Prime members. Prime Gaming subscribers who access the game through the platform in the next 12 months will receive exclusive digital bundles of customized My Pet Hooligan in-game content, including in-game wearables, skins, badges and special offers. The first drop, available thru October 19, includes Max’s Zip-up Hoody, Jeans and Shoes as well as Thumps by Kré Black Headphones. New drops will be available monthly for the next 12 months.
“We put storytelling and animation first to create highly engaging gameplay. Some might like to skate around the city finding digital collectibles and destroying ZuckBots, while others will battle it out in Coinpocalypse or Team Anarchy — and that is perfectly fine with us,” said Luke Paglia, Chief Operating Officer of AMGI Studios. “Having partners like Amazon Prime Gaming and Epic Games supporting us allows us to launch the game in a way that focuses solely on the gameplay and enriches the gamer experience.”
AMGI Studios is growing its footprint as a gaming animation tech pioneer, and is led by several entertainment industry veterans. CCO/CTO Brady has taken the helm in pushing forward the studio’s proprietary technology that aims to bridge the gap between gaming and traditional entertainment.
Beyond the game world, Brady and the studio believe My Pet Hooligan has plenty of IP potential across animation content, licensing and more. Several deals are already lined up with publishing and studio partners, to be announced.
Spin Master Corp. (spinmaster.com) announced today that it will produce a third feature film for its preschool powerhouse franchise PAW Patrol. A Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, the film will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is set for an exclusive theatrical release in 2026.
Spin Master celebrates PAW Patrol’s 10-year anniversary on the heels of the soon to be released second movie, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, premiering exclusively in theaters September 29. The same day, Spin Master founders Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie and Ben Varadi will be inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame at the Toy Foundation’s TOTY Awards gala.
The first feature film for the franchise, PAW Patrol: The Movie was released by Paramount globally and by Elevation Pictures in Canada in August 2021, grossing over $40 million domestically and more than $144 million worldwide. Elevation will also handle Canadian distribution for the to-be-titled third outing based on the smash-hit kids’ series, now in its 10th season on Nickelodeon.
This month’s sequel release features a star-studded cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, Brice Gonzalez, Mckenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, Alan Kim, Finn Lee-Epp, James Marsden, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, North West and Saint West alongside returning cast from the first movie Kim Kardashian, Marsai Martin and Ron Pardo and existing voice cast members from the preschool series.
“PAW Patrol has entertained generations of preschoolers while subtly teaching them the value of community, inclusiveness and teamwork,” said Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master Entertainment’s President. “On the cusp of the premiere of our second, super-powered film, the universal love for our pups is stronger than ever. We’re thrilled to announce a third feature film, expanding the PAW Patrol universe further with an epic new adventure. Featuring action-packed missions and exploring new terrains, this movie will be larger-than-life and once again show how small paws can make big prints.”
Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Animation, added, “PAW Patrol remains in a class of its own as a beloved and recognizable cultural touchstone for kids and families everywhere. Alongside our partners at Spin Master, we are so excited to continue to bring these pups’ big screen adventures to PAW Patrol’s legion of fans around the world.”
Veteran animation director Cal Brunker (PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, PAW Patrol: The Movie, The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature) will return to direct the third film. Spin Master’s Dodge, Laura Clunie (SVP Development, Current Series & Feature Film) and Toni Stevens (VP, Entertainment Production & Operations) will produce the film. Harary will executive produce.
Animayo, International Animation, Visual Effects and Videogames Summit — the only animation festival in Spain designated a qualifier for the Academy Awards in two categories, adds another shiny achievemetn to its successful 18-year history: the Spanish premiere of the latest work of two-time Oscar-nominated animation director Bill Plympton (plymptoons.com). Screenings of the film were presented on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife in collaboration with Filmoteca Canaria.
Dubbed “the King of Indie Animation,” Plympton is known for his versatility as a director, producer, cartoonist, animator and composer of his own films. With more than 40 awards from festivals around the world and 30 nominations, his short film and feature work is recognized by cinephiles internationally. These honors include the Best Animated Short Film Oscar nominations in 1988 for Your Face and in 2005 for Guard Dog.
In June, Plympton’s latest animation feature Slide made its debut in competition in the Contrecham section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. The version of the film screened at Annecy was 90% finished, so it was the Canary Islands screenings presented by Animayo where the complete and definitive version could be seen for the first time anywhere in the world.
The premiere took place at Filmoteca Canaria, a cultural institution dedicated to the preservation, promotion and dissemination of cinema in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. A close collaboration with the Animayo Festival and Plympton himself, investing in technical, audiovisual and logistical resources to guarantee the success and quality of the Spanish premiere screenings, which took place on September 19 and 21 at the Guiniguada Theater in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and at the Espacio La Granja in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Slide (2023) is a fascinating animated Western that takes viewers on an unforgettable journey throughout its 80-minute run time. The film, inspired by Plympton’s childhood in Oregon and his deep love of country music, stands out for its comedic genre and surreal narrative that defies viewers’ expectations by immersing them in a unique cinematic experience. Replete with Plympton’s distinctive dark humor and expressive hand-drawn animation style, Slide is poised to continue as a highlight of the festival circuit.
This prestige event was an apt closing film for the 18th edition of Animayo, which broke its attendance records with 20,139 participants in its on-site program earlier this year. Other programming highlights included the Spanish premiere of Disney Legend Andreas Deja‘s short film, Mushka. AS an animator, Deja has been responsible for bringing characters like Scar, Jafar, King Triton and Lilo to screens, as well as working on beloved animated films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
As previously announced, the 2023 Animayo Festival bestowed its Oscar-qualifying awards on Our Uniforms, by Iranian filmmaker Yegane Moghaddam (International Jury Grand Prize), and Amarradas by Spanish filmmaker Carmen Córdoba (Best Short Film in Spanish – Animación con Ñ).
The call for entries for Animayo 2024 is open until February 29, 202 at 2 p.m. (GMT +1). The festival is also accepting submissions to its poster design contest for next year’s event, offering a 500€ cash prize — submissions are open until January 20, 2024 at 2 p.m.
A new animation project tailored to the internet age is ready to launch inGood Morning Kevin. The innovative original series is created, storyboarded and directed by Andrew Gordon, a 20-year Pixar veteran known for bringing iconic character like Mike Wazowski to life, and Alastair Webber, founder of The Other Songs record label, with the aim of melding music, animation, cultural phenoma and storytelling in a brand new way.
Synopsis:Good Morning Kevin takes audiences on an engaging and fun-loving journey through the cosmos as our hero character, Kevin, is sent into space by the nefarious CEO of Kadabra, Pete Plainer. His mission: to create viral content for the masses. But Kevin’s true passion lies in making music, setting the stage for a heart-warming and entertaining narrative.
The project will comprise over 100 short-form video clips set to original music, created by noteworthy musicians and producers (details to be announced in October), tailored in real time to viral trends on social media. The contributing talent pool behind Good Morning Kevin includes studio animators, globally recognized musicians, actors, screenwriters, songwriters and social media creators, spanning multiple demographics.
As the series kicks off, viewers will be introduced to Pete Plainer, the ominous tech lord voiced by TikTok sensation Jack Chalmers. More surprise cameos, character announcements, original songs and their writers/performers will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“During my time at Pixar, I animated some timeless characters, from bugs to monsters, from fish to superheroes, from cars to toys. In our new animated series, Good Morning Kevin, I am proud to present our hero Kevin: a bear sent into space on the orders of a tech billionaire,” said Gordon. “I have loved directing this show because it is storytelling in an entirely new format, designed for shorts on social media platforms, fusing music and animation in unprecedented ways. With the support of an ensemble of top-tier artists — from character designers to scriptwriters, musicians to animators — we’re harnessing real-time tech to redefine storytelling on social platforms.”
Webber adds, “We believe in the transformative power of art and the boundless creativity that it represents. Our mission is simple: to champion our artists and creators, offering them the platform and freedom they deserve to bring their unique visions to life. Good Morning Kevin is an industry first — it won’t just provide audiences with engaging and joyous content, it will also give artists of all mediums a new platform showcase their talent.”
Academy Award-winning animation studio Passion Pictures, known for their work on The Gorillaz famous music videos and their animated avatars, is producing the series with Gordon. To fuel Good Morning Kevin‘s rapid zeitgeist response in its animated storytelling, the studio is leveraging the real-time production power of Unreal Engine technology. The engine allows for seamless collaboration between development, animation, SFX and VFX teams, allowing the crew to work on multiple facets of production within a single platform.
“Unreal was at the centre of how we made Good Morning Kevin so quickly and efficiently with a small, nimble team,” notes David Park, Executive Producer at Passion Pictures. “The toolset allowed us to hit both a high quality-level and delivery-speed at scale.”
