Tag Archives: magic light pictures

Magic Light Pictures names Marc Ollington its new marketing director

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Magic Light Pictures has appointed Marc Ollington as its new marketing director, a major new role created to build on the significant and continued growth of the BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated production company.

An experienced marketing professional, Ollington joins the firm from Sky where he was marketing director of entertainment, responsible for the brand marketing function for Sky’s entertainment channels, and original and acquired shows. Prior to that, he spent over 15 years with 21st Century Fox.

In his career, Ollington has worked across diverse brands including Sky Atlantic, National Geographic, Fox Sports, The Bundesliga and FX, and on iconic, award-winning TV shows including The Undoing, The Walking Dead, I Hate Suzie, Roald and Beatrix, The X-Files, True Blood and Free Solo.

At Magic Light, Ollington will drive marketing across the business, supporting growth and maximising awareness of the company and its brands and content to both audiences and broadcast and digital partners. He will sit on Magic Light Picture’s Executive Group along with Daryl Shute, brand director; Clare Swain, finance director; and Muriel Thomas, international distribution director.

Magic Light has just launched its first-ever preschool series, Pip and Posy. The animated series celebrates the friendship of a mouse and rabbit, whose lives revolve around a wonderful world of play. The series premiered on Channel 5’s Milkshake! in March and launches on Sky Kids on demand service in May.

The company continues to produce the magical animated specials it’s renowned for and is currently in production on Superworm to premiere on BBC1 at Christmas. Magic Light has been building the much- loved Gruffalo licensing brand over the past decade. Already well established in the UK, the brand is now showing significant growth in Germany among other international territories.

The company is also in development on new pre-school property Mr Panda based on the successful books by Steve Antony, as well as a slate of live action family dramas.

Martin Pope and Michael Rose, joint managing directors, Magic Light Pictures, said: “We are delighted to welcome Marc to the Magic Light family at this exciting time of growth for us. He has an impressive and distinguished track record, and his experience, knowledge, insight and flair will be hugely valuable to our expansion both in the UK and internationally.”

Ollington said: “I’m a huge fan of Magic Light’s fantastic content, reputation and commercial prowess. I have spent many happy hours watching their incredible award-winning specials with my daughters. With the recent launch of the wonderful new preschool series Pip and Posy.

“I am delighted to be joining the company at such a pivotal time. Magic Light’s future plans are big and inspiring, and will be a great challenge. I want to help with the growth and continued innovation of such a creative and forward-thinking company.”

Magic Light Pictures’ The Snail and the Whale takes Best Special Production at 2021 Annie Awards

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Magic Light Pictures’ animated special, The Snail and the Whale, has been named Best Special Production in the 48th Annual Annie Awards, hosted via a virtual ceremony on Friday, April 16th.

The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, each year since 1972 to recognise excellence in animation.

The acclaimed 30’ family film, which premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2019 to an audience of four million, follows the journey of a snail who longs to see the world and manages to hitch a ride on the tail of a humpback whale.

The film was voiced by a British acting cast including Sally Hawkins (Paddington, The Shape of Water) as Snail, Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey, The Trip) as Whale, Cariad Lloyd (Peep Show, Murder in Successville) as Teacher, and the late Dame Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones, Victoria) as the Narrator.

Based on the global hit book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Snail and the Whale was directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon and produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures, with animation services by Triggerfish Animation in Cape Town.

Its Annies success adds to Magic Light’s plethora of awards, including four Oscar nominations. Many of the awards have been for their critically acclaimed festive family specials, The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat and Zog, which have become a highlight of the BBC One Christmas schedule.

The Snail and the Whale is also proving a hit at retail, with leading licensees including master toy partner Wow! Stuff, Aurora for huggable plush and Sainsbury’s for a range of items including clothing.

Magic Light Pictures co-founder Michael Rose, said: “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award for The Snail and the Whale. To be named Best Special Production among so much outstanding global competition is a real honour and testament to the creativity, talent and hard work of directors Max Lang, Daniel Snaddon and all the team.”

In an exciting time for Magic Light, the award follows the launch of its first-ever preschool series, Pip and Posy, which premiered on Channel 5’s Milkshake! in March and launches on Sky Kids on demand in May.

