Banijay Kids & Family announced it has signed an option agreement with Canadian children’s publisher Kids Can Press to develop a preschool series based on the acclaimed picture book Arnold the Super-ish Hero.
Written by Heather Tekavec and illustrated by Guillaume Perreault, the story follows Arnold, who helps out at his family’s superhero business. The only catch is that Arnold doesn’t have a superpower of his own. One day a call comes into superhero HQ from a little girl in need, and being the only one around, Arnold jumps into action. Determined to succeed as a hero, Arnold helps all kinds of people along the way. He does so many good deeds the city celebrates their newest hero: Super Nice Guy! Arnold discovers that all you need to be a hero is the power of kindness.
“As soon as I read Arnold the Super-ish Hero, I fell in love with the character and the wonderful notion that kindness is a superpower. Heather and Guillaume have created a delightful story that will translate beautifully on screen,” said Gary Milne, Head of Content Development, Banijay Kids & Family.
Kids Can Press President & Publisher Lisa Lyons Johnston added, “We’re delighted to work with Banijay Kids and Family to introduce more young fans to our favourite superhero. Having had a sneak peek at early script and visual development, we’re confident that the team will bring Heather and Guillaume’s endearing and funny underdog story fully to life, and we can’t wait to see Arnold’s superhero-ish leap from page to screen.”
Arnold the Super-ish Hero is published by Kids Can Press, part of the Corus Entertainment family. The label will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023.
With offices in Paris and London, Banijay Kids & Family is led by CEO Benoit Di Sabatino. As the dedicated production, distribution and sales division for children’s programming at Banijay, the company is a global leader in kids’ entertainment, offering a catalog of over 2,200 hours of content. Banijay Kids and Family is home to Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution, Zodiak Kids & Family France, Zodiak Kids & Family Productions U.K., Monello Productions and Tiger Aspect Kids & Family.
