A tasty new toon sensation is ready to go to the mat as a Tubi exclusive: Sushi Sumo. Available to stream now, the colorful CG series pits the flavor powers of different pieces of anthropomorphic sushi against each other for the ultimate umami battle.
Synopsis: From King Records, the entertainment company that has brought you more than 100 anime titles including the hit series Pop Team Epic, comes a brand new series in which sushi become sumo wrestlers and face off in the dohyo. Each sushi uses their own ingredients and style to unleash a unique technique and try to gain advantage. Who will win?!
Sushi Sumo is an original concept created by artist-illustrator Ahn Masako and is directed by Yuta Sukegawa (The Light, Drifting Cloud). Animation production for the series was handled by Shirogumi Inc.
A division of FOX Entertainment, Tubi is an ad-supported video-on-demand service with more than 45,000 movies and TV shows in the U.S., including a growing library of Tubi Originals, 150+ channels and 400+ entertainment partners. The serive is available in the U.S. on mobile, OTT and connected TV devices as well as through tubitv.com.
Sushi Sumo is now streaming on Tubi, watch it here.
Eleven years since the YouTube shorts first caused a viral sensation, Red Guy, Yellow Guy and Duck are back in brand new installments of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared — and this time, they’ll be inside your TV. Six new episodes will begin rolling out on Channel 4’s All 4 in the U.K. on September 12.
Created by directing duo Becky & Joe (Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling) of Blinkink with collaborator Baker Terry, the original web series has racked up a quarter of a billion views since launching in 2011. The new TV show produced by Blink Industries will continue the puppet roommates’ surreal learning journey in sunny Clayhill, with the help of some friendly talking objects and a pinch of creeping dread.
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
As Blink describes it, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is “a mixed media trip that moves from kids’ show pastiche to fever dream horror in the blink of an eye. Think The Muppet Show relocated to Twin Peaks.”
You can catch up on the original Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared shorts on the show’s YouTube channel ahead of the new series peremiere Sept. 12.
DreamWorks Animation has defrosted the official series trailer, cast and premiere date for Abominable and the Invisible City. Inspired by the 2019 film Abominable, all 10 new episodes premiere on Peacock and Hulu October 5.
The series features the voices of Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) returning as Yi and Tenzing Trainor (Liv and Maddie) returning as Jin, with Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) joining as Burnish. The voice cast also includes Ethan Loh, Michelle Wong, Karen Huie and Darin De Paul.
Abominable and the Invisible City – Burnish and Duchess
Abominable and the Invisible City
Abominable and the Invisible City
Abominable and the Invisible City
Abominable and the Invisible City
Abominable and the Invisible City – Peng, Jin, Yi and Everest
Synopsis: Abominable and the Invisible City is a comedy adventure series that continues the wild and wooly fun of DreamWorks Animation’s Abominable. Through Everest the yeti, Yi, Jin, and Peng know that there’s a whole magical world out there, and now it’s even closer than they think! When they discover that their surroundings are teeming with magical creatures in need of their help, the kids will set out on extraordinary and heartfelt adventures throughout their city and beyond.
Mattel, Inc. announced today the introduction of Bruno, the first autistic character in the iconic Thomas & Friends franchise.
Mattel Television developed Bruno in collaboration with respected organizations including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and Easterseals Southern California, as well as writers and spokespeople with autism including Daniel Share-Strom and Aaron Likens. Voiced by Chuck Smith, an autistic actor, the new series regular will make his debut in the Season 26 premiere of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go on Monday, September 12 at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network.
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go – Bruno
Bruno is a joyful, pun-making brake car. He is great at his job and keeps big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes — a vital role in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go. Bruno rolls in reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique perspective on the world. Detail-oriented Bruno enjoys schedules, routine and knows where all the tracks lead on Sodor. Bruno has stairs and a lantern on his bright, red exterior that indicate his emotional state, moving when he is excited or cautious. Bruno’s best day is one spent with his friends, who love and respect him for who he is, just as he loves them back.
Through his on-screen presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model. Together with key partners, Mattel carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of an autistic child in the real world.
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go
“The most important aspect of Bruno’s development was getting autistic input throughout the process of creating the character and his interactions with his world,” said Zoe Gross, Director of Advocacy at ASAN. “It was great to be able to contribute to that as part of a team of consultants from ASAN. Autistic people have been involved in all aspects of creating Bruno, from us as consultants to writers on the show and Bruno’s voice actor — this makes Bruno ring true as an autistic character. I hope that Bruno will provide viewers with meaningful examples of inclusion in everyday life.”
Experts from ASAN and Easterseals Southern California, alongside the creative and writing team at Mattel Television, leveraged years of experience dedicated to the understanding of autism to respectfully and artistically create an accurate, on screen representation. Through their hard work, dedication and care, Bruno opens the door for global audiences in a way Thomas & Friends has never done before.
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go
“Our commitment and contributions alongside Mattel have ensured that an honest version of Bruno is what kids and families across the world will experience,” said Dr. Paula Pompa Craven, Chief Clinical Officer at Easterseals Southern California. “Audiences will be able to see the real life experiences of an autistic child through Bruno, including opportunities to learn and grow alongside him as he demonstrates his ability to give and receive support from his friends.”
While Bruno thoughtfully reflects the traits and preferences of some autistic people, one animated character could never encompass the real-life experience of every autistic person. A
key character within the Thomas & Friends franchise, Bruno’s introduction will span across all content with appearances in a YouTube series, music album, the Thomas & Friends Storytime
podcast, the upcoming Mystery of Lookout Mountain special and consumer products set to debut later this year.
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go
“Bruno’s introduction organically embraces a global audience that is underrepresented and deserves to be celebrated in children’s programming,” said Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President & Executive Producer, Global Content Development and Production at Mattel. “So much care and thought went into the development of his character, and we can’t wait for audiences to meet and love Bruno as much as we do.”
In its upcoming season on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network, Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go is back on track with big adventures fueled by friendship. Thomas and the gang will face unexpected surprises and discover more about one another as they play, learn, and grow together. Featuring new original songs and even bigger adventures, the latest season of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go welcomes everyone to the Island of Sodor for a toot-ally awesome journey!
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go is executive produced by Christopher Keenan and Frederic Soulie for Mattel and by Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy and Pam Westman for Nelvana.
Paris-based Dada! Animation (dada-animation.com), a specialist in real-time animation, will exhibit four of its projects at this month’s Cartoon Forum 2022 (cartoon-media.eu). One of these, Mekka Nikki, a sci-Fi series targeting kids and teenagers aged 12+, will be presented to European broadcasters and animation professionals during a pitch session with its co-producer, Squarefish, as part of the co-pro event’s official selection.
