PorchLight Home Ent. (PHE) has acquired U.S. distribution rights for DVD from Cake Distribution to the children's program LOOPDIDOO, it was announced today.
Based upon the popular comic books GRABOUILLON by Alexis Nesme, the animated series for kids 3-5 is scheduled to begin airing on U.S. television in spring 2008 on Animania, the children's channel of VOOM HD Networks.
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) and Future Kid & Real Estate Company have announced an agreement to create a fully branded Cartoon Network indoor theme park in Kuwait City that will open in 2008. The deal represents the first CNE venture into branded theme parks within the EMEA region.
The 3500-square-meter park will include CN-branded games and rides, character costume events, merchandise areas and fun promotions with onsite food and beverage outlets.
The Walt Disney Co. Board of Directors announced today that it had signed President and CEO Robert A. Iger to a new five-year contract. Igers previous contract would have expired on Sept. 30, 2010. The new contract will end on Jan. 31, 2013.
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Ent. today announced that a prime advertising spot for Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated IRON MAN feature will air during Super Bowl XLII on Sunday Feb. 3, 2008. Marvel.com will tease the spot on Feb. 1 and, following its TV debut at approximately 4:30 pm PST, the ad will be available on Apple.com, Marvel.com, and the official IRON MAN website at IronManMovie.com. Additional sites, including Yahoo Sports! and ESPN.com, will carry the ad the following day.
Treviso, Italy-based production company Gruppo Alcuni has made a deal with The Box Distribution for the French-speaking distribution of its new animated series LEONARDO (26x13).
The 49th annual Clio Awards, honoring creative excellence in advertising and design, today announced the industry leaders who will serve as executive chairs to head up juries for the Interactive, Design, and Radio categories.
Mark Cranwell has been named Director of Content Acquisition for Babelgum, the next-generation global Internet TV network, it was announced today. In the newly created position, Cranwell will be responsible for leading Babelgum's outreach efforts to producers, filmmakers and content creators in support of the new platform's content strategy. He will report directly to Simon Kenny, Babelgum's Head of Content Strategy and Advertising, in the company's London operation.
Leading children's television producer Coolabi Productions Ltd. today announced the commission of new animated series POPPY CAT, based on the popular books by Lara Jones, for Nickelodeon U.K.'s preschool channel Nick Jr.
The 52x11 animated series is Coolabi's first original commission for Nickelodeon, although two series of Coolabi's hit animation KING ARTHUR'S DISASTERS were picked up last year by Nick Jr., where they found a strong fan-base. Due to air in late 2009, the animated series will use a multi-plane technique to mirror the pop-up feel of the books.
Leading toy manufacturer LEGO Group today announced an agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) to secure construction toy rights for the upcoming movie release SPEED RACER, the live-action feature film adaptation of the classic TV series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida.
Former Nickelodeon exec Eric Coleman has been named SVP, Development, for Walt Disney Television Animation, it was announced by Gary Marsh, President, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide, to whom Coleman will report. Coleman joins Disney after 15 years at Nickelodeon, where he most recently was VP and Exec Producer, Animation Development and Production, and was the Exec in Charge of Production on the iconic series SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, among others.
The Jim Henson Co. has partnered with New Video, a leading digital aggregator of independent video content, to bring favorites from the company's TV programming and feature film library to the iTunes Store beginning Jan. 28, 2008. The launch will begin with episodes from the first seasons of the award-winning sci-fi series FARSCAPE and the endearing favorite FRAGGLE ROCK. TV shows are $1.99 (U.S.) per episode, and music videos and short films are $1.99 (U.S.) each. Both the FRAGGLE ROCK and the FARSCAPE series will be available in their entirety in the coming months.
VIZ Media, LLC has announced that the 52-episode second season of the hit supernatural action animated series BLEACH is expected to begin airing on Saturday, March 1 on Adult Swim.
Based on the best-selling manga graphic novel of the same name by Tite Kubo, BLEACH follows Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary 15-year-old boy who also happens to be able to see ghosts. His fate takes an extraordinary turn when he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who shows up at Ichigo's house on the trail of a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul.
Leading independent children's production company HIT Ent. has announced a strategic partnership with Turner Int'l India Pvt. Ltd. extending their existing TV deal to include licensing representation of HIT's popular preschool properties BOB THE BUILDER and THOMAS & FRIENDS. The shows, launched and promoted by Turner's flagship kids' channel Cartoon Network across India, are among the top-rated properties across Indian kids' television networks. The licensing rights include apparel and accessories, stationery, toys and games.
Animalia Prods., PorchLight Ent. and publisher Penguin have entered into an international licensing agreement for the innovative new TV series ANIMALIA. The series is broadcast on PBS KIDS GO! in the U.S., BBC1 in the U.K., CBC in Canada and Network Ten in Australia.
Nickelodeon and Royal Caribbean Int'l, a cruise line owned and operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., have announced a new agreement to create the "Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean." The first-ever Nickelodeon cruise will set sail on August 10, 2008, departing out of Miami, Fla., on an exclusive, seven-day Nickelodeon family summer vacation.
BRB Internacional will present the first season of the animated series ANGUS & CHERYL at NATPE in Las Vegas this week. Currently being shown in several countries around the world -- including on Nickelodeon in Latin America and France, and 5th Channel in Russia -- the innovative 104x2 series in hi-def 3D and pop-up style will premier on RTL2 in Germany beginning in February and on UCV TV, Chile's oldest channel, soon.
Former Nickelodeon Exec Creative Director of Preschool Television Brown Johnson has been promoted to the newly created position of President, Animation, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group.
Chicago Superstation WGN's 50-year-old tradition of airing classic cartoons every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve took on new life this year when Screen Time Images restored the shorts to their former glory. Using the da Vinci Revival image restoration system and other da Vinci color enhancement tools, the Schaumberg, Illinois-based company was able to complete the task in just two weeks.
Burbank, California-based Alpine Pictures has announced that Bonne Radford, Randi Barnes, Daniel St Pierre, and Matthew Jon Beck have all signed onto their production DOROTHY OF OZ, an animated musical based on the writings of Roger S. Baum (great-grandson of original OZ series author L. Frank Baum). The film is being produced in association with Box Office Productions III, LLC.
Spanish-language network Univision's premiere of its first-ever prime-time animated series, EL CHAVO: LA SERIE ANIMADA -- with Flash animation produced by Mexico City-based Anima Estudios -- captured the #1 spot among entertainment programming, excluding sports, among Adults 18-34 for its time period and saw double- and triple-digit audience gains in every other key demo, according to the Nielsen Fast Affiliate ratings.
* Univision captured the #3 spot among Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11 for the Sunday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm hour, beating out CBS, NBC and CW.
