Pixar’s latest animated feature Turning Red is turning heads on Disney+! The straight-to-VOD release came in No. 1 on Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart following its March 11 debut. Directed by Domee Shi and produced by Lindsey Collins (both recently named to the studio’s leadership teams), the colorful story of a young teen juggling a strange family legacy with a controlling mom and the throes of puberty totted up 1.701 billion minutes of viewing.
The only other animated title in the overall top 10, holding on strong since its Nov. 24 release, is Disney’s Oscar-winning Encanto, which added 783 million minutes to its viewing total on Disney+. On the Movies chart, DreamWorks’ Shrek and Shrek 2 came in at No. 4 & 5 (341M min. 316M min.), having arrived on Netflix on March 1 (Shrek Forever After was added April 1). View the full charts at nielsen.com.
Cyber Group Studios announced several series agreements with Gulli (M6 Group), France’s leading children’s channel. The deal includes the development of two original CGS properties, The McFire Family and George Moby and Co., as well as the pre-acquisition of the recently developed third season of hit series Taffy. All three shows are slated to begin production this year.
- The McFire Family (CGi, 52 x 11′, Kids 5-8), created by CGS Chairman & CEO Pierre Sissmann and co-written with VP of Development Ira Singerman (Press Start!) and Head Writer Jacqueline Moody (Gigantosaurus), follows a family of “super-firefighters” and rescuers whose powers stem from their inventive lifesaving technology. Their ancestors were the very first firefighters and the legacy continues with siblings Tom (12 years old), Sparkle (10) and Jax (6), who join their parents and grandpa on exciting rescue adventures, using cool vehicles and high-tech gear to save the day.
- George Moby and Co. (2D, 78 x 7’, Kids & Families) is an original comedy CGS’s Ahmed Guerrouache (director of Taffy) with a series bible co-written by Guerrouache, Marine Lachenaud and Sissmann. It follows the adventures of a most unexpected and hilarious duo: George, a timid vegetarian lion, and Moby, a vociferous and determined little mouse. George is looking to make his mark on society and gives Moby a home inside his mouth, hoping that his new “inner voice” doesn’t do all the talking.
- Taffy, the 2D cartoon comedy series created by Sissmann, Emmy-nominated Mike De Seve and directed by Guerrouache, returns for a third season, filled with crazy adventures, characters, and settings that will create a whole new environment. The series follows the non-stop, slapstick misadventures of a loyal hound dog named Bentley after his billionaire old lady owner, Mrs. Muchmore, takes in a raccoon imposter posing as a wide-eyed, fluffy Angora cat. In each episode, Bentley tries to reveal Taffy for the varmint that he is — while super-clever Taffy handily (and comically) turns the tables on the dog.
TeamTO has extended the reach of its original, girl-powered action-comedy Jade Armor (26 x 22′) with a new broadcast rights deal inked by WarnerMedia Kids & Family EMEA. The outlet’s U.S. biz previously picked up rights, ensuring a premium platform placement for the maverick martial arts animated series in the U.S. and Latin American markets. Jade Armor will join the kids’ and family lineup available on HBO Max and Cartoon Network in EMEA later this year.
Based on a concept by M Pongo Kuo, Jade Armor centers on the martial arts-loving Lan Jun, an unlikely teenage heroine who must learn the ancient secrets of her family and uncover the unexpected, all while navigating life as a teen. The TeamTO production supported by broadcast partners France Télévisions and SUPER RTL features a talented all-female creative team including multi-award-winning exec producer Corinne Kouper, showrunner and co-creator Chloé Miller, head writer MJ Offen, French story editor Ghyslaine Pujol and co-developer Mary Bredin.
Superights secured international sales rights to the triple Emmy Award-winning animated series Go! Go! Cory Carson (63 x 7′ + 16 x 3’30” shorts + 3 x 22′ seasonal specials + 42′ mini movie). This agreement marks the first deal between the French company and the world leader in electronic learning products for children, VTech. Kuku Studios in Berkeley produced the series, based on VTech’s Go! Go! Smart Wheels line, with Superprod Studio handling CGI production.
The series centers on Cory Carson, a friendly and curious orange car learning to navigate the winding roads of childhood with the help of his sister Chrissy , friends and family in Bumperton Hills. Each episode tells the daily adventures of Cory and his friends through engaging storylines full of charm, humor and joy. Superights will handle all linear broadcasting rights worldwide, excluding China.
MixMups, the ground-breaking new preschool series focused on different play styles of and the joy of mixing up objects and ideas to create stories, has been picked up by public broadcasters ABC Kids (Australia), RTE (Ireland) and TVO (Canada). The pre-sales were confirmed ahead of the show’s market debut at MIPTV in the care of Raydar Media.
Pre-sales were brokered by Alisan Rayson, Managing Director of Raydar, on behalf of MixMups Entertainment (a joint venture of Toy Like Me, Mackinnon & Saunders and Raydar Media). Making great strides for on-screen disability representation, the series is created by Rebecca Atkinson (#ToyLikeMe) and commissioned by Channel 5’s Milkshake! block (U.K.) Read more here.
Speaking of MIPTV, visiting buyers should keep an eye out for:
- Epic Story Media shopping Knowledge Network original series Luna, Chip & Inkie (40 x 11′), produced with Groupe Media TFO and supported by the Canada Media Fund and Shaw Rocket Fund. Season 2 is now in development.
- Pop Paper City, the 11 min. 3D craft series from the U.K., is ready to go global with distributor Aardman (stand R7.J1), having won the virtual MIPTV Kids’ Series PItch in 2020. The preschool show is in production and will premiere its first episodes on Milkshake! at the end of the year. Buyers in the U.S. and France are particularly sought.
- APC Kids is debuting its brand-new 2D series Zoe & Milo (52 x 7′; kids 6-9) at the market, which has already sold to VOD Azoomee (U.K. & Ireland, Netherlands, CEE, Asia, Africa) adn PCCW (free TV/streaming, Hong Kong & Macau). Produced by PM SA for France Télévisions, the series follows 10-year-old best friends who travel the world in a plane built and piloted by Alim, a hamster who knows everything about the world’s cultures and customs.
More deals & expansions:
- Moonbug has partnered with TelevisaUnivision to bring its premium Moonbug Kids channel to ViX streaming, offering CoComelon, Little Baby Bum, Supa Strikas and more to Spanish-speaking audiences in the U.S. and LatAm.
- Pluto TV free streaming service is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PCs with Windows 10 or 11 in GSA, U.K., Italy and LatAm, coming soon to Spain, France and Nordics.
- Dandelooo has signed a deal with pubcaster France Télévisions for the award-winning series Jasmine & Jambo (26 x 7′), a music-themed original from Barcelona’s Teidees and Televisió de Catalunya. The show will launch on Okko June 21 for World Music Day. The show is also heading to France’s Arte Editions, Canada (TFO, Knowledge), Switzerland (RTS) and Sweden (UR). Season 2 is in production for Q4 2022.
- Cloudco Entertainment has launched Care Bears: Unlock the Magic (48 x 11′ + 2 x 22′) in Brazil, airing on Gloob (FTA) and Gloobinho (Pay TV) since Sept. ’21; and Mexico, on Noggin. New toy deals in these territories are also ramping up timed to the Care Bears’ 40th Anniversary.
- Turkish entertainment company Fauna is sending its flagship series Kukuli (53 x 7′) to Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia with broadcaster Hayatovci, available this month. The series has been greenlit for Season 3 (26 x 7′).
