Imagi Studios announced today that it has signed worldwide licensing agreements with American Greetings, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Jazwares Inc., D3Publisher and IDW Publishing for Astro Boy, its upcoming CG-animated film based on Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga and anime series. The movie is slated for domestic release on Oct. 23, 2009, with Summit Ent. handling worldwide distribution outside of Imagi’s reserved territories of Japan, Hong Kong and China.
American Greetings will create items such as greeting cards, stationery, gift wrap and party goods inspired by Astro Boy and upcoming Imagi properties, while Jazwares serves as the master toy licensee for Astro Boy. Penguin, one of the world’s largest trade book publishers, will introduce a full range of Astro Boy publications, and IDW Publishing will support the film’s release with comic book and graphic novels. Interactive entertainment software leader D3Publisher will publish and distribute Astro Boy video games.
Imagi Studios and Summit Ent. also announced global marketing partnerships with Striker Ent., the exclusive licensing agent for the Astro Boy movie, and promotional agency Rogers & Cowan. Working together under the Striker Ent. banner, licensing vets Russell Binder and Marc Mostman will deliver a worldwide consumer products program with focus on the core six-to-14 demographic.
Directed by David Bowers (Flushed Away), Imagi’s Astro Boy tells the story of a young robot with incredible powers who sets out on an adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. The movie is produced by Maryann Garger and boasts a voice cast that includes Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy and Donald Sutherland. Timothy Harris (Kindergarten Cop, Trading Places) wrote the screenplay.
