Award-winning UK studio Collingwood & Co. (Animal Stories; Ruff-Ruff, Tweet and Dave) has just wrapped production on a pilot for its new animated series, Thorgar, a 52 x 11 min. Comedy-action-adventure concept for kids ages 6-11. The pilot will have its first public screening at Cartoon Forum in Toulouse next month, where the Collingwood team will be seeking co-production and presale partners.
Written and created by company principal Tony Collingwood, the series centers on Thorgar, a young orphan boy from modern-day Earth who is transported “sideways and slightly to the left” in time to Castavia, the land of his birth. Can this computer game-loving, modern-day kid survive in a real sword and sorcery world, or is he punching above his weight?
Disney Junior’s Puppy Dog Pals has been picked up for a second season, following a warm reception from its debut this spring. Created by prolific comedian and actor Harland Williams and produced by Wild Canary Animation in association with Disney Junior, the cuddly comedy-adventure rates as a Top 5 TV series for preschoolers for 2017 to date.
Since its April debut, the show has amassed 75 million Total Views — 39 million Total Viewers on linear TV plus 36 million engagements via the Disney Junior App, the Disney Channel App and Disney Junior VOD. Puppy Dog Pals content has generated more than 21 million video views, 33 million impressions and 120,000 engagements across key social media platforms including YouTube and Facebook.
Puppy Dog Pals follows fun-loving pug brothers Bingo (voiced by Issac Ryan Brown) and Rolly (Sam Lavagnino) on their exhilarating adventures in their neighborhood and across the globe. Whether helping their owner Bob (Williams) or aiding a friend in needs, the pugs’ motto is that life is more exciting with your best friend by your side. The two-part 22-minute episodes highlight Bingo and Rolly’s similarities and differences, while demonstrating positive lessons about friendship, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity and adventure.
The show also stars Tom Kenny as A.R.F. and Jessica DiCicco as Hissy; with recurring voice cast Huey Lewis (Bulworth), Patrick Warburton (Captain Dog), Jack McBrayer (Hedgie the Hedgehog), Yvette Nicole Brown (Daisy), Leslie David Baker (Frank Exposition), Cheri Oteri (Esther Exposition), Jill Talley (Cupcake), Mo Collins (Strider) and Tress MacNeille (Bob’s Mom).
Williams serves as creator and consulting producer, with Sean Coyle as executive producer, Michael Olson as story editor and Andy Bean as series songwriter and composer.
Jetpack Distribution has acquired international rights to season one of the shiny new animated sitcom Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed — featuring the stars of the world’s longest-running comic, The Beano — from Beano Studios. The CG-animated 52 x 11-minute series invites young viewers to experience and explore the world through the carefree, exciting adventures of Dennis and his friends. Jellyfish Pictures in the UK is producing.
“We are thrilled to be showcasing a new CGI look and feel of this loveable and infamous mischief maker at MIP,” said Jetpack Distribution’s CEO, Dominic Gardner. “Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed promises to be a real hit and contains so many elements that kids love – fun, humour, excitement and friendship. We are really looking forward to presenting the show to global buyers.”
Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed centers on the irrepressible Dennis: The more extreme the adventure, the louder the rock track, the more epic the skateboard trick, the more Dennis wants to take the lead. Gnasher, a stray dog he adopted and now his faithful sidekick, is an extremely rare Abyssinian wire-haired tripe-hound with the strongest jaws and a razor-sharp wit to match. The inseparable duo are joined in their adventures by friends Rubi, JJ, Pieface and his pet potato, Paul.
The show boasts an all-star voice cast, lead by Freddie Fox (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Pride) as Dennis; Ryan Sampson (Plebs) as Pieface; Rasmus Hardiker (Thunderbirds Are Go) as Walter; Kathryn Drysdale (St. Trinians) as JJ, and Kelly Marie Stewart (Hollyoaks) as Rubi.
“We are bringing a truly filmic feel to Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed. It is a high-quality CGI series rooted in real world film techniques. Using sophisticated directional lighting and real-world cameras and lenses we have created a rich and atmospheric world,” added Allison Watkins, EVP Consumer Products & TV Distribution, Beano Studios.
Dennis & Gnasher UnleashedDennis & Gnasher Unleashed
For the first time in its 25-year history, the MIPJunior content market has selected a Russian animated project as one of its World Premiere TV Screenings. Organizers Reed MIDEM have announced that this honor goes to game-world action-adventure Heroes of Envell, from Digital Television Russia and distributed by Signal Media.