The series also aims to offer artists and creators a way to alleviate the pressures of maintaining a high profile on social media, offering a space to showcase their talent and a creative testing ground.
London-based Snipple Originals, the original content arm of global prodco Snipple Animation, has announced a brand new 2D animated comedy show set to premiere on U.K. screens: The Woohoos! The 52 x 7′ series is an upbeat preschool comedy, showcasing nature that children recognize and celebrating the joy of discovering the outside world.
The show has been commissioned by Milkshake! — the daily preschool block on Channel 5 (U.K.) — where it will debut in 2025. Jetpack Distribution has taken the international distribution rights outside of the U.K.
“At MIPCOM this Autumn, we are looking forward to presenting this show to international buyers,” says Gillian Calvert Ridge, Jetpack Distribution’s Global Distribution Director – Acquisitions and Development. “With the universal themes of comedy, discovery and friendship and the interactive moments to ‘Woohoo’ along to, it’s perfect for screens around the world.”
About the series: The gentle, warm and character-driven series aims to delight and entertain young children. Each episode brings an exciting “Ooo” moment, a new discovery that needs explaining, and then when the characters find the answer they say “Woohoo.”
Kids can “Ooo” and “Woohoo” while watching their new friends pack their day full of adventure, making each other laugh as they all explore the Woohoos homeland of Wise Island together. The little Woohoos discover dancing bees, things that float and things that don’t and how you find your way, even without a map.
The Woohoo! is directed by Kitty Taylor, executive produced by Snipple Originals Director, Karina Stanford-Smith, and produced at Snipple Animation’s studio.
“Through this series, we realize the magic of — first and foremost — making preschoolers giggle,” says Stanford-Smith. “It’s pure, heartfelt entertainment with nuggets of soft learning. A beautiful series about discovery, imagination, laughter and of course friendship. We are taking viewers on a journey with our little characters to reach the ‘Woohoo’ moments together.”
Louise Bucknole, General Manager, Kids and Family, U.K. & Ireland, Paramount, comments, “We know that kids love to explore nature and the outdoors and we want Milkshake! shows to reflect and inspire them in that journey in a fun and accessible way — The Woohoos! perfectly encapsulates this. Those ‘Ooo’ moments are a nod to the rollercoaster of amazing discovery and learning that preschool kids constantly navigate — that moment of realization when the penny drops! We can’t wait to see this brilliant show brought to life on Milkshake! with the curious and loveable Woohoos!”
Snipple Originals is the original content arm of Snipple Group, founded by CEO Kaine Patel, President Jonathan Tinsay and Creative Director Romy Garcia — a global animation business that produces, creates and delivers high quality animation such as Animaniacs, Green Eggs & Ham and DuckTales. Its production facility, based in the Philippines, has delivered more than 50 series across multiple genres and IP.
Spearheaded by Stanford-Smith, Snipple Originals now has 14 shows (220 half hours of content) in development across multiple genres. The division launched in 2020 alongside a £6 million investment from BGF
Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo (MIA) returns with its 9th edition to be held in Rome from October 9-13, in its historic venues of Palazzo Barberini and Cinema Barberini. More than 500 projects were submitted this year for the Co-Production Market and Pitching Forum from 80 countries worldwide (+30% of countries compared to 2022). Of these, 62 were selected (15 Animation, 18 Documentary & Factual, 14 Drama, 15 Film) from 36 countries.
The market anticipates a continued increase in international interest and attendance at the Italian event — 2022 welcomed over 2,400 participants from 60 countries (+20% compared to 2021). The 2023 edition will also offer the MIA Digital platform to allow registered attendees to access all sessions on demand.
Just one year after its debut, MIA’s Animation Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum has achieved great results, selecting 15 projects from 24 countries. The submissions received have been evaluated by the external Selection Committee: Cecilia Padula, VP Head Kids & Family Brands South Europe, Middle East & Africa at Paramount (Italy); David Levine, Founder & CEO at Lightboat Media Ltd. (U.K.); Matthieu Darras, Founder & CEO of Tatino Film (France); Mounia Aram, Founder & Distributor of MA Company (France/Morocco); and Yago Fandiño Lousa, Head of Children’s Content at RTVE and Director of Clan TV (Spain).
The selection includes three TV Specials (one-off), three Feature Films and nine TV Series, mixing projects debuting on the market with projects already unveiled which have demonstrated solid progress in development, and are ready to be presented to financial institutions and partners as they approach production. MIA points out that these 15 projects boast reflect a strong presence of woman-led projects and diverse creative teams.
TV Specials
Award-winning director, writer and producer Anca Damian (Aparte Film) presents Motherhood, a poetic journey into female body and desire which entrusts its representation to the surreal visual world of the Italian artist Virginia Mori, co-produced by Miyu. Director and animator Angela Conigliaro (Ddraunara Studio) lands on the medium-length format with The Storm, a 2D piece telling the story of a friendship between two children against the backdrop of war, as it was for Conigliaro’s last short movie; beQ Entertainment (with RAI Kids) head the production. The third selected project comes from the award-winning Egyptian studio Giraffics, which recently produced the Stardust episode of Disney+ African anthology series Kizazi Moto: The Prey (Egypt/U.K.) is a visually compelling story of a domestic falcon whose privileged and secured lifestyle is threatened, but perhaps instead is about to know freedom.
Feature Films
From Ghana-based Afrotoon and a creative team led by Ama Adi-Dako, Ronaldo Cameron and Esther Ohrt, Drumland presents a colorful kaleidoscope of characters surrounding Afua and Kofi, twins on a journey to reverse the cruel spell of a malicious wizard, in a magical world where playing drums always has some consequences. Acceptance, friendship, self-discovery and identity connect the storylines of the other two animated features in the selection: From award-winning director and artist Magdalena Osińska. who most recently directed for Volume 2 of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Visions anthology, comes Ro, an intimate stop-motion feature, jointly producted by Animoon and Les Film du Cygne. From Mexico, filmmaker Karen Viajera makers her feature debut with The Last Wave, a 2D piece wherein four characters embark on a surreal journey on the Mexican coast.
Television Series
The 10 selected series projects present creative tales for a wide range of target audiences. Food is in the spotlight in Taste Buddies, created by Finnish director Veronica Lassenius, produced by Pikkukala (Spain/Ireland/Finland). Compelling design and adventurous storytelling with an educational twist mark the story of Mia Moké created by the Béquer brothers and produced by France’s Special Touch. The struggle between modernity and ancient worlds is at the heart of the absurd comedy series Rubharian, developed by Copenhagen Bombay (Denmark). Similar themes can be found in the story of mischievous little Prince Miniraja, developed by MondoTV (Spain/India).
Animal lovers will enjoy the sisterhood story of two pugs’ comedic struggle against their eternal feline enemy in the magical world of The Odd Adventures of Ninja & Bibby, created by Polish filmmaker Piotr Różycki for Laniakea Pictures. More critter capers feature in the world of Toink!, inhabited by bizarre creatures where some odd animals start appearing; the series is written by Bert Lesaffer and director An Vrombaut (Belgium/Netherlands). All the way from South Africa comes Troll Girl, a quirky diversity fable from creator and animator Kay Carmicheal, in which Olive, a young troll, finds herself abandoned in a human village.
The young adult audience is in focus for the sorrows of a group of nerdy teens in Highly Gifted, a coming-of-age series tackling topics such as gender, sexuality and politics. The semi-autobiographical series created by Jeremy and Daniel Leher (The Leher Brothers) is produced by Moonrise Pictures and it’s an adaptation of the Snapchat webseries, which featured a stellar voice cast including pop icon Kesha, actor Drake Bell, comedian Ron Funches, Oscar winner Nat Faxon, actor Josh Brener and comedian Jamie Curry. Doris & Betty follows the adventures of two unexpected heroines — retired working class women who have mistakenly been granted super powers, and therefore have been called to fulfil their responsibility towards the world. Adapted from Doris & Bettan Strikes by Ellen Ekman, the series is brought to the market from Scandinavian powerhouse Nordisk Film Production.
MIA, directed by Gaia Tridente, was established in 2015 and has grown as a joint venture between ANICA (Italian Association of Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industries), chaired by Francesco Rutelli, and APA (Italian Audiovisual Producers Association) chaired by Chiara Sbarigia. The event also receives support from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ITA-Italian Trade Agency, with the contribution of Creative Europe MEDIA, as well as the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and the Lazio Region.
Unicredit is the Official Sponsor. MIA 2023 also received forthe patronage of Eurimages, the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe for the co-production, distribution, exhibition and digitisation of European cinematographic works.
The Freak Brothers full second season is now available exclusively on Tubi for a fully bingeable viewing experience. Produced by WTG Enterprises and distributed by Lionsgate, the adult animated comedy series is based on Gilbert Shelton’s cult classic underground comic, which will celebrate its 55th anniversary this year.