Magic Light is also currently in production with Superworm, which will premiere this Christmas. Superworm is the ninth TV adaptation of a Donaldson/Scheffler title for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Magic Light Pictures’ The Snail and the Whale takes Best Special Production at 2021 Annie Awards

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Magic Light Pictures’ animated special, The Snail and the Whale, has been named Best Special Production in the 48th Annual Annie Awards, hosted via a virtual ceremony on Friday, April 16th.

The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, each year since 1972 to recognise excellence in animation.

The acclaimed 30’ family film, which premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2019 to an audience of four million, follows the journey of a snail who longs to see the world and manages to hitch a ride on the tail of a humpback whale.

The film was voiced by a British acting cast including Sally Hawkins (Paddington, The Shape of Water) as Snail, Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey, The Trip) as Whale, Cariad Lloyd (Peep Show, Murder in Successville) as Teacher, and the late Dame Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones, Victoria) as the Narrator.

Based on the global hit book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Snail and the Whale was directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon and produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures, with animation services by Triggerfish Animation in Cape Town.

Its Annies success adds to Magic Light’s plethora of awards, including four Oscar nominations. Many of the awards have been for their critically acclaimed festive family specials, The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat and Zog, which have become a highlight of the BBC One Christmas schedule.

The Snail and the Whale is also proving a hit at retail, with leading licensees including master toy partner Wow! Stuff, Aurora for huggable plush and Sainsbury’s for a range of items including clothing.

Magic Light Pictures co-founder Michael Rose, said: “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award for The Snail and the Whale. To be named Best Special Production among so much outstanding global competition is a real honour and testament to the creativity, talent and hard work of directors Max Lang, Daniel Snaddon and all the team.”

In an exciting time for Magic Light, the award follows the launch of its first-ever preschool series, Pip and Posy, which premiered on Channel 5’s Milkshake! in March and launches on Sky Kids on demand in May.

Magic Light is also currently in production with Superworm, which will premiere this Christmas. Superworm is the ninth TV adaptation of a Donaldson/Scheffler title for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Guide Dogs UK creates The Gruffalo scents to make story time inclusive for visually impaired children

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Magic Light Pictures and Macmillan Children’s Books have partnered with the sight loss charity, Guide Dogs to answer the age old question: what does the Gruffalo smell like?

Via this innovative new partnership, characters from the popular children’s book by Julia Donaldson – Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake, and the Gruffalo – will be brought to life in a series of scents developed to help make reading a story inclusive for the whole family.

Research has found that 80 per cent of how we learn is visual. Guide Dogs has therefore made the move to create a sensory version of the beloved 20-year-old story for the first time, helping children with visual impairment feel more included in the story.

Working in partnership with Macmillan Children’s Books and Magic Light Pictures, the charity has created a scent kit that includes five inhalers, one for each character of The Gruffalo. The quick-witted mouse smells like cupcakes, the fox smells of cut grass, the owl smells like a freshly poured cup of tea, and the snake bring with it a smoky scent.

The Gruffalo himself carries with him a leathery barnyard smell that permeates from the depths of the deep, dark wood.

Kerry Kernan, Guide Dogs Children and Young People National Service Operations Manager, said: “Discovering a child has a vision impairment can be a worrying and confusing time for families, and we have a range of services to help. We hope that the universal appeal of The Gruffalo will help shine a light on how important it is to make things as inclusive as possible. Small adaptations and innovations can really help support families with a vision impaired child.

“Every year we help hundreds of families build their knowledge and confidence, and provide tools that are right for each family’s specific needs – whether that’s through enabling more moments like inclusive reading, or by providing services like habilitation support, education support or grants for parents and children to access new technology.

“We hope that this scent kit encourages more parents across the UK to reach out to us for help – and for more people to recognise and support the work we do with children and young people.”

Each scent in the kit was developed with the input of Guide Dogs service users to ensure they were at the heart of this.

Roger Whalley, Guide Dogs UK service user, said: “The support from Guide Dogs’ Children & Young People services has been life changing for our family. Not only in helping us navigate Josie’s sight loss journey, but also for building her confidence through teaching her life skills and providing opportunities for us to meet other families going through a similar experience.