Created by Anton Lanshakov and Evgeny Golovin, Heroes of Envell (26 x 11 min., Ages 8-14) begins when four promising junior high school pupils named Art, Phil, Vik and Kira find a laptop loaded with a mysterious videogame. The computer turns out to be a portal into a game world offering real adventures — and real dangers. This game world has been usurped by a four-handed evil genius, Morgarth, who schemes to escape to the real world to take over Earth and all its people.
“We are grateful to the MIPJunior organisers for this opportunity to premiere the first episode of Heroes of Envell in Cannes. Modern school kids like adventures and play video games on computers and devices, so we based the plot on these hobbies while showing children different life situations and offering them behaviour models founded on basic human values like mutual aid, kindness, friendship and respect,” said Tatyana Tsyvareva, series producer for Digital Television Russia.
Heroes of Envell is produced for DTR by Moscow’s Parovoz Animation Studio (http://parovoz.tv/en/), which is the shop behind hit series Be-Be-Bears, Fantasy Patrol, Leo and Tig and Paper Tales as well as games and VR properties. Envell has been translated into 10 languages and is ready to launch on linear, OTT and online channels worldwide. A 3D version is coming to the Moolt VR smartphone app this fall.
The premiere screening will inaugurate the event’s “New Creative Territories to Watch” showcase, spotlighting the talent from countries growing their footprint on the kids’ content map. The premiere is set for October 15.
Reed MIDEM previously announced TV movie Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! (Mattel Creations) as its first World Premiere TV Screening for 2017.
New Poster Proves Rebuild of ‘Evangelion’ Fourth Film Is Still in the Works
Newly revealed artwork shows that Hideaki Anno hasn’t given up on completing his revamp of the classic anime franchise, and Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 is on its way. The creator/director took a break after the exhausting third installment (and then got distracted by a little project called Shin Godzilla). The Rebuild began with the release of You Are (Not) Alone in 2007.
David OReilly Interview: Animation, Game Design and Everything in Between
“Animation is just incredible. You create worlds, you can translate your dreams. When you learn animation you are breaking down the forms and behaviors of the entire natural world, and it really teaches you how to see. I could talk about how amazing animation is, even just from a theoretical perspective, all day long,” the Irish artist and award-winning film/game maker tells designboom.
RealTimeUK Trailer ‘Jurassic World Evolution’ Bows at Gamescom
The big German videogame confab is underway, and the RTUK folks have released a trailer for Frontier Developments’ latest game project, which invites players to build their own Jurassic World, bioengineer new dinosaur breeds, and face spectacular challenges that arise when “life finds a way.”
DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix have announced that season 2 of hit animated series Spirit Riding Free will debut Friday, September 8, with a new trailer and photos revealing what kind of hard-galloping adventures await.
Inspired by the 2002 Oscar-nominated animated feature Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, DWA TV’s Spirit Riding Free follows the adventures of a tweenage girl named Lucky who befriends a wild mustang, dubbed Spirit, together with her friends and their own steeds. The voice cast features Amber Frank (The Haunted Hathaways), Sydney Park (The Walking Dead) and Bailey Gambertoglio (Bubble Guppies).
Season 2 synopsis:
As Lucky and Spirit settle into their new home in Miradero, along with Lucky’s best friends Pru and Abigail and their horses Chica Linda and Boomerang, the close-knit gang discover there are even more adventures to be had! Whether they’re solving the mystery of missing pies, learning circus tricks from a neighboring cowboy, braving a blizzard with an unlikely companion or tangling with Lucky’s mischievous cousin Julian (voiced by High School Musical and Switched at Birth‘s Lucas Grabeel), the PALs always find a way to put friendship, laughter and fun first.
New original series for preschool audiences from New York Times best-selling children’s author Todd Parr (ToddWorld). The untitled project is currently in development with UK animation shop Spider Eye (Jungle Junction) and SupperTime Entertainment, and will be presented for the first time at MIPCOM in October.
“Many in the publishing world now look at me not as just an author/illustrator but as a ‘feel-good brand,’ consistently bringing themes of understanding, compassion and kindness to kids and parents—in silly, disruptive ways they connect with,” said Parr. “In my first conversation with Spider Eye, we discussed how we might put my themes and style of disruption into an original series. I liked what I heard.”
