Atlantyca Entertainment, the Italian co-producer of hit kids animated series Geronimo Stilton, has expanded its publishing and intellectual property operations with the acquisition of prominent Milan-based children’s book packager Dreamfarm.
The acquisition creates a new company called Atlantyca Dreamfarm and is designed to expand Atlantyca’s ability to create and exploit children’s properties across multiple platforms.
Both companies have extensive roots in publishing. Atlantyca Entertainment president Pietro Marietti is a descendant of the Marietti publishing family that has been in the business since 1820. Dreamfarm CEO Marcella Drago’s family has owned De Agostini Editore since 1919.
The new team, which includes celebrated author Pierdomenico Baccalario, who serves as publisher in chief at Atlantyca, will be charged with developing concepts for children’s book series to be exploited by Atlantyca, along with foreign publishers through Atlantyca’s Foreign Rights Sales Department, in every available media platform.
“This evolution brings together the heirs of two of Italy’s most important publishing dynasties of the publishing industry in the 21st century dictates that we adapt our publishing model to extend beyond traditional print media with a transmedia model that accommodates electronic media platforms such as the Internet, e-readers, gaming devices, television and emerging new technologies,” said Marietti. “It is with enormous anticipation and enthusiasm that we look forward to reuniting our team at Atlantyca with my former colleague, Marcella Drago, in a collaboration that is destined to bring even greater children’s properties to the marketplace.”
“I am extremely proud to be working together with my companions Pietro and Pierdomenico, two publishing industry luminaries who have achieved incredible success in bringing entertaining stories and endearing characters to young readers,” said Drago. “I am eager to create the next wave of successful new book series as part of this valuable team and deliver them to an even wider audience of enthusiastic young readers though today’s exciting new media platforms.”