Mekka Nikki is an initiatic 3D/2D animated science-fiction adventure comprising 10 x 30-minute episodes for Season 1. Described as an “epic saga,” the series is adapted from the comic book by Belgian authors Exaheva and Félix Laurent, with an eye to carryign on the legacy of the futuristic series while exploring the topics of preserving the human species, gender issues and physical disability, amongst others.
The Mekka Nikki pitch at Cartoon Forum will take place on Wednesday, September 21 at 11:45 a.m. in the Purple Room.
Dada! will also use one-on-one networking meeting opportunities at Cartoon Forum to present the pilot episode of its edutainment series, Captain Tone-up, currently in development with Disney Television France. The program targets six- to 10-year olds and promotes the benefits of eating well and moving well.
The studio will also introduce two other projects: the animated documentary French Patisserie, which offers a gastronomic journey in partnership with Gaël Clavière, the head pastry chef at the official residence of the French Prime Minister; and the animated poetic preschool cartoon The Nebulons, in co-development with Diabolo films.
“We look forward to presenting our portfolio of projects at Cartoon Forum 2022. These projects target all audiences, from preschoolers to families, and include contemporary and universal subjects in an enjoyable and captivating way,” says Jérôme Mouscadet, Director and Producer at Dada! Animation.
Producer Jean-François Ramos notes, “We use real-time game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine for rendering and compositing in the development stage as well as to test and optimize some of our projects.”
Cartoon Forum takes place Sept. 19-22 in Toulouse, France.
Dada! Animation at Cartoon Forum:
Mekka Nikki (10 x 30′ S1) – Mekka Nikki is a science fiction soap opera for children and teenagers aged 12 plus, adapted from a comic book written by Belgian authors Exaheva and Félix Laurent. This committed initiatory quest, developed in collaboration with Squarefish, carries on the tradition of the great futuristic series while contributing to space opera’s revitalisation. It does this through the contemporary graphics it employs and the topics it explores, including preserving the human species, gender issues and physical disability.
Captain Tone-up (12 x 2’30”) – As part of the broadcasters’ commitment to Arcom’s dietary charter, Disney Television France collaborated with Dada! Animation to create a 3D-animated series for children aged six to 10 called Captain Tone-up. This series will encourage children to eat well, be active and get enough sleep. In each of her adventures, Captain Stella Tone-up provides a solution to a question presented by a youngster. She then explains the specific behaviour scientifically and engagingly while sharing the steps one can take to remedy that impact.
French Patisserie
French Patisserie (30 x 7′) – French Patisserie is a gourmet family animated documentary that tells the remarkable story of France’s sweet gastronomy. The documentary was produced in partnership with chef Gaël Clavière, who has served as the head pastry chef of the French Prime Minister for 17 years at the Hôtel Matignon. French Patisserie takes viewers on a scrumptious journey through some well-known French culinary creations, from the addictive saga of the world-famous Macaron to the conception of the Paris-Brest in tribute to a cycling race at the Belle Epoque.
The Nebulons (78 x 7′) – The Nebulons is a poetic animated cartoon series created in co-production with Diabolo Films for children aged three to five. The series tells the burlesque and dreamlike adventures of adorable little legendary elves called the Nebulons, who like to create shapes in the clouds to amaze children.
Tim Long (The Simpsons) has signed on to co-write and showrun Bloom County, the upcoming FOX animated series based on the acclaimed comic strip of the same name created and written by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, screenwriter, producer and children’s book author Berkeley Breathed.
Breathed, who is co-writing and executive producing the series, created a special new piece of artwork featuring Bloom County’s beloved Opus the Penguin to mark the announcement.
Bloom County centers on a collapsed lawyer, a lobotomized cat and an overly-carbonated penguin immigrant living in the world’s last boarding house in the world’s most forgotten place deep in the dandelion wilds of FlyWayThe@%!#OVER country. To wit, today’s America at a glance.
FOX Entertainment, its Emmy Award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, Miramax, Spyglass Media Group and Project X Entertainment will produce the project; Bento Box, Miramax, Spyglass and Project X are also exec producers.
Long is a longtime writer and producer for The Simpsons. He has won five Emmys and been nominated 14 times. His TV animation credits also include serving as a producer on the Napoleon Dynamite cartoon and a consulting producer on China, IL. On the feature film side, he wrote The Exchange (2020), directed by Dan Mazer. Off the screen, Long’s writing has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker. He hails from Exeter, Ontario, Canada.
Long is represented by CAA and Artists First.
Bloom County originated from Breathed’s first published comic strip, The Academia Waltz, which appeared in his student newspaper, The Daily Texan. The comic strip soon got the attention of editors at The Washington Post, who recruited Breathed to do a nationally syndicated strip. Bloom County made its debut in 1980, appearing in more than 1,200 newspapers worldwide until its end in 1989. Shortly after, Breathed started strips Outland and Opus, which both featured Bloom County characters. In 2015, Breathed started posting new Bloom County strips via Facebook on an almost daily basis.
For the 16th time, the Cartoon Tributes honors will pay homage to the year’s European animation standouts. Broken down into three categories (Broadcaster, Investor/Distributor and Producer of the Year), these awards will be voted by around 1,000 participants from 40 countries attending Cartoon Forum, the European TV series co-production forum taking place Sept. 19-22 in Toulouse, France. This year’s finalists hail from eight European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Spain. Winners will be announced on September 22.
Public broadcasters KiKA (Germany) and RTVS (Slovakia), private TV channel TF1 Unité Jeunesse (France) and global multi-platform company GLITCH are the four nominees on the shortlist for Broadcaster of the Year.
The selected candidates for the Investor/Distributor of the Year award are Denmark’s DR Sales, Italy’s KidsMe, France’s Nathan Univers Jeunesse and Spain’s GoldBee, whose selection underlines their major role in the circulation of European series, both within and beyond the region’s borders.
And the Producer of the Year category has two French nominations: Normaal and Watch Next Media. The shortlist also includes two companies with a strong track record in co-production: Poland’s Letko and Spain’s Peekaboo Animation. Three of the four finalists in this category will present their new projects at Cartoon Forum 2022, thus highlighting this event’s relevance in the development of new series.
Cartoon Tributes 2022 Nominees
Broadcaster of the Year
GLITCH(The Netherlands)
Created in 2021 by Tribes Media, a media start-up specialized in developing niche subscription streaming services, GLITCH is the world’s first adult animation SVOD platform. Available in more than 170 countries worldwide, GLITCH’s offer combines multi-format animation (films, series, audiobooks and podcasts), and is curated “from and for the fans.”