The show returns with its all-star voice cast — Woody Harrelson (Freewheelin’ Franklin Freek), John Goodman (Fat Freddy Freekowtski), Pete Davidson (Phineas T. Phreakers), Tiffany Haddish (Kitty), Adam Devine (Chuck), Blake Anderson (Charlie), Andrea Savage (Harper Switzer), La La Anthony (Gretchen Switzer) and ScHoolboy Q.
Joining this season with a special guest appearance is Joe Sikora, voicing Louis, a calm but passionate proprietor of a local fried chicken restaurant inspired by Gus Fring in Breaking Bad.
A familiar animated face will also pop up in the Season 2 finale: In a refreshing creator/brand collaboration in partnership with Tubi and New Belgium Brewing, the illustrated face of the brewery’s iconic Voodoo Ranger IPA makes a cameo in the Freak Brothers’ wacky world.
Series Synopsis:The Freak Brothers chronicles the escapades of a trio of stoner anti-establishment characters and their smartass cat who wake up from a 50-year nap after smoking a magical strain of weed in 1969, and must adjust to life with a new family in present-day San Francisco. In the second season, the Freaks and Kitty’s Mary Jane-fueled misadventures will take them from their high school reunion to matching wits with Mark Zuckerberg, settling old scores with Mitch McConnell, and battling Seth Rogen in a Pot Brownie Bake-Off contest .
Executive producers are Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Alan Cohen, Alan Freedland and Woody Harrelson, Tiffany Haddish, Pete Davidson, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Gilbert Shelton and Manfred Mroczkowski.
No need to call in the Mystery, Inc. gang — we have all the clues as to what fans can expect for this year’s Scoobtober festivities! The month-long Scooby-Doo celebration will bring a Mystery Machine-load of new programming, products and global events across Warner Bros. Discovery’s divisions.
The fun begins with the debut of an all-new, original animated movieScooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! and continue with a Scoobtober Watch Party, a 48-hour marathon of Scooby-riffic content on the WB Kids YouTube channel as well as special programming on Cartoon Network and Max. Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) has also collaborated with partners including BlackMilk, Stance, Funko, Loungefly, wet n wild, WB Shop and more to release Scooby-themed products this Scoobtober.
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!brings together the iconic Mystery, Inc. crew with the legendary DC Super Heroes for the first time. DC’s Justice League, the world’s greatest heroes, have mysteriously vanished and a terrifying phantom has taken up residence in The Hall of Justice. Scooby and the gang must solve the mystery and save our Super Heroes … with a little help from their new pal, Krypto the Superdog!
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! stars the voices of Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Kate Micucci, Grey Delisle, P.J. Byrne, Victoria Grace, Charles Halford, Nolan North, Tara Strong, Fred Tatasciore, James Arnold Taylor and Niccole Thurman. Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton directs from a script by T.K. O’Brian. Producers are Rick Morales and Jim Krieg, and Sam Register is executive producer. Available tomorrow (September 26) to purchase Digitally from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and on DVD only at Walmart.
Snacks are a must when watching Scooby and the crew, head to FoodNetwork.com for an exclusive Scooby-Doo themed recipe beginning October 5.
Keep the excitement going with FanFlix beginning October 10, where you can find some of your favorite Scooby-Doo film and TV titles.
Kids and families can enjoy Halloween content on Max with curated Halloween collections on the kids home and kids and family genre pages such as “Scoobtober,” “Family-Friendly Frights,” “Halloween Episodes” and “Looney Tunes: Hare-Raising Frights.”
For more Scooby-Doo antics, fans can tune into WB Kids YouTube for a Scoobtober Watch Party — a 48-hour live streaming event featuring a treasure trove of Scooby-Doo episodes, movies and compilations of famous Great Dane’s most iconic moments beginning October 27 at 4 p.m. PST.
Cartoon Network will celebrate Scoobtober with a spooktacular lineup of Scooby-Doo movies starting Sunday, October 1 (9 a.m. through 3 p.m). The next day, on Oct. 2, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (12 p.m.) will air and What’s New, Scooby-Doo? (4:30 p.m.) will air every weekday through the month of October. Plus, every Saturday (3:30 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m.) for the rest of the month, Cartoon Network will feature a Scooby-Doo movie, including SCOOB! airing Oct. 7. Scooby-Doo TV episodes will also air as part of Cartoon Network’s “All Day Halloween Marathon” on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
WB Shop
From October 16, fans can celebrate Scoobtober in the metaverse on the popular kid-centered gaming platform, Roblox. For the first time ever, players can join Scooby-Doo and Shaggy on Cartoon Network Game On! in an immersive experience that transports them to a realm outside the bounds of reality. With a brand-new spooky mission, kids can interact with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to investigate some mysterious hauntings taking place in the game. Cartoon Network Game On! allows players to experience the fully experiential virtual world of hit Cartoon Network series — and now with the introduction of Scooby-Doo, for a limited time only, kids can immerse themselves in a ghostly game to unlock awesome Scoobtober prizes.
Adding to the family-fun, the WB Shop has launched a new Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! collection. Featuring apparel and homewares with designs exclusive to the WB Shop, this collection will make you feel like an official member of the Mystery, Inc. gang. In addition to the WB Shop exclusive merchandise, WBDGCP has joined forces with top licensees to create Scoobtober collaborations across all categories, including:
Blackmilk
Stance
Loungefly
Spirit Jersey
Fashion & Accessories:
BlackMilk will be unveiling a spooktacular range that will include dresses, tops and leggings October 10.
The new Scoobtober collection by Stance has a nostalgic feel with a groovy print on socks and t-shirts.
Available for pre-order, the Taylor Joelle Scooby-inspired collection offers a wide range of apparel from dresses to tees for the whole family.
Loungefly’s new Mummy Glow backpacks and wallets will have fans shouting “Scooby-Dooby-Doo!” when they see them glow in the dark.
MeUndies have just released its new Scoobtober collection, featuring throwback prints on a range of underwear and loungewear pieces for men, women and Scooby-Doo look-alikes everywhere.
Represent your Scoobtober spirit with Spirit Jersey’s Scooby-Doo-inspired design on long sleeve crew neck t-shirts.
BoxLunch
FYE
Retail:
Celebrate Scoobtober in style with new collections at fan-favorite retailers including BoxLunch with a range of Scooby inspired items ranging from t-shirts, pajama pants, socks, to pins perfect for displaying your fandom.
Dive into retailer FYE, where the world of mystery-solving and nostalgia is center stage and enjoy the array of beauty products, accessories such as Loungefly’s exclusive mini backpack, apparel, home goods, games and books all featuring Scooby-Doo and Mystery, Inc.
Amazon will support Scoobtober with a Scooby-Doo product page making it easy for shoppers to discover more Mystery Gang merch.
Across Mexico, department store Coppel will offer a Scoobtober collection for the whole family beginning October at stores nationwide.
In Brazil, Acruo will celebrate Scoobtober with a mystery loving range of apparel that will feature hidden images only to be revealed with a special lantern.
Handmade by Robots
Funko
Toys & Collectibles:
Get ready for a wild and wacky crossover with the WB 100 Looney Tunes x Scooby-Doo Mashups from Funko. These new collectibles bring together the zany antics of the Looney Tunes and the mystery-solving adventures of Scooby-Doo.
Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of Scoobtober magic with Handmade by Robots “made-to-look-knit” vinyl figures that are fun to collect and display.
wet n wild
Sassy Woof
Hallmark
Goose Creek
Gemmy
Beauty: Unmask your inner beauty this Scoobtober with the sensational wet n wild Scooby-Doo makeup collection featuring vibrant eyeshadows, lip shades and groovy nail colors.
Home & Pet:
Step into a world of adventure and intrigue with the aromatic essence of the Scoobtober GooseCreek candle collection transporting fans back to the thrilling escapades of Scooby-Doo and his friends, including “Zombie Island,” “Attack of the Jack O’Lantern,” “Scooby Snack” and more.
Get the Scooby-Doo treatment with Sassy Woof’s limited edition Scoobtober lineup of a harness, leash, collars and bandanas designed to bring a whole new level of spooktacular style to a furry friend.
Delight guests and passerby’s with Gemmy’s 54 Inch Scooby Doo air blown inflatables for Scoobtober.
Scare up some laughs and relive the mystery and adventure with Hallmark’s all-new Scooby-Doo Frightened Friends ornament.
Random House
Running Press
Capstone Books
Publishing:
Pick up the new Scooby-Doo and the Mystery of the Haunted Library: A Mystery Inc. Picture Book and What Would Velma Do?: Life Lessons from the Brains (and Heart) of Mystery, Inc. from Running Press.