“The Gruffalo is a much-loved story in our house, and we are thrilled that this scent kit will allow our daughter Josie who has visual impairment and our sighted son Wolf to be able to enjoy their favourite book together – something which I think most families rightly take for granted.”

Alyx Price, Associate Publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books, added: “We are so pleased to be working with Guide Dogs to help more children and families enjoy The Gruffalo. As publishers, we want to find ways for all children to access stories and this is a wonderful new way to enjoy books together.

“By interacting with the smells for these well-known characters, visually impaired children can now experience this favourite picture book and ‘meet’ the characters themselves.”

 In addition, Guide Dogs Specialist Education Support Team has developed a bank of resources specifically to support the parents of children with a vision impairment, this includes bringing books to life using touch and sound.

Olivia Colman and Matt Smith lead voice cast of Magic Light Pictures’ Superworm

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Magic Light Pictures is returning to the world of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler this Christmas with a new adaptation of the pair’s beloved story, Superworm for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

As usual, the adaptation has already attracted some of Britain’s best-loved stars, this time around seeing Oscar winner Olivia Colman lead a voice cast as narrator, with Emmy nominee Matt Smith signed up to play the titular hero, Superworm. The pair are joined by Patricia Allison (Sex Education) as Butterfly, and Rob Brydon as the Crow.

Further cast members will be revealed later on in the year.

Colman said: “This is such a lovely project to be involved with. When reading the script, and imagining all those goings on at the end of the garden, I could really get a feel for the pure fun and joy that the film will bring. I’ve always loved these charming productions at Christmas and I’m delighted to be voicing the narrator.”

Smith added: “I’m delighted to play the part of Superworm and join such a fabulous cast of actors, artists and storytellers. What fun to be part of the BBC’s Christmas line up in this great children’s tale.”

The animated version of the popular story will mark Brydon’s ninth appearance in a Donaldson/Scheffler adaptation, who previously narrated Magic Light Pictures’ adaptation of The Highway Rat.

“Working on these Magic Light productions is always a delight and deciding how to voice characters is such fun. I love watching them on TV at Christmas – a lovely way to round off my year.”

Meanwhile, the half-hour animated special will mark a first for Sex Education’s Patricia Allinson, who has said she is “excited to become part of the tradition” that has placed Magic Light animations as “such an important part of the Christmas TV schedule.”

“Butterfly is a very determined character, and a loyal friend, so I am looking forward to recording a lot.”

Donaldson and Scheffler, the now famed creators of The Gruffalo, collaborated once again on this animated half hour, which has been acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer and Tommy Bulfin, commissioning editor, BBC Drama.

Magic Light has been providing festive family treats to BBC One for over a decade, and their films, based on the books by the award-winning duo, are among the most popular family titles on BBC iPlayer.

Superworm is the ninth TV adaptation of a Donaldson/Scheffler title for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The annual Magic Light Pictures films have become firm fixtures in the Christmas schedules. In the lead up to last Christmas, original festive idents featuring The Gruffalo and Zog book-ended shows on BBC One.

Superworm is being directed by Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman, from a script by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang. The producer is Barney Goodland with executive producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose for Magic Light Pictures. The composer is Rene Aubry, who has written the music for the collection of Magic Light films.

Tommy Bulfin, commissioning editor, BBC Drama said: “The Donaldson and Scheffler adaptations are a lynchpin of the Christmas schedule and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with them and the award-winning Magic Light Pictures again this year. I can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with Superworm, who is super-long and super-strong.”

Martin Pope, co-founder of Magic Light Pictures, concluded: “We’re delighted to be making Superworm for BBC One. It’s a lovely comedy. Superworm’s a brilliant central character, who has great friends who will ultimately triumph over the wonderfully entertaining villain, in this delightful story based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.”

Olivia Colman and Matt Smith lead voice cast of Magic Light Pictures’ Superworm

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Magic Light Pictures is returning to the world of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler this Christmas with a new adaptation of the pair’s beloved story, Superworm for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

As usual, the adaptation has already attracted some of Britain’s best-loved stars, this time around seeing Oscar winner Olivia Colman lead a voice cast as narrator, with Emmy nominee Matt Smith signed up to play the titular hero, Superworm. The pair are joined by Patricia Allison (Sex Education) as Butterfly, and Rob Brydon as the Crow.