KiKA (Germany)
Operated jointly by public-service broadcasters ARD & ZDF, KiKA is Germany’s leading children’s content provider. Dedicated exclusively to children, from preschoolers to six- to nine-year olds and pre-teens, this platform offers commercial and violence-free content through its linear and non-linear offerings. Odo, Stinky Dog, Edmund and Lucy, Sir Mouse and Animanimals are some of the European series included in the channel’s schedule.
Radio and Television of Slovakia – RTVS(Slovakia)
Founded in 2011, public broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) operates five channels (Jednotka, Dvojka, Trojka, :24 and Šport), and features animated series such as Nelly & Caesar, Dounia, Mum Is Pouring Rain and Zibilla.
TF1 Unité Jeunesse(France)
Animation plays a leading role at TF1, the French television network owned by TF1 Group. With an average audience share of 33.7% among 4/10-year-olds, TF1’s children’s slot TFOU broadcasts 750 hours of programming a year, including series as Miraculous Ladybug, Pfffirates, Gus – The Itsy Bitsy Knight, Ghostforce, Ernest & Rebecca and Splat & Harry, among others.
Investor/Distributor of the Year
DR Sales (Denmark)
DR Sales, the international sales department of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, is the leading Nordic distributor of high-quality storytelling targeting all ages. Their catalog features series for both children and youth, including Team Nuggets (shortlisted in Cartoon Forum’s previous edition), Fabulous Stories by Kids and John Dillermand.
GoldBee (Spain)
Barcelona-based GoldBee provides broadcasters and digital platforms with both award-winning kids and family content, and internationally renowned brands. The company distributes over 2,500 half-hour programs produced by première content providers in the industry, such as ZDF, BBC, Corus Entertainment, France Télévisions and WDR. Ziggy and the Zootram, Henrietta and Cleo & Cuquin are some of the series in its roster.
KidsMe (Italy)
Focused on the development, production, content curation and distribution of local and European content dedicated to the Kids & Family target, KidsMe produce all television genres, including live action, animation, educational, factual entertainment and game shows. Animation holds an important place in the company’s catalog, which includes titles such as Brave Bunnies, Sullivan’s Sails and Spooky Wolf. The company is a subsidiary of Gruppo De Agostini.
Nathan Univers Jeunesse (France)
Editions Nathan is a family business going back 130 years that has become one of the reference houses of the Editis Group. This company offers a wide range of books, a number of which have been adapted into animated series, as was the case with Azur & Asmar, Edmund & Lucy, Splat & Harry and T’Choupi.
Producer of the Year
Letko (Poland)
Based in Warsaw, Letko is a 2D animation studio focused on the development & production of animated projects. Specialized in hand-drawn, cut-out and 2D projects combined with 3D elements, this company seeks “to tell positive stories with soul to all kind of audiences all around the world”. Following the successful preschool series Odo, the company is presenting Happy Not Lucky at Cartoon Forum 2022.
Normaal (France)
Based in Paris and Angoulême, this company’s editorial line combines original works and adaptations of pop culture classics. Normaal boasts a well-balanced catalog, in which series such as Hello World!, Ella and Oscar & Hoo blend in with internationally renowned properties such as Peanuts and Barbapapa. The company will be presenting Kat & Cats at Cartoon Forum 2022.
Peekaboo Animation (Spain)
Peekaboo Animation is an independent production company based in Barcelona. With extensive experience in animation, Peekaboo prides itself on “creating, drawing, writing, producing and financing its own shows with fresh and innovative ideas.” Among Peekaboo’s major highlights are I, Elvis Riboldi; My Little Heroes and Mironins, while their upcoming project Best Friends Forever… Stranded! will be presented at Toulouse.
Watch Next Media (France)
Founded in Paris in 2015, Watch Next Media is a production company specializing in animated TV series that seeks “to control every step from conception to exploitation.” Dungeons & Kittens, Wild Kat, Audrey’s Shelter and Nate Is Late are some of the series produced by this studio.
Discover all the projects, register and learn more about Cartoon Forum at cartoon-media.eu.
In honor of “Lightning McQueen Day” (9/5 for No. 95), Disney+ offered fans a closer look under the hood of Disney and Pixar’s original series Cars on the Road, premiering this week.
The reveals include the newly released Cars on the Road soundtrack; a three-minute clip from Ep. 3, “Salt Fever”; the series’ opening credits sequence and theme song; and fresh images.
The Disney+ Original series follows Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and his best friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) as they head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister.
Premiering on Disney+ Day, Sepember 8, Cars on the Road is produced by Marc Sondheimer. The series’ episodes are directed by Steve Purcell (Eps. 1, 2, 8), Bobby Podesta (Eps. 5, 6, 9) and Brian Fee (Eps. 3, 4, 7).
Composer Jake Monaco created the score for all nine episodes, featured on the just-released soundtrack from Walt Disney Records. Recorded with the musical talents of 79 musicians and 17 singers, the Cars on the Raod soundtrack includes the full version of the theme song and tunes like “Trucks” and “Brain on Wheels.” Listen here.
Disney+ Day will return on Thursday, Sept. 8, leading into D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa in Anaheim, Calif. In celebration, the streaming service will host special experiences for fans and subscribers, and will premiere new content from its marquee brands — Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
International kids content creator TeamTO has announced the participation of mythology consultant Liv Albert and director Didier Ah Koon on its new action adventure series Next Level: Odyssey, which will be presented at Cartoon Forum and MIPCOM 2022.
“Greek mythology is a subject that continues to fascinate young people all over the world, it sparks their imagination,” says Corinne Kouper, TeamTO’s multi-award-winning Co-Founder and producer for the new series. “We have a long-standing practice of engaging experts and consultants to ensure the authenticity and perfection of our story telling. This wonderful talented team not only ensures that we will have really interesting stories and background for our series, but also a high level of sophisticated comedy which will be an important element of this show.”
Liv Albert is working with TeamTO’s writing team to provide background and accuracy on all Greek historic and literary references. The mythology expert is also a popular (and edgy) Canadian author and host of the podcast Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!, which explores the infinite world of mythology from an irreverent, feminist and very comical point of view. She is the author of Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses and Heroes Handbook and Nectar of the Gods, From Hera’s Hurricane to the Appletini of Discord, 75 Mythical Cocktails to Drink Like a Deity.
Didier Ah Koon was the director of the short film Cro Minion (released on the Minions Blu-ray), and the author of the original comic books Perseus (which won a 2019 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award) and Minions. He has also worked as a storyboard artist at major studios such as Illumination, Universal and Sony, and has worked on blockbuster movies including The Lorax, Despicable Me 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.