Scooby-Doo! 5-Minute Stories and Scooby-Doo and the Pirate Treasure (Little Golden Book) from Random House helps little ones get in the Scoobtober spirit.
Guaranteed to solve any case of hunger, the Scooby-Doo! Cookbook from Capstone Books has 25 kid-friendly recipes.
Australian fans can also pick up Scholastic’s, Scooby-Doo!: Ultimate Colouring Book and Scooby-Doo!: Super Sticker Book.
Boston America
Comics on Coffee
Food & Beverage:
The courageous canine needs something to wash down all those Scooby Snacks, and what better way than a cup of hot cocoa from Comic on Coffee.
Enjoy a little nosh with Boston America’s green apple and orange flavored candies in collector tins.
… And keep an eye out for more sweet offerings to come in early October.
Groovy ghoulies and mystery mavens will dig a range of Scoobtober hijinks with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment (WBDGTE). At Escapology, guests can enjoy the unmissable adventure Scooby-Doo and the Spooky Castle Adventure. This 60-minute escape game plunges participants into the haunted town of Crystal Cove to explore secret dungeons and monster labs and piece together the puzzle to reveal the villain behind the ghostly happenings. Visit escapology.com/scoobtober for locations.
In the United Arab Emirates, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi has an all-new Mystery, Inc. live show set to a fun spooky themed playlist with character appearances and fun photo opportunities.
The Greek Gods may be ancient, but they still got it — FOX reported today that the Sunday night (Sept. 24) premiere of its all-new primetime toon Krapopolis broke several records, as fans flocked to worship at Emmy-winning creator Dan Harmon’s newest animated altar. The broadcast debut delivered a 1.2 Live + Same Day rating among Adults Adults 18-49 and 3.6 million Total Viewers, setting it up with the Olympian level statuses of…
Television’s most-watched animation series to debut over the past decade.
Dan Harmon’s most-watched animated series telecast ever.
The #1 entertainment telecast since the post-Super Bowl Next Level Chef premiere (2/12/23, excluding award ceremonies).
The #1 original comedy telecast of 2023 (beating the debut of the Night Court re-boot, 1/17/23).
The #1 entertainment program among Adults 18-49 for the week of September 18, marking the first time in nearly 25 years an animation series debut was the week’s highest-rated entertainment program (since Family Guy’s series debut,1/31/99; excluding summer premieres).
Set in mythical ancient Greece, Krapopolis tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters trying to run one of the world’s first cities, while also trying their best to not kill each other in the process.
The series features the voices of Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) as Tyrannis, the narcissistic King of Krapopolis; Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) as Tyrannis’ mother, the powerful goddess Delira; Matt Berry (What We Do in The Shadows) as his father, Shlub, a mantitaur (half centaur [horse + human], half manticore [lion + human + scorpion]) who is “the life of the orgy”; Pam Murphy (Mapleworth Murders) as his cyclops sister, Stupendous; and Duncan Trussell (The Midnight Gospel) as half-brother Hippocampus, the wet mess son of Shlub and a mermaid.
Season 1 guest stars include Ben Stiller, Susan Sarandon, Joel McHale, Dave Franco, Yvette Nicole Brown, Will Forte, Jane Lynch, Daveed Diggs, Steve Buscemi and Stephanie Beatriz.
Krapopolis is owned by FOX Entertainment and produced by FOX’s Bento Box Entertainment. Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) is creator and executive producer. Steve Levy is executive producer. Jordan Young is executive producer and showrunner (Season 1). Alex Rubens is executive producer and showrunner (Seasons 2 & 3).
Moonbug Entertainment, a subsidiary of Candle Media, today announced the launch of its Netflix preschool series Little Baby Bum Music Timeand its corresponding soundtrack, which will be available on all music streaming platforms. The Music Time series and soundtrack, which are the latest in a string of the franchise’s expansions including the recent launch of Baby Sensory content on YouTube (2 million subscribers), the Audible podcast Time to Dream, and a Lullabies music collection, are also supported by a fully re-imagined look and a new curriculum developed in partnership with educational non-profit organization Peeple.
Little Baby Bum, Moonbug Entertainment’s first-ever franchise acquisition, has more than 95 million worldwide subscribers on YouTube and has generated more than two billion views across its content so far this year.
“Ten years ago, Little Baby Bum broke the mold in kids’ entertainment and paved the way not only for Moonbug, but countless other brands as well,” said Sylvia Scodro, General Manager for Little Baby Bum at Moonbug. “Throughout this time, the brand cultivated a loyal and passionate parent/child following by providing invaluable support during routine moments of the early stages of childhood. Little Baby Bum is not about music, it is music, and with the Little Baby Bum Music Time series and soundtrack, we are bringing a renewed evolution of the franchise to children and parents everywhere.”
About the show: With a simple narrative format, infectious songs and rich, endearing, character-based stories, Little Baby Bum Music Time combines the most beloved elements of the Little Baby Bum brand with an innovative curriculum to launch a novel and naturally playful, magical music show where children get to experience the joy that is music, while learning to identify and express their emotions. The show uses a music class as a catalyst for kids at home to revel in a sense of accomplishment, as they connect with and learn about their feelings and emotions through instruments.
London actress Hannah Jane Fox, best known for creating the role of “Scaramouche” in Queen’s musical We Will Rock You, voices Music Time’s teacher Timberly Wimberly. Emmy Award winner Ann Austen (Mighty Morphin’ Powers Rangers, Barbie) serves as head writer. Feminist performing artists Leticia Wolf and J Vanyo are responsible for the original music in the series.
As part of the reimagined curriculum, Little Baby Bum’s Baby Sensory effort offers calming, sensorial content created to help parents wind-down with their little ones through its. These episodes feature soothing lullabies paired with low-stimulation visuals to provide an additional resource to parents during one of the most challenging times of their child’s day, the transition from play to rest.
The content is offered through Little Baby Bum YouTube channels, Little Baby Bum Lullabies and Calming Bedtime Songs, and has rapidly increased in popularity since launching earlier this year.
The family podcast Little Baby Bum: Time to Dream is available on Audible and has a focus on sleep and mindfulness. This series is a calming collection of gentle ‘audio guided journeys’ into the nursery rhyme-inspired land of dream time, with episodes featuring a short story followed by a relaxing soundscape. Each 20-25-minute episode has been created for listeners as young as age one and up. It was created with the support of sleep consultants at Sleep Joy to encourage little ones to drift off into peaceful sleep with soothing narration and lulling ambient sounds.
Little Baby Bum Lullabies is a calming collection of gentle songs that soothe little ones into a peaceful sleep. The music collection contains classic and original lullabies and has released eight albums in 2023 including Peaceful Piano Lullabies, Dreamy Piano for Babies and Night Time Lullabies. The next release, Morning Songs for Babies, will be available on September 29, and following that will be Baby’s Lullaby Christmason October 20. The music is available on all music streaming platforms and can also be heard on SiriusXM on Moonbug Radio, channel 307.
Last year, the Little Baby Bum brand completed a creative refresh including animation enhancements, a creative evolution of the characters and new music. At the same time, the brand partnered with educational consultancy Peeple on the curriculum that now supports the franchise. Since then, the brand has seen 30% month-over-month growth across new content on YouTube.
Dr. Sally Smith, CEO of Peeple, said, “We have worked closely with Moonbug throughout the development and evolution of the Little Baby Bum brand, to maintain the strong early learning benefits, and are excited to see the value the show can bring to parents and children around the world.”
Anne de Galard and Eric Garnet’s animation production company GO-N Productions is joining Federation Studios, headed by Pascal Breton and Lionel Uzan. Established in 2004, GO-N is internationally recognized for hit animated series such as Simon Super Rabbit, Lou!, Zip Zip and Tootuff, all produced in-house at
the company’s Paris-based studio.
The news follows the most recent edition of Cartoon Forum in Toulouse, where de Galard and Garnet accepted the Cartoons Tributes award for Producers of the Year bestowed on GO-N at the ceremony on September 21.
By joining the group, GO-N Productions becomes part of a federation of 35 production companies in France and globally, each of them spearheaded by independent producers with their own unique editorial direction. These Federation producers all share a common collaborative, creative and international approach to their businesses, while benefitting from Federation’s global reach and reputation thanks to its in-house sales and distribution operation.
With the addition of GO-N’s content (11 animated series totalling 250 half-hours), the Federation Kids & Family division’s catalog now boasts over 730 half-hours of kids’ animation and live-action programming. GO-N’s premium toons join successful series from Cottonwood Media (a subsidiary of Federation Studios, established in 2013 by David Michel, Zoé Carrera Allaix and Cécile Laurenson) as well as numerous third-party acquisitions.
