BBC Studios will air Nikhil & Jay in four new regions

The British pubcaster has acquired the broadcast rights to the full 2D-animated preschool series (52 x 11 minutes) for Poland, South Africa, Asia and India from its distributor CAKE. BBC Studios began streaming Nikhil & Jay on CBeebies and iPlayer in the UK last year. The show follows the adventures of two dual-heritage brothers as they learn about their Indian and English cultures. 

Serious Kids signs new broadcast deal for Team Nuggets

RAI has picked up the first two seasons of the CG-animated preschool series (91 x seven minutes), which will air in Italy on RAI Yoyo and RaiPlay on May 1. Produced by Danish studio Sparre Production and Godo Films, Team Nuggets has secured broadcasters in Spain (RTVE), Germany (KiKA) and China (Midolala) 

McDonald’s announces The Super Mario Galaxy Movie collab 

The fast food chain has teamed up with Nintendo to launch a Mario-themed Happy Meal across its US locations this week. Each Happy Meal will include one of 12 possible toys on a clip, including the titular hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, his brother Luigi and their pet dinosaur Yoshi. The packaging will also include a QR code kids can scan to unlock digital stories and puzzles from the upcoming CG-animated feature film, which premieres in theaters next week. 

August Media Group boards Malika: Warrior Queen

The Singapore-based prodco will finance up to a third of the production and marketing costs for the Afro-anime feature film from Iyanu creator Roye Okupe, which follows Malika’s struggles as she fights to unite her country as its new queen and military commander. August will also oversee the recruitment of a team of studios and artists for the film’s animation. 

The British Museum is hosting Gundam workshops

Bandai Namco will participate in The British Museum’s ongoing Samurai exhibition by displaying various Gundam model kits to showcase how the anime franchise has become an iconic piece of Japanese storytelling. Bandai is hosting dedicated Gundam workshops to introduce kids and families to the model-building hobby starting on March 27, while the museum’s retail space will also stock Gundam kits until the exhibit ends on May 4.