The award-winning author/illustrator has had more than 40 books published and distributed around the world, including The I Love You Book, The Earth Book and It’s Okay to Be Different.
Parr previously collaborated with the studios on a ToddWorld-inspired short for Sesame Street in 2016, animated by Spider Eye and produced by SupperTime’s President, Gerry Renert, who said: “The experience was so smooth and seamless and Spider Eye got Todd’s work so well that it seemed to be natural to try our hand at another project.”
“We had such a great experience working with Todd and SupperTime on our first short film that we jumped at the opportunity to develop a series with them. We’re big fans of Todd’s books, and of his ability to get across potentially complicated concepts to kids with a simple and affirming ethos, and in a unique style,” Erica Darby, Partner and Producer at Spider Eye, added.
Having just premiered its first season, Guru Studio’s preschool-targeted Netflix Original animated series True and the Rainbow Kingdom has secured a master toy licensee in Toy State. The agreement will see Toy State create and launch a robust range of playthings including figures, role-play items, plush, play sets and dolls.
The deal was brokered by Guru’s licensing agent, Brand Central.
“Audiences will quickly fall in love with True and the Rainbow Kingdom, and we’re elated to be partnering with Guru Studio to create an innovative new toy line with the same magical quality that makes the series so special,” said Andy Friess, President of Toy State. “We’ve long been category leaders are retail, and we’re excited to be delivering toys inspired by the worlds of play and imagination found in True.”
True and the Rainbow Kingdom follows 8-year-old True and her best friend, Bartleby the cat, as they use the powers of the magical Wishing Tree to solve problems for the colorful citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom. A second season will debut next year. You can read more about the show in the October issue of Animation Magazine!
An edgy new adult-targeted 2D animated Netflix Original Series is coming to streaming next month, reimagining the hormonal horrors of puberty into actual monsters interacting with unwitting tweens. The not-for-kids comedy, titled Big Mouth, debuts Friday, September 29.
Produced by Netflix with animation by Titmouse, Big Mouth comes from the minds of TV comedy veterans (and real life best friends) Nick Kroll (Kroll Show, The League) and Andrew Goldberg (Family Guy), who are creators and executive producers along with screenwriter-directors Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett.
Comedian John Mulaney stars as the voice of Andrew, with Kroll filling multiple roles including Andrew’s best friend, Nick. The pedigreed voice cast also features Maya Rudolph, Jason Mantzoukas, Jordan Peele, Fred Armisen, Jenny Slate and Jessi Klein.
Get a not-safe-for-work taste with these two advance clips, and follow the show on Facebook, Twitter (@bigmouth) and Instagram (@bigmouthnetflix)
Tyrus, the first dedicated documentary on pioneering Chinese-American artist Tyrus Wong — who made an indelible impact on the history of animation with his work on Walt Disney’s Bambi — will get a nationwide TV premiere on Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS. Presented as part of THIRTEEN’s award-winning American Masters series, the Pamela Tom film’s broadcast event comes just after Bambi’s 75th anniversary. Wong passed away earlier this year at age 106.
“Tyrus Wong’s story is a prime example of one of the many gaping holes in our society’s narrative on art, cinema, and Western history,” said Tom. “By telling his story, I wanted to shine light on one of America’s unsung heroes, and raise awareness of the vital contributions he’s made to American culture.”
Tyrus will also be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/americanmasters and on PBS OTT apps.
The film follows Wong’s journey from his birth in modern-day Guangzhou, just before the Chinese Communist Revolution, through his dramatic immigration to the US with his father, and the struggles he overcame to become a celebrated painter, Hollywood artist and Disney Legend. Viewers will be exposed to previously unseen artwork and interviews with Wong, movie clips and archival footage. Tyrus also features new interviews with his daughters and fellow artists, including Disney animators Milton Quon, Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg and Paul Felix.
The PBS premiere will be followed with a new, exclusive interview with Oscar nominated filmmakers Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi (The Dam Keeper) in which they discuss Wong’s influence on their own work.
“When I met Tyrus, I knew very little about his astounding work, which I then saw displayed prominently at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco,” said Michael Kantor, American Masters series executive producer. “This beautifully realized film is a reminder that there are many ‘American Masters’ who are not immediately recognizable, but when you learn about their stories, you’ll never forget them.”