TeamTO’s “Next Level: Odyssey”
Next Level: Odyssey (26 x 26′) is an original action-adventure series with a good dose of comedy aimed at the six– to 10-year-old target:
One night while playing video games at the Louvre where his dad works, 11-year-old Kiran falls through a portal into the world of mythology where gods, goddesses and fantastical creatures are all doing their thing, and Kiran is mistaken for a butt-kicking warrior! His mission — which he must accept if he wants to return home — is to save the legendary Greek King, Odysseus. With the help of his new friend, junior goddess Leuki, Kiran discovers that being a hero takes more than brawn, and that life back-home with his dad, a workaholic archeologist, wasn’t so bad after all.
Worlds collide in this retelling of the famous saga as ordinary-meets-extraordinary on a whole new level. Next Level: Odyssey is an original reimagining of a classic story about family, friendship, facing fears and finding your inner power.
The TeamTO production is inspired by the Panique dans la Mythologie book series by Fabien Clavel, published by Rageot.
TeamTO was founded in 2005 by Kouper, Guillaume Hellouin and Caroline Souris and has grown into one of Europe’s leading kids’ entertainment companies, with two French studios housing over 400 artist as well as offices in Beijing, Toronto and Los Angeles. The studio’s original series include Jade Army, Mighty Mike, Presto! School of Magic and the Emmy-nominated Angelo Rules. TeamTO has also produced the feature film Yellowbird and third-party titles such as City of Ghosts (Netflix), PJ Masks (eOne) and Rabbids Invasion (Ubisoft).
Crunchyroll continues to expand its cinematic collection with hot new titles arriving this September for the first time on the anime streaming service, with additional titles joining the previously announced slate featuring blockbuster hit JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 and classics like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time , Afro Samurai: Resurrection and popular franchise flicks like Free!
Now, fans can also look forward to Masahiro Andō’s Sword of the Stranger and Naoyoshi Shiotani’s PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the Systemfilm trilogy this month. Additionally, ODDTAXI in the Woods, a retelling of the anime series ODDTAXI with extra scenes.
New to the September slate:
Sept. 1
BanG Dream! Poppin’ Dream!(SANZIGEN) – Official Trailer – Directed by Masanori Uetaka
Sept. 8
ODDTAXI in the Woods (OLM) – Walrus taxi driver Odokawa lives a lonely life without family, social activities, or stimulating conversation. His only friends? His doctor and a former high school classmate. But his mundane existence is thrown into chaos as interactions with seemingly unconnected fares – a college student, a nurse, a comedy duo, a hoodlum, and an idol group – converge with an endangered missing girl. – Official Trailer – Directed by Baku Kinoshita
PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System: Case.1 Crime and Punishment (Production I.G) – Official Trailer – Directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani
PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System: Case.2 First Guardian (Production I.G) – Official Trailer – Directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani
PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System: Case.3 Beyond the Pale of Vengeance (Production I.G) – Official Trailer – Directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani
Sept. 15
Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic(A-1 Pictures) – All aboard to the next great adventure for Ciel and his demonic butler, Sebastian! After hearing rumors of a peculiar society bringing people back from the dead, the two board the luxury liner Campania on her maiden voyage to investigate. Incognito amongst the mysterious Aurora Society, they find familiar faces and a sight they can’t believe — a woman raised from the dead! But surprise quickly turns to dread when the shambling corpse attacks. – Official Trailer – Directed by Noriyuki Abe
Sept. 22
High Speed! -Free! Starting Days-(Kyoto Animation) – Before they were making waves in high school, Haru and Makoto took their marks in junior high! Take a dive into the past with your favorite swimming boys and new faces as they learn what it means to work together and make new friends. – Official Trailer – Directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto
Free! -Timeless Medley- The Bond(Kyoto Animation) – Haru and Rin are swimming towards bright futures. But can they face the challenges that await them? After everything they’ve been through, with their friends by their sides, they’ll make a splash! – Official Trailer – Directed by Eisaku Kawanami
Free! -Timeless Medley- The Promise (Kyoto Animation) – Haru and Rin are swimming towards bright futures. But can they face the challenges that await them? After everything they’ve been through, with their friends by their sides, they’ll make a splash! – Official Trailer – Directed by Eisaku Kawanami
Free! -Road to the World- the Dream (Kyoto Animation) – When Haru and Makoto start college, they run into the unexpected — their old teammates from middle school. Still hurt from their team suddenly dissolving, Ikuya is out to prove he’s better than Haru. But more threats lie in the waters of competition! – Official Trailer – Directed by Eisaku Kawanami
Sept. 29
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I – Initiation (Sunrise) – Official Trailer – Directed by Gorō Taniguchi
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion II – Transgression (Sunrise) – Official Trailer – Directed by Gorō Taniguchi
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification (Sunrise) – Official Trailer – Directed by Gorō Taniguchi
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection(Sunrise) – He gave up his life to save the world and protect the ones he loved. The day Lelouch vi Brittannia fell was the day this war-torn world found peace. Now, as his friends work to keep the peace, a terrorist attack could risk everything. Can the brilliant tactician outwit death and save them all? Or will Lelouch’s legacy fall here? – Official Trailer – Directed by Gorō Taniguchi
An adventure that spanned six continents, Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty“living episode” unveiled its final build today in downtown Las Vegas. Bridging the events from the season five finale to the season six premiere of Rick and Morty as an immersive fan experience, #WORMAGEDDON will officially finish tomorrow with the debut of an animated short that reveals the conclusion to the epic, globe-trotting battle.
Created in partnership with Samsung, this final #WORMAGEDDON scene features Rick and Morty super-heroines Space Beth and Planetina fighting the alien worm while Summer captures all the action, fully equipped with her Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Buds2 Pro. It will be available for fans to enjoy at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST until September 11.
Officially kicking off on August 20, this #WORMAGEDDON fan experience follows the heroes and anti-heroes of Rick and Morty as they team up against a threat of global magnitude. Between the destruction of the Citadel of Ricks at the end of season five and the beginning of season six, a new threat lands on Earth in the form of a mysterious alien worm that aims to take over the planet.
Featuring 14 total builds – with nine part of a global treasure hunt – #WORMAGEDDON debuted custom builds with different battle scenes to fans in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, and several cities in the United States.
#WORMAGEDDON South Africa treasure hunt winner
The international adventure serves as a fitting lead-in for the season six global premiere of Adult Swim’s Rick and Mortybeginning on Sunday, September 4 at 11 p.m. ET/PT as latest season of the two-time Emmy Award-winning adult animated series will premiere in 112 countries in 38 languages.
“Under the bright lights of Vegas is the perfect spot for our final, jaw-dropping #WORMAGEDDON build,” said Tricia Melton, Chief Marketing Officer for Warner Bros. Discovery Kids, Young Adults and Classics group. “We’re going high-tech in the battle to defend Earth with Samsung. Just like Summer in this last custom scene, fans all over the world are snapping selfies with their favorite Rick and Morty characters, and we’ve been having a blast watching fans connect in celebration of the new season premiering this Sunday!”