Anne de Galard
Eric Garnet
“GO-N has been creating premium animation for almost 20 years now, and this next stage in our company’s evolution will take things to a whole new level,” comment Garnet and de Galard. “Our main focus has been on content and talent, extending out programs to young audiences worldwide, whilst also highlighting French expertise. In joining the Federation group of companies, we are aligning ourselves with other producers who share the same values and aspirations. This move will bolster our international development, and allow us to produce increasingly ambitious and original content, both in terms of target demographics, formats and animation techniques. We move into this next phase with our entire team, including Emmanuel de Franceschi, Executive Producer and Amélie Oliveau, Digital and Marketing Manager. We very much look forward to working closely with Federation.”
Pascal Breton, CEO, Federation Studios, said, “With the arrival of Anne and Eric, two of Europe’s most talented producers, along with their well-known kids’ brands, Federation is on track to accelerate its investments and attract top talent, IPs and build a true federation of European animation producers, as w’ve already achieved in the field of drama.”
GO-N Productions’s roster of quality animated series projects includes both original productions (Zip Zip, Commandant Clark, Jasmin’s World) and IP adaptations (The Large Family, Tootuff, Simon Super Rabbit, Tib & Tatum) — developing producing or co-producing in collaboration with partners and companies worldwide to deliver hits across multiple platforms. In 2016, Go-N launched a digital strategy, and its YouTube channels now boast over 7 million subscribers worldwide. GO-N’s fully independent Paris animation studio houses 90 workstations and a team of highly skilled artists and technicians.
In just a few weeks, fans of Adult Swim’s cult-hit dimension-hopping duo Rick and Morty will get their next dose of wildly irresponsible sci-fi stuff, when Season 7 premieres October 15 ta 11 p.m. ET/PT. The official trailer dropped today — set to hard rock classic “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead — takes us to strange dystopias, charges up the holograms and hints at Jerry’s “rake problem.”
Rick and Morty is an adult animated series that follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe.
In Season 7, Rick and Morty are back and sounding more like themselves than ever! It’s season seven, and the possibilities are endless: what’s up with Jerry? EVIL Summer?! And will they ever go back to the high school?! Maybe not! But let’s find out! There’s probably less piss than last season. “Rick and Morty,” 100 years! Or at least until season 10!
The seventh season of this global pop culture phenomenon will debut in over 134 countries in 38 languages. In the U.S., new episodes will be available for purchase from digital retailers the day after they premiere on Adult Swim. The new season will also be available to stream in 2024.
Currently celebrating its 70th Anniversary, Nippon TV (Japan) announced the company will head to this year’s MIPCOM with a new anime title, The Apothecary Diaries(30 min. eps.), based on a well-known period mystery series that has sold over 24 million copies to date.
Synopsis: Located at the center of the continent is a superpower nation, where one young woman lives with the emperor’s wives in the inner palace. Formerly a pharmacist, obsessed with poisons and medicines who was working at the red-light district, has become a lowly servant. She learns that the emperor’s children are short-lived, and two are getting weaker by the day from illnesses. Out of curiosity, she investigates why. Not one to believe in curses, she is surprised by her findings. There is no shortage of rumors and conspiracies. Follow this extraordinary poison aficionado as she bustles around the inner palace to solve the unanswered mysteries.
Set to debut in October, the series is produced by Toho Animation Studio x OLM. Nippon TV is offering worldwide distribution rights for The Apothecary Diaries, excluding Asia. More info at ntv.co.jp/english.
Princess Sam Entertainment Group and international distribution company Superights are bringing the CG children’s adventure-comedy-fantasy hit Tara Duncan to MIPJunior/MIPCOM. The Superights booth (R7.K28) is the place to find out more about the animated 52 x 13’ series, based on the multi-million-selling publishing property by Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian.
Synopsis:Tara Duncan is the exciting story of an ordinary girl from Earth with extraordinary powers who discovers she is heir to the throne of the Meme empire. She soon finds herself on OtherWorld, a magical planet where she makes new friends and tries to thwart the ambitions of the evil Magister who wants to steal her magic and conquer her new home.
The first season launched in 2022 and has sold into more than 80 countries. A second season, with 52 new episodes, is currently in production, with plans to produce two 26-minute specials. Superights will represent worldwide rights distribution, except in Mainland China.
A digital ecosystem is also being developed to expand Tara’s universe and to delight her fans — known as ‘Taraddicts’. A licensing campaign is also under way, overseen by 30-year industry veteran Laurent Tajeb, Head of Licensing for the Princess Sam Consumer Products division. A number of regional agents have already been appointed.
European toon producer-distributor Mondo TV has announced the countdown to some new show launches, the continuing growth of some international hits and a few brand-new titles among an impressive portfolio at this year’s MIPJunior and MIPCOM in Cannes. Highlights of the Mondo TV stand (at a new location, P-1.E73) will include a brand-new series in the production slate, Lola on Board (summer 2024), MeteoHeroes, Agent 203, Monster Loving Maniacs, One Love, The Wee Littles and Grisù.
Lola On Board is a new 26 x 7′, 3D CGI animated adventure, comedy, edutainment show for three- to six-year olds now in co-production with Tile, Digitalcomedia and Toonz Station. It’s about a little girl who spends part of her summer holiday on a cruise ship with her grandmother Agata. The ship’s crew — a friendly but slightly eccentric bunch — all love the resourceful, cheeky Lola, but she also has three very special animal friends she can talk to! While on the Eloise Lola has fun adventures, discovers the world, and learns about the natural world and its creatures. The series is set to complete production in summer 2024.
One Loveis a 26 x 7’, 2D animated series co-produced by Mondo TV S.p.A and T-Rex Digimation Srl. The show takes place on One Love, the planet with a beating heart, where best friends Amo and Ama live adventures full of positivity and vitality and spread a message of sharing love. Emotions and sustainability are central to each episode — and especially colors. When the Baby-Hugs touch each other, they exchange skin colors. The series is set to launch on Rai Yoyo in the autumn of 2023. Mondo TV S.p.A manages the animation and the international distribution of the series for all territories except Italy and the Indian subcontinent.
MeteoHeroes is now in its fourth successful year, with a presence in over 180 countries and 22 languages; the second season premiered on Cartoonito and Canal plus in summer 2023 just after delivery of the last episodes.
Created in partnership with hitmaker Kenn Viselman (Teletubbies, Thomas the Tank Engine), it is the only animated series dedicated entirely to climate and environmental sustainability. The show won the Silver Telly Award in New York, was honored as Best Animated Kids’ Program at the Atlanta Children’s Film Festival, and, at the 2023 Quirino Awards, won a green badge for sustainable production from the Tenerife Film Commission. With Cartoonito, in 2022 it also received a Moige (Movimento Italiano Genitori) Award, a highly coveted award given to family-friendly programs on Italian TV.
Monster Loving Maniacs (52 x 11’, 2D comedy, kids6-10) has been commissioned by Super RTL in Germany (where it is premiering in early October) and DR (Denmark) and pre-sold to Scandinavian public broadcasters NRK and SVT. It’s also showing on CBBC in the U.K. and (in Spanish) on Canela Kids in the U.S. and Latin America. The series, which is part financed by the EU Media Fund, has been sold into almost 90 countries.
The show is about three siblings trained as monster hunters by their tough old grandfather. There’s just one problem: these kids are massive horror fans. Why would they want to hunt their monster idols? They love dangerous paranormal creatures. So they find a way to save the monsters. Monster Loving Maniacs is produced by Ja Film and co-produced by Mondo TV, Belvision and Ginger Pictures. The series is distributed internationally by Toon2Tango and Mondo TV.
Grisù (52 x 12′, ages 4-7) is a new CG-animated series based on the classic property, co-produced by Mondo TV Group, Toon2Tango and ZDF Studios and created by its original authors, Nino and Toni Pagot. The series follows the adventures of Grisù, a brave, positive, determined young dragon — just like the firefighter he wants to be when he grows up. There’s just one problem: he is supposed to be a fire-breathing dragon when he grows up!
The reboot will make its small screen debut in Italy around Christmas 2023. ZDF Studios is responsible for worldwide distribution (excluding Italy, France, Spain and China, which are handled by Mondo TV). Already confirmed are broadcasting agreements with ZDF in Germany and Rai YoYo in Italy. Merchandising plans, also well under way, include publishing and toys.
Agent 203
Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG likewise announced its plans for MIPCOM next month, rounding off a busy year for the kids’ and family entertainment venture, with big sales for its leading titles and some promising new projects already in production. The company can be found at the Creative Europe MEDIA umbrella stand in P4, where Toon2Tango will showcase the above-mentioned Monster Loving Maniacs, Agent 203 and The Wee Littles as well as the upcoming Littlest Robot and Pocats.
