Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa is bringing his characters back to TV in a new live-action series for HBO Max called Franklin and Milena in Search of Science.

Cartoon Network is co-producing the show with Brazil-based prodcos Biônica Filmes and Mauricio de Sousa Produções, and it’s inspired by two science-loving characters from De Sousa’s long-running comic book series Monica’s Gang (first published in 1959), which has already been adapted into films, TV series and consumer products. The Monica’s Gang brand also has a history on Cartoon Network, which debuted its same-name 2D-animated series in the early 2000s.

Biônica Filmes’ Mauro D’Addio is directing the new series, with Daniel Rezende (Monica and Friends: Bonds) on board as an artistic supervisor. Nonprofit research firm Serrapilheira Institute provided technical and scientific insights for the show’s scripts. Actors Fabrício Gabriel (pictured left) and Bia Lisboa (pictured right) are playing the kid leads.

HBO Max has been banking on LatAm-made content for a while now; in 2021, it committed to developing more than 100 local productions in the region over the next two years, including Frankelda’s Book of Spooks from Mexico’s Cinema Fantasma. The streamer also picked up regional rights to multiple seasons of Sunrise Productions’ Jungle Beat.