Fans lined up for hours, some even traveling from other countries, to take part in the real-life immersive Rick and Morty #WORMAGEDDON adventure.
Along with builds in Mexico City, Atlanta, Sydney, and London, this build in Las Vegas was one of the five builds revealed to fans immediately. Meanwhile, a global treasure hunt for nine custom builds kicked off on August 22. Following along via RickandMorty.com, fans were invited to unlock clues to discover these builds, with the first fan to find each hidden location in person rewarded with a life-size golden “Rick” head. Illustrating the high engagement of Rick and Morty fans, most builds were found only after one clue was posted, with some winners even being rewarded within mere hours of the clue going live.
Adult Swim also debuted a series of custom #WORMAGEDDON animated shorts about the origins of this dangerous alien invasion including [A Citadel Secret], [A Journey to Earth] and [Threat Level: Wormageddon]. Tomorrow (Sat., Sept. 3), a final short that marks the conclusion of #WORMAGEDDON will debut on RickandMorty.com at 9 a.m. PST / 12 p.m. EST.
#WORMAGEDDON Spain
#WORMAGEDDON Manila
A sculpture of Rick and Morty character Noob-Noob was revealed at the Timezone SM Megamall in Manila, the Philippines on Wednesday in the form of a interactive claw machine. It’s the only build where fans have the chance to win a limited-edition collectible plushie of the mysterious alien worm! VIDEO
#WORMAGEDDON hit Europe again, this time in Girona, Spain as Mr. Always Wants To Be Hunted was found at Murallas De Tossa De Mar yesterday. VIDEO
#WORMAGEDDON London
Earlier this week, a scene was unveiled in London, createdin partnership with adidas and featuring the character Morty and Mr. Meeseeks battling a mysterious alien worm, while also enjoying a game of footie and wearing the new adidas X SPEEDPORTAL boots.
Standing outside the Emirates Stadium in London, this custom build will welcome Arsenal fans attending Wednesday’s match against Aston Villa. adidas also partnered with Rick and Morty last month for the launch of its new X SPEEDPORTAL boot with an original animation that featured football stars Mo Salah and Vivianne Miedema. More info here.Rick and Morty fans can visit the new scene from 8am-8pm BST until September 8.
“We had so much fun working with adidas to help launch their X SPEEDPORTAL boot, and they were totally game to help us bring #WORMAGEDDON to the UK,” said Melton. “Seeing Rick and Morty fans flocking to these immersive scenes popping up around the globe has been incredible and we hope fans in London will continue to get a kick out of it.”
#WORMAGEDDON Chicago
On Tuesday, a new scene was discovered in Chicago. Created in partnership with Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), Rick and Morty characters Rick Sanchez and the use an emerging green energy source to ward off #WORMAGGEDON in the form of imaginary mech suits “powered by” green hydrogen help defeat a mysterious alien invader. VIDEO
#WORMAGGEDON has also hit Cape Town (featuring Tiny Rick), Toronto‘s Lower Bay Station (Mr. Goldenfold), Praia do Léo in Brazil (Mr. Nimbus) and Sydney‘s Royal Botanic Garden (Birdperson).
Award-winning supernatural drama Summer Ghost will be coming to Blu-ray and all major digital platforms on November 1 from GKIDS with distribution by Shout! Factory. Inspired by one of his own drawings, the directorial debut of celebrated Japanese illustrator loundraw brings his lush visual sensibility to a spectral story about the pains of growing up, and the importance of living life to the fullest.
Bonus features on the fall release include the feature-length documentary To You Before Dawn, a feature animatic and an interview with loundraw.
Summer Ghost will be released in its original Japanese-language version as well as an all-new English-language dub, and is available for pre-order now by visiting ShoutFactory.com and GKIDS.com/store.
Summer Ghost
Celebrated for his detailed spatial designs, use of transparent, airy colors and attention to depth of field, loundraw began his career as an illustrator when he was a teenager, finding early success on online platforms. He also created key visuals for various notable writers, including illustration for the novel I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, which was later adapted to a theatrical film. Outside of his work in illustration, loundraw’s debut original animation Until Dreams Awaken was released on YouTube in collaboration with the wildly popular Japanese rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN, and swiftly hit over 2 million views, and he was concept designer for the recent anime adaptation of Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.
Conceived as a “short feature,” Summer Ghost showcases original character designs from loundraw and is produced by FLAT STUDIO, the all-new animation studio he established in 2019. The film’s screenplay was written by novelist Hirotaka “Otsuichi” Adachi, and the soundtrack is by internationally renowned pianist Akira Kosemura.
Released in Japanese theaters in 2021, the film has garnered wide festival play domestically and abroad, including screenings at Leeds International Film Festival (International Premiere), Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Fantasia International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Gold Audience Award for Short Film.
Summer Ghost
Synopsis: An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the “summer ghost,” a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up one day. When a ghost named Ayane appears, she reveals she is only visible to those “who are about to touch their death.” Compelled by the ghost and her message, Tomoya begins regularly visiting the airfield to uncover the true purpose of her visits.
The English dub voice cast features David Errigo Jr. as Tomoya, Megan Taylor Harvey as Ayane, Clifford Chapin as Ryo, Kyla Carter as Aoi and Anne Yatco as Tomoya’s Mom and Ayane’s mom.
Following the success of the Alphablocks and Numberblocks characters, preschoolers will soon get to meet a new cast of friendly shapes in Colourblocks. Commissioned by BBC CBeebies, the series all about color is once again created by the multi-award-winning team of Alphablocks Ltd. and Blue Zoo animation studios.
“Alphablocks and Numberblocks are much loved BBC CBeebies brands. We’re looking forward to introducing cool Blue and happy Yellow and the rest of the Colourblocks to our U.K. audience,” said Kate Morton, Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning & Acquistions 0-6.
Color is a touchstone learning topic for preschoolers and an instantly accessible and exciting way to explore and understand the world around them. Colourblocks aims to support preschoolers in learning about color, from rainbows and color-mixing to dark and light to Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, a.k.a. the Printing Crew.
Developed in consultation with Professor Stephen Westland and offering the same blend of entertainment and learning that has won the rest of the “Blocks Universe” millions of fans, Colourblocks is on a global mission to carve out new ways of teaching children about color through charming characters, songs, humor and adventure. Children will learn color recognition, color names, meaning and signifiers, mixing, mark making, contrasting colors, light and dark and all kinds of patterns, for a start.