Agent 203 is a 26 x 22’, CGI adventure-comedy and the world’s first Spy-Fi show, primarily targeted at girls aged 6-10, which has sold to over 100 countries. The series was commissioned by Super RTL, on which it will launch in November, and is a co-production between Toon2Tango, Mondo TV and Cosmos Maya Animation. The show is distributed by Toon2Tango and Mondo TV.
Imagine Zoe Stranek’s surprise when she finds out her dad used to be a secret agent protecting our planet against alien invasions. Together with her new alien bestie Ulav and her best friends Quigley and Rock, she follows in his footsteps, protecting our planet from General Gore, the ultimate badass alien, and hoping to find out what happened to her father.
The Wee Littles is a new 46 x 5’ series for preschoolers (3-6), commissioned by Ireland’s public broadcaster RTE and produced by MagPie 6 Media. The show features a unique style: simulated stop-motion animation using puppets made by leading puppet-making studio Mackinnon & Sunders.
The Wee Littles is about a family of four very small creatures — Mum, Dad, Bitsy and Itsy — living in a great big forest world and working together figuring out how to overcome life’s little obstacles — like raindrops the size of your head! — with imagination, positive support and humor. After a strong response from broadcasters, Toon2Tango and Mondo TV are jointly distributing the show internationally.
Littlest Robot (52 x 11’) is a new series written by Mark Taylor, produced by Toon2Tango and co-produced by North Macedonia’s V House Animation. In the runup to the show’s appearance at MIPCOM, Toon2Tango will present the 3D animated series for kids 4-8 at Cartoon Forum in September.
Littlest Robot tells the story of a newly invented and very small young robot exploring the world, with plenty of adventure and a lot of heart. It is a world filled with glorious new discoveries, based on a social-emotional backbone reconfirming the notion that the more we take the time to understand ourselves and others the better we are all for it and the greater our bonds of friendship become.
Pocats (13 x 7’ episodes already produced, with another 39 x 7’ in development) is based on the popular children’s book series from Hungary by Judit Berg. This animated series is fully self-developed by Ionart Studio in Budapest.
The ‘pocats’ are tiny cats. Adults can only see them as toys, but children know they can do magic. The three main characters in the show are Ciro, Pepe and Lori. They’re a bit naughty and can’t stop doing slightly crazy things, with some unfortunate consequences. But any problems are usually solved by magic trickery — and some help from the kids. However, things are still great for the three buddies until, that is, a mysterious new pocat appears on the scene…
Home audiences will get their first chance to watch the cameo-packed Disney Animation centennial short film Once Upon a Studio next month, when the comically chaotic, nostalgia-filled romp makes its broadcast debut on ABC. The short will premiere October 15 as part of a special Disney100 programming event on the network. An official trailer for the film dropped with the announcement.
From ABC:
ABC is celebrating 100 years of Disney this fall with an evening of magical programming hosted by Kelly Ripa. ABC will begin the evening with an episode of AFV, followed by a lineup that will include exclusive moments featuring Ripa and sneak peeks at upcoming Disney projects. Featuring the broadcast world premieres of Walt Disney Animation’s new animated short film Once Upon a Studio and the beloved film Encanto, The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney’s 100th Anniversary Celebration airs Sunday, October 15 (8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. EDT/PDT).
An all-star ensemble of beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios come together in Once Upon a Studio for a joyful, entertaining and emotional reunion as they assemble for a spectacular group photo to mark Disney’s 100th anniversary. Featuring 543 Disney characters from more than 85 feature-length and short films, Once Upon a Studio welcomes heroes and villains, princes and princesses, sidekicks and sorcerers — in all-new hand-drawn and CG animation — to celebrate 10 decades of storytelling, artistry and technological achievements.
The short is directed by Once Upon a Snowman co-helmers Dan Abraham (Baymax!) and Trent Correy (Zootopia+) and produced by Yvett Merino and Bradford Simonsen.
Bringing their iconic characters to life are original voice stars including Princess corps Idina Menzel (Else, Frozen), Jodi Benson (Ariel, The Little Mermaid), Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana, The Princess and the Frog) and Paige O’Hara (Belle, Beauty and the Beast); Frozen‘s Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Josh Gad (Olaf) and Santino Fontana (Hans); The Lion King‘s Nathan Lane (Timon); and current voices of classic characters Mickey (Bret Iwan), Minnie (Kaitlyn Robrock) and Goofy (Bill Farmer).
The short also makes use of archived recordings of Verna Felton and Barbara Luddy (Flora and Merryweather in Sleeping Beauty), Bobby Driscoll (Peter Pan) and Sterling Holloway (Winnie the Pooh). In addition to the animated stars, Once Upon a Studio features interview footage with Disney Legend animator Burny Mattinson, who passed away earlier this year just months before what would have been his 70th anniversary of working with the studio — a Disney record.
Once Upon a Studio premiered at the Annecy Festival in June, and is scheduled to screen in a Disney studio spotlight at Animation Is Film in Los Angeles (Oct. 18-22).
The Kaji family’s Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch are launching their first feature film collab, Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure. The live-action and animated film is an independent production targeting a theatrical and streaming release for Fall/Holiday 2024. This will mark the first feature-length project from the popular kids’ brand Ryan’s World.
Synopsis: Ryan takes to the big screen for his most epic adventure yet! When his twin sisters, Emma and Kate, get sucked into a mystical comic book, Ryan has no choice but to rise up as the great big brother he is and jump in after them. Adventures, battles, and hilarious debacles ensue, as Ryan and his friends navigate the Titan Universe and bring everyone back home safely before his parents catch on.
“We’re excited to continue our successful partnership with pocket.watch and extend the beloved Ryan’s World franchise with our first feature film,” said Shion Kaji, Ryan’s father and CEO of Sunlight Entertainment. “This further opens the door for opportunities to connect with audiences in a whole new way on the big screen.”
The film features the Kaji family, playing themselves: Ryan Kaji, Shion Kaji, Loann Kaji, Emma Kaji and Kate Kaji. The film also stars other popular kids’ and family pocket.watch creators, including:
20-year-old British magician-superstar Dan Rhodes, playing himself. Rhodes has 35.8M followers across TikTok and YouTube, he has garnered 17.5B views on YouTube alone and has become the most viewed magician channel of all time.
YouTube star and comedian Evangeline Lomelino of GEM Sisters as Aiden. GEM Sisters has 1.3M subscribers on YouTube and 700M+ lifetime views across GEM channels.
Top-performing kid-favorite Stella Wallace of The Stella Show as the voice of Rylexa. The Stella Show has 1.8M subscribers on YouTube and 1B+ lifetime views.
“Ryan Kaji’s talent and the broad family appeal of Ryan’s World are a dynamic combination in this fast-paced anime action, superhero adventure,” said Albie Hecht, Chief Content Officer at pocket.watch. “Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with many super talented young stars and Ryan’s authenticity, intelligence and ability to instantly connect with audiences offer unlimited possibilities and create a strong foundation for his ever-growing success.”
Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure is produced by Sunlight Entertainment’s Shion Kaji and Loann Kaji, along with pocket.watch’s Albie Hecht, who also serves as director. The film is executive produced by pocket.watch’s Chris M. Williams. Diondra Meravi serves as supervising producer. Chase Landau and Rose Frankel from pocket.watch are co-producers. Screenplay by Rose Frankel, with story by Shion Kaji and Rose Frankel. The animation was produced by Shin-Ei Animation (Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan).
While Ryan’s World content is available on over 40 platforms in 80 countries, the Ryan and Friends channel is one of the most distributed kids and family FAST channels in the U.S., and Ryan and Friends Plus is the largest independent kids and family SVOD. Ryan’s World is the top YouTuber for kids ages 3-9, with 56M subscribers and over 76B lifetime views across his channels.
Pocket.watch’s full roster includes 47 creators who have garnered 806M subscribers and over 544B views on YouTube alone.
WildBrain has a fresh serving of licensing deals, brand activations and content distribution deals to share with fans of Strawberry Shortcake, leading into the October 2 premiere of the new CG-animated special Strawberry Shortcake and the Beast of Berry Bog on Netflix. Produced by WildBrain Studios, the new Halloween-themed special is the first of four seasonal specials coming to Netflix in 2023 and 2024.
Synopsis: It’s the Berry Scary Fright-Fall Carnival, and someone — or something — is trying to ruin the fun for everyone! Strawberry Shortcake and her friends must sleuth out clues to discover the truth, so that “everyberry” can enjoy the carnival without fear. Despite the scary situation, Strawberry faces her fears and stands up to the monster causing chaos in Big Apple City.
Sure to delight fans of WildBrain’s original animated series, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City — the third season of which is now streaming on YouTube — the new special joins a wave of brand activity and product launches set to roll out into 2024 — which will also mark the 45th anniversary of Strawberry Shortcake.
