Deals in Brief – October 15, 2024

PBS Distribution picks up North American rights to Piripenguins, while Bing and Flop hit the ski slopes.

By By Sadhana Bharanidharan

October 15, 2024

PBS Distribution has acquired the rights to sell Eaglet Films’ 2D/CG-animated toon Piripenguins (52 x 11 minutes, pictured) in North America. Commissioned by BBC and RAI in June, this series about a squad of penguins living together on an iceberg is a co-pro with Red Monk Studio (Italy) and Wild Child Animation (Scotland). It’s expected to deliver in Q1 2025.
Moose Toys has teamed up with Man of Action Entertainment (Ben 10) to turn Heroes of Goo Jit Zu into an animated series. The goo-filled toy brand launched in 2019 and was previously adapted as a 12-episode YouTube series that generated more than 335 million views. Earlier this year, Moose also partnered with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on a co-branded range of action figures for kids ages four and up.
Mongolia’s Brickmedia has picked up regional format rights to unscripted series Old Enough! from Nippon TV in Japan. A 20-episode version of the show will launch later this fall on its streaming platform SeeRooTV. Nippon’s original series—which follows real-life children as they run errands by themselves—has already been adapted for markets like Canada and Singapore.
Acamar Films is hitting the Italian slopes with Bing. The company is working with the Val di Sole Tourism Board to offer live experiences at three Skiarea Folgarida Marilleva ski resorts between March 22 and April 4 next year. Characters Bing and Flop will be on hand to dance with kids to music from the show as episode clips play on big screens situated in Bing-decorated parks. Maurizio Distefano Licensing, which manages the IP’s Italian licensing program, brokered the deal.
Atlanta’s Brown Toy Box has inked a deal with Lion Forge Entertainment to roll out a range of STEAM play kits (including giant puzzles, construction sets and science experiments) based on the studio’s 2D-animated series Iyanu, which debuts on Cartoon Network and Max in 2025. Inspired by Nigerian culture and mythology, Iyanu is about a teen girl who discovers that she has special powers and must fight an evil force in her homeland.