Each Colourblock character personifies a color, bringing it to life for a child as they explore their black and white world, adding color to it as they go. When excitable Red finds an uncolored ladybird, she can’t wait to color it red and watch it flutter into life. Cool Blue adds his touch to the sea and the sky, then happy Yellow turns the ground into a sandy beach and colors a shining sun.
Colourblocks
Colourblocks will build on the success of Alphablocks and Numberblocks on BBC CBeebies and BBC iPlayer where, since launch, there have been over half a billion requests. On YouTube, the shows have notched up over 5.5 billion views, and Colourblocks is set to join the other Learning Blocks shows (learningblocks.tv) as a learning resource for both parents at home and teachers in the classroom.
Season 1 launches on BBC CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on September 12 with 30 x 5′ episodes. The free companion app Meet the Colourblocks will also be available to download the same day.
Colourblocks is the brainchild of artist and creative David Bowman, who said, “As an artist, color has always been a passion of mine. Creating a colorful show that is also educational is a dream come true for me. I can’t tell you how truly proud I am of our show and my team that worked so hard with me to make it a reality.”
Co-creator Joe Elliot added, “As soon as David approached us, we knew this would be a perfect Blocks show and a really clever way to engage kids in all kinds of key skills through the lens of color. It’s been a true labour of love, a proper team effort, and one of those perfect collaborations where everything has come together beautifully.With the third show in our ever-expanding learning universe, we fully expect to grow our audience of super-engaged learners and give them a confident on-ramp into the world of art, design and creative self-expression.”
Aspiring animators have fresh opportunities, as Netflix announces the third iteration of the Netflix Animation Foundations Program. Launched last year, as a four-month metnorship program in partenrship with Latinx in Animation and Exceptional Minds, this successful first program was followed earlier this year with a second round, this time teaming up with Veterans in Media and Entertainment (VME) and IllumiNative to identify candidates from the Veteran and Native American / Alaskan Native communities.
“This program was so helpful as an aspiring storyboard artist trying to break in,” says Session 1 mentee Enacio Diaz. “My mentor showed us his creative process and was open to any questions from us. Just having first hand experience of someone creating a storyboard from a script was amazing to watch. All my niche questions were answered. I’ve learned so much.”
For this session, Netflix is partnering with Black N’ Animated: a community-oriented organization based in Los Angeles committed to the growth and empowerment of Black students and professionals in the animation industry. They are the home of the Black N’ Animated Podcast, hosted by Bre Williams and Waymond Singleton. They also work with local studios and organizations to provide networking opportunities and career development. Their goal is a healthy, diverse and inclusive industry and community.
The Program provides mentorships focused on art and visual development, storyboarding, CG/VFX, writing and production management. Its goal is to build equity and increase access for underrepresented early creatives. The third session will be selecting approximately 50 mentees.
Select members of Black N’ Animated will be invited to apply directly. Those interested can reach out and get involved with Black ‘N Animated directly to be considered. Visit Black N Animated’s website for more information.
Netflix Animation Foundation Program: Positive Results!
The first session with Latinx in Animation and Exceptional Minds had 74 mentees and 19 Netflix Animation mentors. The second session of the program ran with 22 NAS mentors and 52 mentees sourced from Illuminative and VME.
“I’ve established a great relationship with my mentor and feel that the Netflix staff was genuinely working to guide me to the next step in my professional career path. I challenged myself to develop an animated pilot during the program and I feel more confident in my writing!” Session 2 mentee Michale Johnson shares.
Program participants were matched to a mentor from Netflix Animation Studio. Mentees received mentorship on the industry, career advice and guidance with editing and curating professionally-styled portfolios, writing samples or resumes, so they are prepared to apply for internships, training/apprentice programs or entry level positions within animation.
“I loved the meetings had both with my mentor and mentees. I really appreciated how small the group was so that we had time to go over each other’s work. Our mentor was great with critics and offered a lot of incredible knowledge,” says Lauren Gregorio, a mentee in Session 1. “Although I would have liked to do more portfolio work, I understand that this program is meant to cover the foundations. Overall I think this was a great experience, and I would be excited if this program continued onwards!”
Session 2 mentee Emily Stewart adds, “I loved being able to hear professional’s side of how the industry works and their upcoming stories. It really opened my eyes, and on top of that learning about the animation pipeline was extremely helpful as well.”
Netflix has also updated the industry with specific success stories, noting that up-and-coming animation pros from both sessions have found placements at a number of high profile studios and media outfits, including (in alphabetical order by company):
CBS Sports: Adam Schuering (Media Services Coordinator), Michael Cicerelli (Media Coordinator)
Full-service visual effects & animation company Cinesite has acquired a majority stake in FX3X, a long-time visual effects studio with offices in Skopje and Belgrade in the Balkans. The acquisition will add an experienced roster of talent in creative VFX supervision and production management and significantly increase the Cinesite’s global capacity.
FX3X will continue to serve clients across feature films, streaming content and episodic filmed television shows, while being expoed to more opportunities as a Cinesite partner company.
Antony Hunt
“Working together will allow us to serve our clients even better and on a greater scale in both episodic television and feature films,” said Cinesite Group CEO Antony Hunt. “Having partnered with FX3X over the past couple of years, we have experienced the excellent work ethic and quality of finished shots and we are delighted to add these facilities as an integral part of our client offering to continue to meet the growing demand for high quality visual effects that needs to be serviced.”
Founded in 1997 by Milivoje Gjorgjevikj and Kristijan Danilovski, FX3X has grown to become one of the largest VFX houses in Eastern Europe, in addition to providing VFX services, the company also has a fully equipped motion-capture stage in Skopje.
“Kristijan and I are so proud of where our team’s incredible talent has brought FX3X. We have been creative allies with Cinesite previously, so joining forces with them will allow us to unlock the full potent of our business and the amazing home-grown talent we have access to in our region,” said Gjorgjevikj. “Our partnership with Cinesite will have a significant, positive impact on the VFX industry in Macedonia and the Balkans region in general.”
Kristijan Danilovski and Milivoje Gjorgjevikj
Cinesite, which recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary, provides visual effects and animation services for film, episodic TV and streamers. Recent credits include Spider-Man: No Way Home, Thor Love & Thunder, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank and Matilda. Projects currently in production are Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,Peter Pan & Wendy, The Witcher S3, Hitpig, Foundation S2, Animal Farm and Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom to name a few.
FX3X has been providing visual effects for episodic television and feature films since 1997. Some of the studio’s recent credits include The Man Who Fell to Earth, Moon Knight, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. They are currently in production on Indiana Jones 5, Crater, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S02, Star Trek: Picard S03, Peter Pan & Wendy, Vikings: Valhalla and Strays.