“The World of Strawberry Shortcake continues to soar in popularity. Our innovative licensing program, extensive distribution partnerships and multiple brand activations are a testament to Strawberry’s enduring appeal as a much-loved brand,” commented Elizabeth Litten Miller, VP, Franchise Strategy at WildBrain. “With the first of four new Strawberry Shortcake CG-animated seasonal specials premiering on Netflix on October 2, we’re excited that partners and fans are embracing Strawberry Shortcake to celebrate her message of diversity, creativity and friendship in so many imaginative and inspiring ways.”
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City (120 x 4’) is continuing to roll out to new territories, with Amazon Kids+ acquiring Seasons 1 & 2 for the U.S., while Stan in Australia and Spacetoon in MENA have also taken the first two seasons. Edye in Latin America & Caribbean has picked up Season 1 and TVNZ in New Zealand Season 2, while TV2 signed a deal for the first three seasons for Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Also in the U.S., NCircle Entertainment has signed for home entertainment rights for Seasons 1-3.
In addition to dropping on Netflix this fall, Strawberry Shortcake and the Beast of Berry Bog will have its linear broadcast premiere on WildBrain’s Family Jr. channel in Canada on Friday, September 22 at 7 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, international broadcasters Gulli (France) and TV2 (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia) have snapped up all four specials, with NCircle Entertainment acquiring home entertainment rights for the specials in the U.S.
The classic Strawberry Shortcake content library also remains popular worldwide. Season 1 of the series Berry Bitty Adventures(65 x 22′) has been picked up by Viaplay (Nordics), Edye (LatAm & Caribbean) and Semillitas (U.S. & Central America). Further new deals include Amazon Kids+ (U.S.) for Seasons 3 and 4, Stan (Australia) for Season 4 and Jim Jam (MENA) for Seasons 1-3. Additionally, Amazon Kids+, Stan, Edye and Jim Jam have acquired the animated movie Strawberry Shortcake: Sky’s the Limit (70’), with Stan also picking up Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Movie (83’).
WildBrain CPLG has lined up an exciting roster of new licensees and activations for Strawberry Shortcake, including a deal with global retailer MINISO as part of a wider partnership which also includes WildBrain’s Teletubbies and In the Night Garden. Additional new partners include The Knot Churros, who held a delicious nine-week summer pop up at two London stores, featuring menu items flavored around the characters of Berry in the Big City.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Spacetoon has developed a live show for Berry in the Big City that will also feature costume characters for meet and greets. The first performance took place at Qatar Toy Festival in July.
In the digital space, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City will feature in a new mobile gaming app launching this September from TapTap Tales, which will immerse players in Big Apple City with a host of educational games featuring Berry and all her friends. Also in digital, Baretree Media have launched themed mobile sticker packs on both Android and iOS, with other digital goods coming soon globally.
In early fall 2023, Vampyre Cosmetics are launching a range of Strawberry Shortcake-inspired make-up palettes, lipstick, lip glosses, makeup bags, eyeliner, mascara and eyelashes. The products will be available in Canada, Denmark, Eire, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, U.K. and U.S. Goose Creek Candles will also be expanding their scent collection for this winter and for Valentine’s Day 2024, after their first Strawberry Shortcake range sold out within two weeks. Meanwhile, fashion label Cakeworthy is preparing to debut a
Strawberry Shortcake capsule apparel collection plus accessories, stationery and homewares in the U.S., Canada and U.K. from March 2024.
Pop culture retailer FYE, For Your Entertainment, has signed a direct-to-retail deal to create sweet treats for Spring/Summer 2024 in a range that includes confectioneries, jewelry, home decor and gift items.
WildBrain CPLG will be showcasing The World of Strawberry Shortcake at Brand Licensing Europe in London, October 4-6, at stand B171, as well as the China Licensing Expo in Shanghai (October 17-19).
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced it has greenlit 16 more productions and co-productions between January and June 2023. The slate includes nine feature-length documentaries and seven animated shorts, which are now underway at studios across the country.
The animated works are:
Bread Will Walk
Bread Will Walk
Director: Alex Boya
Producer: Jelena Popović | Animation & Interactive Studio | 100% NFB
In a world confronted by climate change and food shortages, a mysterious agrochemical corporation produces engineered synthetic bread — which accidentally turns the hungry into slow, non-violent, zombie-like creatures made of loaves of freshly baked bread.
Les gens dans l’armoire
Les gens dans l’armoire
(People in the Closet)
Director: Dahee Jeong
Co-producers: Dahee Jeong (Between the Pictures) and Christine Noël (NFB) | French Animation Studio
In a strange world of people who have clothes but no bodies, the arrival of a little girl made of flesh and blood shakes things up.
Imprint
Imprint
Director: Duncan Major
Producer: Maral Mohammadian | Animation & Interactive Studio | 100% NFB
Imprint is an experimental animated short about creativity and loss. It’s inspired by the relationship between filmmaker Duncan Major and his friend and mentor, who passed away, leaving him a collection of rare printing presses.
Paradajz
Paradajz
Director: Matea Radic
Producer: Jelena Popović | Animation & Interactive Studio | 100% NFB
After 25 years, filmmaker Matea Radic returns to Sarajevo and tells a hopeful tale of survival and self-discovery that reinforces the importance of “home” when one is searching for paradise.
Parandeh is about the power of stillness. Its premise is simple and stands out in the blur of modern life. A bird is trapped in a cage. Only when it stops struggling does it find itself free.
Piluk
Piluk
Directors: Elisapie Isaac and Marc Séguin
Producer: Marc Bertrand | French Animation Studio | 100% NFB
A poetic meditation on identity, attachment to the land and the power of art as a source of human and spiritual guidance. Piluk leaves her remote world to join another: the world of the South and the city.
Something Over There
Something Over There
Director: Arash Akhgari
Producer: Jelena Popović | Animation & Interactive Studio | 100% NFB
An endless parade of fragmented mass media and the audiences compulsively consuming them. A hypnotizing mix of collage, ink and paint becomes a space for introspection and reflects our viewing and reading habits.
For more information on these and other projects currently in the works across NFB studios, visit the NFB Production webpage.
Companies from Portugal and France have been recognized with this year’s Cartoon Forum Tributes, awarded annually to honor the outstanding work of broadcasters, investors/distributors and producers in the promotion and development of European animation. Winners were voted on by the 1,051 professionals from 37 countries attending Cartoon Forum, the pitching and co-production forum for animated series wrapping up today in the French city of Toulouse.
The winners are:
Broadcaster of the Year — RTP (Portugal)
Portuguese public broadcaster RTP – Rádio e Televisão de Portugal offers content aimed at preschoolers and children under Zig Zag, a programming block broadcast daily through RTP’s free-to-air channels and streaming platform Zig Zag Play. Largely focused on European content, RTP also plays an active role as co-producer in series developed by Portuguese animation studios such as Mr. Passenger, Crias and duArte, a Piece of Art.
Distributor of the Year — APC Kids (France)
APC Kids is the children’s entertainment arm of leading co-production and distribution company APC Studios. The company has a growing portfolio of high-profile children’s and family properties including animated series Kid-E-Cats, DinoCity, Galactic Agency, Jade Armor and Tinka, which have been broadcast in more than a hundred countries worldwide.
Producer of the Year — GO-N Productions (France)
Paris-based animation producer and distributor GO-N Productions is globally renowned for both its own productions and its co-productions with partners worldwide. Simon Super Rabbit, Zip Zip and Jasmin’s World are some of the works by this company, which this year presented its latest series at Cartoon Forum: Annette, Apprentice Witch.
Companies from Germany, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania and the United Kingdom were also shortlisted for the Tributes.
Courtesy of Cartoon.
Cartoon Forum 20232 Highlights
In summarizing this year’s Toulouse toon gathering, Cartoon’s General Director, Annick Maes, pointed out pan-European diversity represented in the “colorful, sensitive and powerful selection of projects”:
“A Nordic wave has reached Cartoon Forum: with two projects each, Finland, Norway and Denmark, left a mark in this year edition. Central and Eastern Europe established their own presence with nine projects in total (two for Ukraine, two for Bulgaria, two for Czech Republic, two for Poland & one for Estonia). We also saw interesting French projects in crowded rooms: Erica & Trevor vs Spooky Monsters (Cyber Group Studios); Dungeons & Kittens (Watch Next Media); Annette, Apprentice Witch (GO-N Productions); Hold on Gaston! (Dandelooo), What’s Up Eesha? (TeamTO); Filip & Fairy (Normaal) and Gisele and Her Little Monsters (Blue Spirit Productions).