A fresh brood of fantastical, flying adventures is hatching this week as DreamWorks Animation’s Dragons: Race to the Edge season 5 arrives on Netflix on Friday, August 25. To celebrate the return of this CG thrill ride (which has won an Emmy and been nominated for six more), we’ve got a high-stakes, high-flying exclusive clip to share with you.
In “The Battle of Singetails,” things are heating up for the Riders as a squadron of mounted dragons give chase, with fireballs firing. Check it out below!
Season 5 synopsis:
After defeating Viggo and destroying the Dragon Eye, the calm doesn’t last long as Hiccup learns the Hunters remain a threat led by a new villain who can control Dragons! Now, Hiccup, Toothless and the Riders must battle the Hunters like never before with help from new and old allies. But after a series of shocking revelations, Hiccup learns that the true leader of the Dragon Hunters is somebody he never expected who threatens the course of the dragon-kind forever! The race is on for the Riders to defeat the Hunters once and for all before it’s too late.
The voice cast features Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, America Ferrera (Astrid), T.J. Miller (Tuffnut), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs), Zack Pearlman (Snotlout), Andree Vermeulen (Ruffnut), our fearless Riders.
Dragons: Race to the EdgeDragons: Race to the Edge
The Joker Origin Movie on Deck
WB and DC are developing another Batman spinoff following the success of Suicide Squad, according to Deadline. The project will be directed and co-written by The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips with Scott Silver (8 Mile), and Martin Scorsese producing.
VIDEO: ‘Rick and Morty’ x Vulture: A Trip to ‘SpongeBob Universe Show’ R&M creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland — along with producer Ryan Ridley and voicers Spencer Grammer (Summer) and Sarah Chalke (Beth) — sit down with the pop culture maniacs at Vulture to improvise an unnerving crossover episode.
First Licensing Expo China Debuts with Great Success
More than 35,000 international L&M professionals converged on Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center for the inaugural event, organized by UBM. LIMA partnered with the event to present the 1st China Licensing Awards, which named Alpha Group’s animated property Super Wings the best local property of the year and the best character/TV property of the year.
Jason Isbell’s Moving, Animated New “If We Were Vampires” Video EW got to debut the piece directed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard, which makes subdued used of animation to match the sweet tune. “Joshua and Neilson did a great job of riding the fine line between literal and figurative interpretations of this song. I love the story the video tells, the colors, and the pace of movement,” says Isbell.
Unique Art Everywhere in Guatapé, Colombia
Bellows Media’s Marc Whiteway and Eileen Aldis shared this charming video in which the vibrant, hand-painted street murals of Ignacio “Nacho” Suárez García come to life to tell their unique stories about life in a small Colombian town.
New York City-based entertainment rights company SUNRIGHTS has licensed the first season of its new animated series Beyblade Burst to New Zealand network TVNZ. Per the agreement brokered by SUNRIGHTS’ Australia/New Zealand agent The Fusion Agency, the battling-top themed adventure airs weekdays at 7:30 a.m., and has posted impressive ratings since its summer premiere.
“Beyblade Burst is an exciting new brand for our young viewers, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to introduce the property to New Zealand,” said TVNZ’s Director of Content, Cate Slater.
SUNRIGHTS MD Kaz Soeda added: “TVNZ’s vision for delivering content in an effort to fully serve the needs of its audience resonates with our goals for Beyblade Burst and we are very excited to enter into this mutually beneficial relationship with a network that is renowned the world over for its proactive programming.”
Created by d-rights inc. and produced by OLM, Beyblade Burst introduces spinning top competition enthusiast Valt Aoi, whose best friend Shu Kurenai is hailed as a Beyblade prodigy and has already been named one of the National Beyblade Tournament’s Supreme Four. Inspired by his friend, Valt sets his sights on getting into the year’s tournament — but first he must battle his way to the top through the District Tournament and many tough opponents, making new friends and reaching new Blader heights along the way.
The series is bolstered by a Hasbro product line, featuring a dynamic “burst” component for more exciting battling play. Fans can also take their physical play to the digital world by scanning their Beyblade Burst tops into the branded iOS/Android app, where they can customize their collection and battle friends over Wi-Fi.