With support from Cinesite, FX3X will soon begin administering VFX Nest, an entry-level paid training program to introduce Macedonian students to the techniques used in the industry. The program will provide young local artists and technicians with the opportunity to find their future career path in our industry. Sixty students will undertake the training which runs from September until January 2023.
The investment in FX3X comes at a time of unprecedented demand for VFX services and follows on from Cinesite’s previous acquisitions of high performing VFX studios Image Engine in 2015 and Trixter in 2018 as well as recent Canadian animation studios L’Atelier Animation and Squeeze Animation.
Longtime Nickelodeon executive Nina Hahn is leaving the kids’ entertainment powerhouse after almost two decades, announcing her exit from parent company Paramount Global this week. Hahn will be pursuing advisory and consulting roles and expanding her executive coaching clientele under Nina Hahn Consulting.
“The end of an era? Well actually it feels more like the journey of a lifetime,” Hahn wrote on LinkedIn. “Today marks my last day at Nickelodeon and what a magnificent run it has been. Walked into the orange towers 18 years ago with the simple mantra of wanting to work with good people on good projects and am now walking out of those same towers having worked with great people on great projects. It’s been a privilege to work hard, have fun, and make some history alongside of so many people building such an iconic brand.”
For nearly two years prior to her departure, Hahn served as Head of VIS Kids (ViacomCBS International), having previously held the post of SVP Production & Development for Paramount Global, a newly created role charged with overseeing a global original content strategy across 170 countries. Since bringing Hahn on in 2005, Nickelodeon has delivered over 2,000 hours of original kids’ animation and live-action content to screens around the world. Hahn prevoiusly held positions at Sunbow, HBO and The Jim Henson Company.
Eric Schrier [ph: Michael Becker/FX]
Eric Schrier has received an expanded role at Disney General Entertainment, moving from his post as President of FX Entertainment to become President, Disney Television Studios & Business Operations. Leveraging his experience built over two decades working with Chairman of FX and FX Productions John Landgraf, Schrier will take a cohesive approach to operations across DGE while shepherding the teams at Disney Television Studios, including 20th Television, 20th Television Animation and ABC Signature.
Since 2002, Schrier has been creatively involved with more than 100 FX original programs, totaling almost 2,000 hours of content, which earned 452 Emmy Award nominations and won 82. This includes hit seires like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Atlanta, The Bear and animated favorite Archer. Reporting to Schrier are studio heads Karey Burke, Ppresident of 20th Television; Marci Proietto, EVP, 20th Television Animation; Jonnie Davis, President of ABC Signature; and in business operations, Trisha Husson, EVP of Strategy & Finance.
DGE also announced expanded leadership roles for Craig Erwich, now President of ABC Entertainment, Hulu & Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals; and Shannon Ryan, upped to President of Marketing for DGE. Bryan Noon is stepping down from his role as President of Entertainment for Walt Disney Television after less than a year, but will remain on to help with the transition.
Marc Matthews
Dallas-based feature film, series, game cinematic and multiplatform content studio Brazen Animation (brazenanimation.com) announced three senior hires have been brought onboard to help lead the production of the studio’s expanding slate of projects:
As the new VP of Production and Operations, Marc Matthews has worked in feature animation and production for the last 15 years. He spent time with Reel FX Animation working on animated feature films such as Freebirds and Book of Life, then onto Animal Logic in Vancouver where he led production for The LEGO Movie 2 and DC League of Super-Pets for Warner Bros. His production career started in production finance, expanded into content development and producing, and finally into the Head of Production role, overseeing a studio with over 300 staff and artists producing multiple feature films and other ancillary content.
Chris Osbrink
Chris Osbrink joined as a Creative Director. Previously, Osbrink has written, directed or produced for Netflix, Universal, Warner Bros, Riot, Comedy Central, ShadowMachine, Lionsgate and MTV. He has sold multiple features, served as the showrunner for premier animation companies and collaborated with some of the best artistic talent in the business. His latest pilot was produced by SyFy in 2021. He recently worked as a writer/director for Blur Studios, where he created AAA game trailers for Elder Scrolls, Division, PUBG, Fable and League of Legends.
Greg Rizzi
And Greg Rizzi also jumped onboard as an Associate Creative Director this year. He most recently came from Blur where, as Animation Supervisor, he led animation on large cinematic projects including League of Legends: Wild Rift and Valorant. Rizzi’s career began in 2003 when he was hired as a previs artist for Star Wars: Episode III. Along with his fellow Lucasfilm co-workers, he became one of the founding members of The Third Floor previs studio. His prior experience includes stints at Electronic Arts, Reel FX, Lucasfilm Animation, Blue Sky Studios and Disney Feature Animation.
Sue Jung
Toronto-based children’s content producer Guru Studio announced the appointment of Sue Jung as Head of Talent Acquisition and Community Engagement. The studio is ramping up hiring across a range of new projects, including the new family miniseries Charlotte’s Web (Sesame Workshop), the new CG series for My Magic Pet Morphle (Moonbug Ent.) and new seasons of the global hit PAW Patrol. (See open posititions at gurustudio.com/careers.)
Reporting to VP of People of Culture Babita Jassal, Jung will lead the company’s overall recruitment process including new hires, internal moves and internships across all productions and corporate roles. She will work closely with the studio’s senior leadership team and all hiring managers to attract and nurture top, diverse talent and champion Guru’s internal community initiatives such as mentorship and training programs for artists.
Jung brings over 15 years of experience leading studio operations and talent management for companies such as Soho VFX, Snowball Studios and Toonbox Entertainment, helping to oversee projects such as Muppet Babies, the feature film franchise The Nut Job and most recently Warner Bros.’ Batwheels.
L-R: (top) Gabby Gourrier, Matt Horrocks, Jennie Zeiher, (bottom) Brian Singler, Arek Komorowski, Diana Ibanez
More moves:
The Fuse Group of VFX studios has named long-term RSP executive Jennie Zeiher to the role of President of Rising Sun Pictures (rsp.com.au), succeeding Managing Director and Co-Founder Tony Clark. Zeiher will report to The Fuse Group CEO, Sébastien Bergeron. Clark will continue as Managing Director, consulting to both Bergeron and Zeiher.
VFX house DNEG (dneg.com) welcomes Gabby Gourrier as Co-President, VFX and Diana Ibanez as Executive Vice President, Film and Episodic VFX. Both execs will be based out of the company’s Los Angeles studio, working alongside President Josh Jaggars and reporting to CEO & Chairman Namit Malhotra.
Screen Auckland (aucklandnz.com) has appointed former Screenwest Australia exec Matthew Horrocks as its new Manager. Screen Auckland is New Zealand’s largest regional film office, boasting an extensive creative community spanning production, post-production, gaming, animation and VFX.
