- Bladez Toyz has acquired the rights to create a toy line based on Blue Zoo Animation’s CG-animated preschool series Mojo Swoptops (52 x 11 minutes). Featuring a mix of RC vehicles and play sets, a lead line of products will hit UK and US retailers in Q3.
- Stars Collective and El Pajaro Pictures Shanghai are partnering to co-produce a new 2D/CG-animated film adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s 1943 children’s novel The Little Prince. Li Jihong, who translated the original book into Mandarin in 2013, will serve as the film’s director. (To date, more than six million copies have been sold in China). Global distributor Stars has appointed Medialink Animation International as the project’s licensing agent.
- Peanuts Worldwide has granted a license to California-based Ooly to manufacture and distribute a new range of arts & crafts products featuring Charlie Brown and friends. An initial range of coloring kits and stationery SKUs will roll out to retailers and gift shops across the US this spring, followed by DIY and craft kits in the fall.
- Co-pro partners Mondo TV Group and Calidra have appointed ETS Group as the Italian licensing agent for their CG-animated preschool series Grisù (52 x 12 minutes). Mondo already has licensing deals in place for the brand with Ravensburger (puzzles), Euro Publishing (stationery), Giochi Preziosi (toys) and Fondazione Aida (stage shows).
- WEBTOON Entertainment subsidiary LINE Digital Frontier has acquired a minority stake in Japanese manga studio No. 9. This is LINE’s first investment in a domestic-market publisher, and it plans to leverage the acquisition to bolster its content pipeline in Japan and develop new projects for global audiences. No. 9 publishes several teen titles on WEBTOON’s platforms, including Savior of Divine Blood (2.7 million views) and I Am the Strongest Transcendent (2.6 million views) by author Shunji Eto.
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