Media services company Larkshead Media has been appointed to manage UK licensing for hit animated CBeebies series Numberblocks by brand owner and creator Alphablocks Ltd. Larkshead will work with carefully selected licensees to bring appropriate merchandise to retail which reflects the brand’s ideals, with an initial category focus on toys, puzzles/games, cards, publishing and apparel, as well as partnerships and promotions with educational groups.
Larkshead will officially launch the Numberblocks licensing campaign at Brand Licensing Europe in London this October, at Blue Zoo Animation’s stand #F14.
“In my many years working with children’s properties I’ve found very few that bring together learning and fun as delightfully as Numberblocks,” said Clare Piggott, Director of Licensing and Merchandising for Larkshead. “Its potential, in entertainment, education and licensed output, is significant. I’m looking forward to developing Numberblocks into a long-term franchise that helps support children and parents learning together across many product categories.”
Numberblocks (30 x 5 min.), conceived by Joe Elliot and Blue Zoo with BBC’s Catherina McAllister and Michael Towner as EPs, follows a group of funny, friendly characters made out of counting blocks which represent numbers one to ten. Each character can magically transform into others by adding or removing blocks. It is regularly among the top-ten most requested shows on CBeebies iPlayer.
Creator Elliot said: “We are delighted to be working with Larkshead Media, a respected organisation with an excellent reputation in realising the potential of a wide variety of children’s properties. It certainly understands the potential of Numberblocks, a show that enjoys a strong following and has enormous long-term licensing potential across a wide range of categories.”
The series, already enjoying strong public recognition since its debut early this year, will get a boost this fall when The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) brings Numberblocks resources into UK classrooms to aid primary school math students and teachers.
Technicolor has inked a cross-promotional agreement with Merlin Entertainments Group — a worldwide leader in branded, location-based family entertainment — to bring interactive experiences inspired by animated underwater adventure The Deep at over 20 Sea Life aquariums throughout the UK and Germany, timed to the show’s Season 2 debut and new mobile game from DHX Interactive.
The events kicked off this weekend in the UK, and will continue through November at multiple locations, with the German market events launching in October. At participating Sea Life sites, kids will be invited to solve the secrets of The Deep by exploring the aquarium zones for clues to become a Junior Nekton.
“When fans connect with a property as they have with The Deep, they want to be involved in it across many areas,” said Pam Kunick Cohen, Head of Brand Management, Licensing and Merchandising, Technicolor. “We can’t think of a better way to kick off the show’s new season and get fans engaged with the brand in an authentic way than with our promotion at Merlin Entertainments’ Sea Life aquariums.”
Coinciding with the events and Season 2 launch, DHX Interactive has released the show’s first mobile game extension. The Deep: Sea of Shadows launched in the App Store and Google Play last week in multiple territories, in both English and German. The action-adventure game asks players to help the Nektons unravel the mystery of a strange dark ink corrupting the sea.
“The underwater adventures of The Deep continue to thrill kids and families, and we’re delighted to be a part of the show’s global success,” said Ken Faier, SVP and EP, Content at DHX Media. “We’re confident that these new Sea Life entertainment experiences, coupled with the release of the first mobile game, will keep audiences wanting more of The Deep‘s Nekton family.”
Technicolor is the underlying rights holder to The Deep, a co-production between Australia-based A Stark Production (scripts, design, music) and Canada-based DHX Media (animation, voices, post- production), and has oversight for the brand overall. The series is based on the award-winning graphic novel series by writer Tom Taylor and illustrator James Brouwer, who serve as series co-creators.
With the mission of providing “Amazing Discoveries,” Sea Life is the world’s biggest aquarium brand, with locations across the UK, continental Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
GKIDS and Fathom Events have announced that due to popular demand for showing of My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service, the remaining four must-see Hayao Miyazaki classics in its Studio Ghibli Fest 2017 series will have additional third screenings. The Ghibli Fest is bringing anime gems to theaters across the US through the end of November.
The extra showings — which will all be English dubbed presentations — begin with Castle in the Sky this month, which can now be caught August 27, 28 & 30. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind will screen September 24, 25 & 27; Spirited Away on October 29, 30 and November 1; and Howl’s Moving Castle will close the series with showings on November 26, 27 & 29.
Sunday matinees at 12:55 p.m. local time will be dubbed. Monday evening showings at 7 p.m. will be subtitled. And Wednesday evening showings at 7 p.m. will be dubbed.