Framestore (framestore.com) welcomes Arek Komorowski as its newest VFX Supervisor bringing two decades of experience to its Vancouver studio. His credits include Moonfall, Terminator: Dark Fate, Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Post-production studio TBD Post (tbdpost.com) as brought on colorist Brian Singler, building on the Austin shop’s appointments of Executive Producer Ron Rendon and editor Evan Linton earlier this year.
Jetpack Distribution has acquired the rights for two 2D animated shows from Paris-based animation studio Samka: Viking Skool and Once Upon a Time…Objects. The new pickups join Jetpack’s brand-new line-up for series ready to hit the market at MIP Junior and MIPCOM in Cannes this October.
The deal sees Jetpack acquire the worldwide rights (excluding France) for 26 x 22′ episodes of 2D comedy animation Viking Skool and 78 x 7′ episodes of 2D edutainment animated series Once Upon a Time…Objects, both targeting six- to 10-year-old viewers.
“At Jetpack we have been ramping up our acquisitions even further, discovering more stand-out shows that really speak to the current needs of the global market. And those we’ll be rolling out for MIPCOM,” said Dominic Gardiner, CEO of Jetpack. “Viking Skool and Once Upon a Time…Objects are two brilliant additions that demonstrate what we’re all about as a business. With incredible and impressive creative leadership from Samka, Cartoon Saloon and Procidis, we are proud to bring these to the market.”
Viking Skool
Viking Skool is a co-production between Samka and Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon. A comedy series packed with action and adventure, the show is set at a “Viking Skool” that trains the very best to be future Viking leaders.
Ylva, Erik and Arni are three friends brought together at the skool, although any of them becoming a Viking is a long shot! Bound together by their outlier status, their friendship grows as they meet various challenges. The three unlikely heroes show what a true Viking heart and soul looks like and that bravery, while not easy, is necessary. And that loyalty is important, but honesty more so, and that friendship is the glue that gets us through life!
Viking Skool is due to air on Disney Channels and Disney+ across EMEA and on FranceTV in France.
Maestro (Once Upon a Time…Objects)
Once Upon a Time…Objectsis a comedy edutainment co-production between Samka and Procidis, the creators of the original IP (Once Upon a Time…). It is currently in development. The series is due to air in France on FranceTV, Israel on HOT, in Switzerland on RTS and in globally on TV5MONDE.
The lead protagonist is Maestro, an animated hero who first appeared on French TV screens in 1978. After seven series that are still on air, now restored in HD, and with an expansive line of educational play products, he returns with a new series. Here children discover everyday objects, such as a football, a fork or a mirror, and Maestro tells them fascinating and often hilarious stories behind each one.
Once Upon a Time…Objects is full of anecdotes and historical characters and blends a wealth of precise scientific information with the humorous tone that determined the success of the original series.
More than 200 million Once Upon a Time… books have been sold as well as 120 million DVDs worldwide.
Grom Social Enterprises’ Curiosity Ink Media today announced that Emmy-nominated kids’ TV writer McPaul Smith (The Backyardigans, The New Mickey Mouse Club), has been tapped to develop Curiosity’s new animated preschool series, Baldwin, based on its intellectual property of the same name. The news was shared by Darren Marks, Chairman & CEO of Grom Social Enterprises.
The Baldwin franchise, which invites preschoolers on the adventures of a young switcher train who takes to the rails to reunite with his father, kicks off in earnest beginning October 1 with the publishing debut of Baldwin’s Big Adventure.
McPaul Smith
McPaul Smith brings a trove of experience in kids’ and preschool entertainment to his new role. He began his writing career on MTV’s game showRemote Control before serving as head writer on the iconic PBS show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? He then wrote for PBS’s Reading Rainbow and Disney Channel’s The New Mickey Mouse Club, prior to joining Nickelodeon, where he held a number of roles, including head writer and lyricist for the animated musical series, The Backyardigans.
As a composer, Smith has written songs for the Disney Channel shows Bear in the Big Blue House and Book of Pooh, and for Sprout House on Universal Kids.
Smith also served as an executive at BBC America, where he led a team of producers, writers and editors in creating the network’s on-air promos, trailers and hosted day-part packaging. More recently, McPaul created live-action games for the syndicated kids’ variety series Wonderama, wrote scripts for the PBS animated series Arthur andMolly of Denali, andwas head writer on the Netflix animated show Charlie’s Colorforms City. He has co-created several kids’ podcasts for Pinna and written and produced songs for the new preschool video series, Hippo Park.
“McPaul Smith is representative of the high-caliber talent that Grom and Curiosity are recruiting to bring our original IP to life,” said Marks. “His incredible biography in both kids and preschool entertainment will certainly be put to great use, as we introduce Baldwin to the programming marketplace and help underscore the premium quality of our programming. On behalf of all of us at Grom and Curiosity, we welcome him with open arms!”
Tara Duncan (52 x 13′), the animated fantasy-adventure series from new French/Spanish studio Princess SAM Pictures, is ready to begin its worldwide broadcast rollout soon, having secured fans in France and multiple international partners.
Aimed at kids 6-9 and based on the popular young adult book series by Princess SAM Pictures CEO Sophie Andouin-Mamikonian, Tara Duncan follows an ordinary Earth girl who travels to a magical planet called OtherWorld to learn how to manage her uncontrollable powers and protect her family. Together with her new friends, Tara solves mysteries and faces evil forces on her quest.
The production will be fully completed in October 2022; however, the first episodes of this magical adventure-comedy have already been broadcasted in select territories, including France. Disney Channel France has supported the proect from the beginning, and launched the series this spring to a warm reception as Tara Duncant reached a No. 1 ranking (kids 4-10 / April). Disney Channel Japan and Benelux will follow the French debut with upcoming broadcasts in their respective territories.
The first ratings of Gulli France were also very promising, Princess SAM notes, and indicate a very good public response, leading the channel to add the title to its weekly schedule.
Tara Duncan has sold in more than 80 countries, with top broadcasters on board such as RTS (Switzerland), DeAKids(Italy), Télé-Québec (Canada), RTÉ (Ireland), NRK (Norway), Nelonen (Finland), RTBF (Belgium), TVNZ (New Zealand), SIC K (Portugal), Gulli Africa, and more to be announced.
“As the series is an entertainment program based on a literary work with strong values, we can approach a wide profile of broadcasters. At this stage, we have a good balance between the number of commercial and public channels,” said Frederic Gentet, Senior Content Sales Manager.
Lead by the books’ creator and IP holder Audouin-Mamikonian, Princess SAM Pictures owns the rights to the Tara Duncan license. You can hear more about the series project from the author in the video interview available here.
