Fitz Roy Media and Magic Lantern Entertainment are teaming up to create a slate of new entertainment projects inspired by African animal stories and wildlife veterinarian Dr. Sue Hart’s adventures in the African bush and her efforts to protect endangered species. The projects will revive the 40-some year-old Daktari Park brand in feature fillms, TV and direct-to-DVD outings set to begin production in 2010.
The new deal, announced by Fitz Roy CEO Hamp Hampton and Magic Lantern president Jeff Segal, is the next step in a plan to revamp Daktari Park for the 21st century under an agreement announced in June between Fitz Roy and Daktari Productions, Ltd. of London, which grants online, feature film, TV/DVD and consumer products rights to Fitz Roy. The media development house has already begun production on an interactive Daktari Park website where kids can embark on a digital daily safari in the African bush, guided by animated characters and incorporating live-action footage of animals in the wild.
‘The new Daktari Park will re-introduce a new generation of children and family audiences to the pioneering work of Dr. Sue Hart and her many adventures in the African bush at a time when humans first began to interact with the animals who roamed free across great stretches of land,’ says Fitz Roy’s Hampton. ‘Her experiences provide a wealth of exciting and informational stories about some of the most amazing wildlife in the world.’
Adds Magic Lantern’s Segal, ‘Daktari Park is long overdue for a revival of a brand that captured audiences of all ages over 40 years ago. In an era of heightened awareness of the plight of endangered species whose habitat continues to be encroached by deforestation and the development of the lands where they once prospered, this project provides a wonderful vehicle to get the message out on conservation and create awareness of the fragility of all life forms on the planet.’