Further cast members will be revealed later on in the year.

Colman said: “This is such a lovely project to be involved with. When reading the script, and imagining all those goings on at the end of the garden, I could really get a feel for the pure fun and joy that the film will bring. I’ve always loved these charming productions at Christmas and I’m delighted to be voicing the narrator.”

Smith added: “I’m delighted to play the part of Superworm and join such a fabulous cast of actors, artists and storytellers. What fun to be part of the BBC’s Christmas line up in this great children’s tale.”

The animated version of the popular story will mark Brydon’s ninth appearance in a Donaldson/Scheffler adaptation, who previously narrated Magic Light Pictures’ adaptation of The Highway Rat.

“Working on these Magic Light productions is always a delight and deciding how to voice characters is such fun. I love watching them on TV at Christmas – a lovely way to round off my year.”

Meanwhile, the half-hour animated special will mark a first for Sex Education’s Patricia Allinson, who has said she is “excited to become part of the tradition” that has placed Magic Light animations as “such an important part of the Christmas TV schedule.”

“Butterfly is a very determined character, and a loyal friend, so I am looking forward to recording a lot.”

Donaldson and Scheffler, the now famed creators of The Gruffalo, collaborated once again on this animated half hour, which has been acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer and Tommy Bulfin, commissioning editor, BBC Drama.

Magic Light has been providing festive family treats to BBC One for over a decade, and their films, based on the books by the award-winning duo, are among the most popular family titles on BBC iPlayer.

Superworm is the ninth TV adaptation of a Donaldson/Scheffler title for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The annual Magic Light Pictures films have become firm fixtures in the Christmas schedules. In the lead up to last Christmas, original festive idents featuring The Gruffalo and Zog book-ended shows on BBC One.

Superworm is being directed by Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman, from a script by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang. The producer is Barney Goodland with executive producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose for Magic Light Pictures. The composer is Rene Aubry, who has written the music for the collection of Magic Light films.

Tommy Bulfin, commissioning editor, BBC Drama said: “The Donaldson and Scheffler adaptations are a lynchpin of the Christmas schedule and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with them and the award-winning Magic Light Pictures again this year. I can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with Superworm, who is super-long and super-strong.”

Martin Pope, co-founder of Magic Light Pictures, concluded: “We’re delighted to be making Superworm for BBC One. It’s a lovely comedy. Superworm’s a brilliant central character, who has great friends who will ultimately triumph over the wonderfully entertaining villain, in this delightful story based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.”

Magic Light Pictures teams with Royal Botanical Gardens to bring new Gruffalo Adventures trail to Kew

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Magic Light Pictures has teamed up with the Royal Botanic Gardens to launch a new Gruffalo Adventures trail in Kew Gardens’ striking Arboretum this October.

The Arboretum – home to 14,000 trees – will play host to author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler’s much-loved characters during the half-term holidays from Saturday, October 17th to Sunday, November 1 on a specially curated, interactive trail on which families can track down The Gruffalo.

On the autumn programme, families are invited to play the role of the ‘little brown mouse’ on a journey through Kew Gardens’ deep, dark wood. As they encounter more characters from the best-selling books and popular animated film adaptations, they can enjoy interactive activities, learn about different habitats and the marks we leave behind as humans in a woodland ecosystem, and enjoy autumn horticultural highlights.

There will also be timed appearances from a Gruffalo costumed character throughout the festival.

Wakehurst, RBG Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, will also host its own Gruffalo half-term programme. Among other activities, visitors will be able to follow a special Gruffalo trail through Wakehurst’s woodlands in all their autumnal colour and go on a hunt to find ingredients for a tasty Gruffalo crumble. A series of Gruffalo wild workshops for youngsters at Wakehurst during half-term saw huge demand and has already sold out.

Daryl Shute, brand director at Magic Light Pictures, said: “We are thrilled to be announcing this partnership with RBG Kew. To bring The Gruffalo to this iconic, deep dark wood of West London is really exciting. By combining the beauty of Julia and Axel’s characters with the theme of ‘the marks we leave behind’, RBG Kew has created a really original activation, which guests will love for sure.”