We were delighted to welcome 270 buyers on site in Toulouse, including 10.5% new buyers such as LooLoo Kids (Mora TV, Romania), Light Lab (Latvia), Anime Digital Network (ADN, France), Ribka Publishing (Bulgaria), Carlsen Verlag (Germany), Kidstream (U.S.A.), Immersiva (U.S.A.), With Bells On Entertainment (Canada), TV Nova and Markiza Groups (Slovakia), Jungler (France), among others.”
In addition to the above-mentioned attendee numbers, Cartoon Forum counted 505 companies participating. The 2023 event also achieved gender parity amongst its toon pros, with 51% women, 49% men and 0.1% nonbinary registered attendees.
Within the special Animated UK Meets Europe initiative, 41 production companies from 12 countries participated at the one-to-one meetings discussing coproduction possibilities with producers from all five U.K. projects.
Top 10 ♦ European co-productions
(Order reflects the number of participants in the pitching room for projects co-produced in at least two European countries.)
1. Luce in the Lovely Land– Thuristar (Belgium), La Cabane Productions (France) 2. Littlest Robot – Toon2Tango (Germany), V House Animation (North Macedonia) 3. Aquila– Zodiak Kids & Family (France), Tiger Aspect Kids & Family (United Kingdom) 4. Baby’s First Crime Spree– Cardel Entertainment (Ireland), Snafu Pictures (United Kingdom) 5. Moka Mera & Atlas – Anima Vitae (Finland), Moilo (Finland), Animoka Studios (Italy) 6. Stage Struck! – Lighthouse Studios (Ireland), Dog Ears (United Kingdom) 7. My Baby Crocodile – Take Five (Belgium), Sacrebleu Productions (France) 8. Happily Never After– Heliumfilm (Czech Republic), Reynard Films (Germany) 9. Nip & Lena. Fin Friends– Lynx Multimedia Factory (Italy), Telegael (Ireland) 10. The Princess and the Nightingale – La Boîte… Productions (Belgium), Les Films du Nord (France)
Baby’s First Crime Spree
Top 10 ♦ Buyer attendance
(Order reflects the percentage of buyers in the pitching room.)
1. Baby’s First Crime Spree – Cardel Entertainment (Ireland), Snafu Pictures (U.K.) – 52% 2. Littlest Robot – Toon2Tango (Germany), V House Animation (North Macedonia) – 48% 3. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – bigchild Entertainment (Germany) – 47% Annie Melting Heart Cake– Sacrebleu Productions (France) – 47% 4. Pig & Andersen – Fleng Entertainment (Denmark) – 46% Delivery Dan – JAM Media (Ireland) – 46% 5. Ray & Ruby – Creative Conspiracy (Belgium) – 45% Freddie – Little Chopin – Letko (Poland), The Fryderyk Chopin Institute (Poland) – 45% 20 Dance Street – Cottonwood Media (France) – 45% 6. SuperBikes– Beta Film (Germany), Carlsen Verlag (Germany), Ulysses Filmproduktion (Germany) – 44% Mavka– Animagrad Studio – FILM.UA Group (Ukraine) – 44% 7. Pil’s Adventures – TAT productions (France) – 43% Dougie Dolittle – Caligari Film- und Fernsehproduktion (Germany) – 43% 8. Boule & Bill– Elliott Studio (France) – 42% 9. Gisele and her Little Monsters – Blue Spirit Productions (France) – 41% Crazy Inventions – Badi Badi (Poland), Beat Shop Sound Studio (Poland) – 41% 10. Stage Struck! – Lighthouse Studios (Ireland), Dog Ears (U.K.) – 40% Monsterberry Jam– Yarki (Ukraine) – 40% Space Aged– Studio Meala (Ireland) – 40% Ursa – The Polar Bear – Fabelaktiv (Norway), Ulvenfilm (Norway) – 40% Mortina – Cartobaleno (Italy) – 40%
You can read more about select projects at Cartoon Forum in our preview from the September/October issue of Animation Magazinehere.
Just One Day
Trendspotting in Toulouse
Young talents and new companies. Young protégés from Cartoon Springboard made their debuts at the audiovisual market with projects 9 Million Colors, Apocalypse Mojito, Exit Tales, Happily Never After & Toko Loko. Britt Raes (director/illustrator), who pitched Luce in the Lovely Land, participated in Cartoon Springboard 2018 with Petlovers, and has made two successful short films. Verena Fels, who pitched Just One Day, was nominated for a Cartoon d’Or in 2011 with her first project, MOBILE, based on a children’s book that she designed.
Cartoon Forum also welcomed several companies pitching at the event for the first time, such as: Darjeeling (France), Have a Nice Day Films (France), Fleng Entertainment (Denmark), _Dept. (Norway), Ahoifilm (Germany) and Scared Ghost (Spain), among others.
Adult animation is still on the rise. With 14% (compared to 10% in 2022) of the selected projects being targeted at Young Adults/Adults, it is evident that adult animation is definitely consolidating its position. Cartoon Forum 2023 attendees were introduced to B.A.D’s Agents, Iren the Siren, Pixie Pollux and Starpets, to name a few.
Moka Mera & Atlas
Multi-layered projects. Seventeen projects (23% of the selection) take a crossover approach: The SuperBikes TV series will become a game and will be adapted into a book series. Super Epic Tadpole Journey to the Surface of Croak Creek has been produced simultaneously for linear (horizontal format) and for mobile phone (vertical format). Lingokids Adventures with Baby Bot the TV series is based on an award-winning learning app. Moka Mera & Atlas is also adapted from educational apps (about languages & emotions). And The Invisibles creators are also planning a book series.
Local support. In this year’s selection, two projects are supported by the Occitanie Region:
Pil’s Adventures from TAT Productions, adapted from the feature film Pil and following the success of the studio’s latest theatrical release, Jungle Bunch 2 (740,000 tickets sold).
School Monitors from Xbo Films.
Save the date! Cartoon Forum 2024 will return to Toulouse from September 16-19 next year. Registration will open in April. More information available at cartoon-media.eu/forum.
Blue Fox Entertainment and Shout! Studios will deliver a modern take on a classically creepy tale to U.S. theaters next month, announcing the Stateside release of The Canterville Ghost just in time for Halloween! The CG-animated Oscar Wilde adaptation out of the U.K. will arrive October 20.
Synopsis: As the 19th gives way to the 20thcentury and scientific invention brings forth new ways of traversing and seeing the world, a modern American family moves into their recently purchased, country home, Canterville Chase, in England, only to find it is haunted by a ghost. Sir Simon de Canterville has been haunting the grounds of Canterville Chase successfully for over three hundred years, but he meets his match when he tries to scare out the new arrivals.
Directed by Kim Burdon (Stressed Eric) and Robert Chandler (The Amazing Maurice, The Deep) from a screenplay by Giles New & Keiron Self, the film stars actor, writer and television host Stephen Fry (The Hobbit films) as the put-upon specter of Simon de Canterville.
The voice cast also features Fry’s longtime collaborator, Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie (House, Stuart Little), Golden Globe nominee Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor, Bates Motel), Emily Carey (Wonder Woman, Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon), Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, The Crown), Miranda Hart (Spy, Call the Midwife) and Golden Globe nominee Toby Jones (The Girl, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).
Co-director Chandler also serves as producer through his Space Age Films banner, alongside Gina Carter of Sprout Pictures (co-owned by Fry), P. Jayakumar of Toonz Media Group and Nadia Khamlichi & Martin Metz of Align. Executive producers are Fry, Jerry Hibbert, Bob Benton, Hilary Strong, Edward Noeltner, Nessa McGill, Khamlichi, Jayakumar, Paul Cummins, Paul Grindey and Charles Moore.
Adult Swim today debuted the official trailer for FLCL: Shoegaze — the fifth season in the cult-hit FLCL anime series. The new storyline will premiere Saturday, September 30 at midnight ET/PT on the network’s anime block, Toonami. Directed by Yutaka Uemura, the Shoegazei trailer features a soundtrack from The Pillows.
Logline: FLCL: Shoegaze picks up after the events of the third season, FLCL: Alternative. While everyone returns to their ordinary lives, two frustrated teenagers concoct a plot to destroy the Tsuganei tower in the hopes that it will incite change.
“Coming off of his terrific work on FLCL: Alternative, we are so excited to have director Yutaka Uemura return to the world of FLCL,” said Jason DeMarco, SVP, Head of Anime and Action Series at Adult Swim. “After a long wait, we are so thrilled to welcome back FLCL. We hope you enjoy it!”
The latest installment arrives on the heels of the fourth season, FLCL: Grunge, which is premiering new episodes every Saturday at midnight ET/PT.
FLCL: Shoegaze is animated by Production I.G x NUT. It is executive produced by DeMarco and produced by Maki Terashima-Furuta (Production IG USA).