On August 25-27, the Santa Clara Convention Center in California’s Bay Area will be inundated with otaku for the first-ever Crunchyroll Expo, presented by the leading anime multi-media company which now boasts more than a million subscribers. The CRX organizers are hooking up Animation Magazine readers with a chance to win one of three pairs of free tickets to the event, which as previously detailed will feature all kinds of cool screenings, panels, and special events through the weekend!
So, if you are in the area or able to travel to Santa Clara for the big shebang, enter for our chance to win by sending the correct answer to the trivia question below with your name and address to webmaster@www.animationmagazine.net, with the subject line “CRX Giveaway.”
QUESTION: Since Crunchyroll’s name unites the two great Japanese arts — sushi and anime — which of the following cuisine-meets-cartoon fact is FALSE?
A. In Sailor Moon, Mamoru nicknames Usagi “dumpling head” B. The character of Durarara!! often meet at “Russia Sushi” C. The Pokemon Pikachu is inspired by tamagoyaki D. In the season 1 finale of Food Wars, Akira wins with the whiff of holy basil
China’s leading online video platform iQiyi announced in Beijing on Friday that it is moving forward on seven locally produced animated titles. The company aims to expand beyond serving as an outlet for film and TV to become a production base for the growing domestic animation industry, according to Global Times.
iQiyi named three of the projects which are all adaptations from other media. These are a feature film version of Whales of Four Seas by author Ma Boyong (The City of Silence) due in 2018; and projects inspired by the comic book Voice of Fox and online novel The Demonic King Chases His Wife from Japanese studios Tezuka Productions and Success Corporation.
The VOD platform has previously embarked on international animation collaborations, and last year launched War of Dragon Heart (co-produced with TV Tokyo, GREE, Medialink, and agent Children’s Playground Entertainment, animated by Genco). This adaptation of the hit Japanese mobile game Seisen Cerberus has since aired in China, Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries, and has been introduced to European markets, sometimes known as Cerberus.
VFX company Zoic Studios has promoted John Kilshaw to the post of Creative Director, to steer the vision of studio projects out of the East Coast office in New York including TV, feature film and commercial work. With nearly 15 years of visual effects experience under his belt, Kilshaw joined Zoic’s New York shop in 2016 as VFX Supervisor, where he has played a crucial role in growing the team to accommodate the influx of large-scale projects in the local market.
“John has been integral in the success of our New York office. He’s assembled a great team and strikes that careful balance of top notch creative and strong business acumen. We couldn’t have done it without him,” said Zoic’s Executive Creative Director/Co-Founder, Chris Jones.
Kilshaw has worked at some of the world’s top VFX studios in the course of his career, including ILM, Method and Double Negative, and has lent his talents to major films such as The Avengers, Battleship, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Rango, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, 10,000 BC, Cloverfield, The Dark Knight and The Chronicles of Riddick. Most recently, Kilshaw served as VFX supe for Netflix series Marvel’s The Defenders (available now) and Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!, in theaters September 15.
Kilshaw studied fine art painting at the Gamble Institute and majore in design and photography at Staffordshire Polytechnic; he previously worked in finance before transitioning to film and advertising through his world with brand consultancy firm Wolff Olins.
“It’s really a golden age for television right now, and it is exciting to discover more spectacular ways to tell stories and capture audience’s imagination,” said Kilshaw. “Zoic has 15 years of work in the space and is always looking ahead for new ways of working to meet the ambitions of visuals for television. Being a part of that innovation in New York, where we have some of the world’s best creative talent, has been very exciting.”
Zoic Studios is based in Culver City, CA, New York, NY and Vancouver, BC.
Kids’ VOD network Kabillion and Mediacom Communications finalized a deal to carry Kabillion and Kabillion Girls Rule! on the latter’s on-demand service, with an initial launch in select markets to be expanded in the future.
“Mediacom is the perfect partner for Kabillion,” said President David Di Lorenzo. “As the fifth largest cable provider in the US, we are delighted to be adding them to our distribution.”
“We have been watching the recent growth and increasing interest in Kabillion and Kabillion Girls Rule!,” said Mediacom Director of Product Management Karen Nanney. “Both networks are a great addition to the programming Mediacom offers, and we are especially pleased to now offer our subscribers such fan favorites as My Little Pony, Sonic X and original titles like Dream Defenders.”
