Tencent Invests in FZ Ent.’s ‘CoNaBLUE’

hinese technology and media giant Tencent has agreed to invest in 30% of the total budget of a new cartoon series- CoNaBLUE, which is an original animation of China’s FZ Entertainment. The deal includes the two companies’ cash investment and utilization of Tencent’s promotion resources in Tencent video and its mobile platform which worth more than one hundred million yuan.

We are connected in the world, no matter where we are, in the sky, on the ground or under the ocean. Though diverse creatures in nature are different species with various appearances, they are closely linked with others in symbioses which make them cannot live without symbiotic partners. Our buddies, the little dolphin Columbus and his friends, the leading roles of the animated series CoNaBLUE which is created and produced by FZ Entertainment and co-created by Jieli Publishing House, are partners with different skills and personalities which are in a relationship similar to such mutualism. They are clever guys with spirits of adventure. They trust and support each other during their exploration and protection of ecosystem.

“CoNaBLUE” will begin its exclusive weekly update at Tencent video in the second half of next year, and it is expected to complete the production of the first 52 episodes x 13minutes series by the end of September 2019. On October 14 this year, the FZ Entertainment will bring the title CoNaBLUE to MIPJunior&MIPCOM 2017 in Cannes and negotiate with various international broadcasters, channels and multiple buyers about distributing, releasing, licensing and cooperation portfolio. With the support of China’s second largest electronic shopping website”JD.com” brought by Tencent, the project also will start the merchandising plan to develop a series of toys and other commodities and make online promotion through JD.com which is one of the largest online shopping platform in China with 236.5 million active users. The plan will fully apply the major characters, artistic creativities of the series and transformative vehicles which the leading roles use to commercialization authorization and will develope Character toy theme toys cars toys and interactive learning toys. The project of CoNaBLUE animation theme amusement park is also in negotiation.

C It’s time for the underrated offspring of mythological creatures and regular animals to step into the animation spotlight. The highly original (52 x 11’) new show Mythfits from Technicolor and Obie Scott Wade (creator of Julius & Friends and SheZow) is set in a place called Mythfit Island, where the friendship between Pigasus (part pig, part Pegasus) and Donkeycorn (part donkey, part unicorn) drives stories centered on self-discovery, mindfulness and inclusiveness.

“There may be other mashup brands out there, but what makes Mythfits stand out is the clear focus of the concept… real + myth. Each new mashup character that’s introduced never ceases to put a smile on my face,” says Alison Warner, VP of IP sales, acquisitions and co-pros at Technicolor.

C Peyo’s little blue villagers are coming back to the small screen. Official licensor IMPS has joined forces with Dupuis Audiovisuel to create a fresh TV series starring The Smurfs. Currently in pre-development, the show will be produced and offered as a pack of 13-minute episodes. “The Smurfs TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera in the 1980s is a highly successful series, still being broadcast on a global scale. But creating a new series, giving the Smurfs an updated look, was just a logical next step for the property after three Hollywood movies,” said Véronique Culliford, president of IMPS. “We are very happy to embark on this exciting journey with the Dupuis group, one of our historical partners on Smurf comic books and animation.”

The globally beloved Smurfs were first created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (Pierre Culliford) in 1958 and soon appeared in animated movies and theatrical cartoons. They recently starred in Sony’s fully-animated movie Smurfs: The Lost Village, which was released earlier this year and is out on disc and digital now.

C Canada’s 9 Story Distribution and China’s Magic Mall Entertainment are joining forces to distribute a charming animated series titled Luo Bao Bei. The (52 x 11’) show, which is created and produced by Magic Mall with Cloth Cat Animation in Wales, centers on the adventures of a bright, imaginative seven-year-old girl and her animal friends. Dave Ingham, who is known for his award-winning work on Shaun the Sheep and The Octonauts, is the show’s head writer.

“We are so thrilled to be representing this one-of-a-kind property,” says Alix Wiseman, 9 Story’s VP of acquisitions & business development. “We immediately fell in love with Luo Bao Bei’s irrepressible determination and with the funny and touching storylines about growing up and being part of a family…We feel the series has tremendous potential around the world and can’t wait to share initial episodes at MIPCOM.” “Luo Bao Bei’s experience is drawn from contemporary China, but her curiosity and love for life is universal,” adds Alex Chien, the show’s executive producer. “We love how she figures things out around her with the help from her family and friends. She learns to be both smarter and kinder as each story unfolds.”

41 Entertainment has signed a distribution deal agreement with Activision Blizzard Studios for Skylanders Academy. New York-based 41E is now the exclusive global sales agent for television and home entertainment distribution of the popular series. The series is based on the popular Skylanders videogame franchise, which has brought in over $35 billion in sales since it was introduced in 2011. It centers on the warriors of the Skylands, led by Spyro (voiced by Justin Long) as they are trained to protect the universe from evil. The star-studded cast also includes Ashley Tisdale, Jonathan Banks, Felicia Day, Bobcat Goldthwait, Norm Macdonald, Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara and Susan Sarandon.

The show is produced by Activision Blizzard Studios with Paris-based TeamTO in charge of the animation. Netflix premieres the second season of Skylanders Academy in October. The streaming entity has already picked up the show through its third season, with new episodes to premiere in 2018.