- Mattel has renewed its global licensing deal with the Mouse House for its Frozen and Disney Princess brands. The toy giant has retained the rights to develop and market fashion dolls, small dolls and figures. The deal covers the upcoming Frozen threequel as well as rights to princesses featured in the company’s live-action adaptations of animated features.
- Cricket Media has partnered with Sports Illustrated Kids to roll out a new sports vertical on its kids streamer Sensical. This hub will feature content ranging from fitness programming to creator videos. Speaking to Kidscreen last month, Cricket CEO Eric Berger teased that more verticals were in the works at the streamer following its music partnership with Billboard.
- Anime streamer Crunchyroll has entered a distribution agreement with German mobile operator O2 Telefónica. Under the deal, customers are able to add a Crunchyroll subscription directly to their O2 account. As part of a promo campaign, O2 is offering its TV subscribers three free months of Crunchyroll’s basic subscription.
- Gebeka Films has come on board to manage theatrical distribution in France for the 2D-animated feature My Grandfather is a Nihonjin (84 minutes). Produced by Brazil’s Pinguim Content, the film follows a 10-year-old Brazilian boy of Japanese descent who learns more about his grandfather’s roots. The project hit the big screen in Brazil on October 16.
- The first of the six Toto the Ninja Cat books will soon be adapted into a puppet-based stage play. Little Angel Theatre, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Mayflower Southampton are attached to the production, which will open in the spring. Penned by UK TV host Dermot O’Leary, the Toto book series debuted in 2017 and follows a partially sighted London cat who uses her ninja skills to fight crime at night.
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