Sandra Botterell, director of marketing and commercial enterprise at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew added: “We are thrilled to bring such an iconic tale to RBG Kew, in what is set to be a great adventure for families. The Gruffalo is a perfect fit for Kew Gardens and Wakehurst, and we hope visitors venturing through RBG Kew’s landscapes will be transported to Donaldson and Scheffler’s much-loved universe.”

Finally, Magic Light will be bringing Gruffalo magic to more deep dark woods with the launch of the Gruffalo Spotter augmented reality app at Forestry England sites from October 12. New Gruffalo Spotters trails for keen Gruffalo hunters will feature the amazing AR app along with a fun activity pack which will enable them to interact with all their favourite characters along an unmissable trail.

Smiffys partners with Magic Light Pictures to launch Gruffalo, Highway Rat and Stick Man dress up

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The dress up and costumes specialist, Smiffys has struck upon a magical new partnership with Magic Light Pictures to develop a range of dress up costumes based on the popular book series from Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler, spanning The Gruffalo, The Highway Rat, Stick Man, Zog, and Room on the Broom.

The launch of the new licensed collection will kick off with the much-loved Gruffalo and a character costume that will wander into retailers in time for World Book Day 2021. The new toddler costume features a deluxe all-in-one fit with a novelty hood – billed as ‘perfect for any little one wishing to bring the literary character to life.’

Further Smiffys character costumes, all based on books by Donaldson and Scheffler, will launch later in the year, landing on the global stage in time for Australia’s own 2021 Book Week next year.

“We are delighted to be announcing this partnership; Julia and Axel’s work is renowned across the globe and has delighted children for nearly 30 years with her imaginative stories,” said Dominque Peckett, director at Smiffys.  

Aidan Taylor-Gooby, licensing manager at Magic Light Pictures, added: “Dress up is a crucial part of our licensing programme and always a fantastic product for us at key events like World Book Day, Halloween and Christmas. We’re really pleased to have found such a great partner in Smiffys who can deliver the great quality product that our consumers expect.”

The Gruffalo readies new Australian adventure with exclusive The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app launch

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The Gruffalo is taking further strides down under thanks to a new deal that will see Queensland’s The Ginger Factory, Illawarra Fly and Wildlife Sydney Zoo in New South Wales, and Rippon Lea Estate in Victoria come on board as the brand’s exclusive The Gruffalo Trail partners.

Under a new deal brokered by Magic Light Pictures’ Australian licensing agent, Merchantwise Licensing, the three sites will be the first in the world to activate The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app when it launches at the locations across the country next month.

The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app follows the runaway success of the original, ground-breaking Gruffalo Spotter app launched with Forestry England in 2017, when it was the first development of its kind. Using the very latest Augmented Reality technology, the free app brings to life the characters from the much-loved Gruffalo. This second app was produced by Magic Light Pictures, in partnership with Forestry England, developed and animated by Nexus Studios.

Families can learn about the characters from the picture book, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, and interact with the 3D characters from the film on the self-led trails, which are lined with facts about forest animals, and fun activities. Through face and body recognition technology, the characters now look at the children directly, encouraging them to play along.

Mixing animated characters with the real-world environment, the app encourages children to get exploring, firing their imaginations and enabling them to have an all-new forest experience. The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app is available for free with no in-app purchases from the App Store and Google Play and requires downloading before visiting.

Meanwhile, a further deal executed by Merchantwise Licensing will see a Smiffys range of The Gruffalo dress-up costumes launch next month ahead of October’s Book Week in Australia.  The ‘onesie’ costume available for sizes three to five years, will launch across a number of Australian retail destinations including Spotlight and Costumebox.

“We are thrilled to be announcing the partnership with The Ginger Factory as an exclusive Australian The Gruffalo Trail location in time for the global first launch of The Gruffalo Spotter 2 here in Australia. The trail continues to be as popular as when it first launched at Illawarra Fly, Wildlife Sydney Zoo and Rippon Lea Estate last year, so we anticipate it to be a must-do experience for those in and visiting The Ginger Factory on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast,” said Merchantwise Licensing’s general manager, Kerryn McCormack.

“For the first time, The Gruffalo dress-up costumes will be available here in Australia and we are pleased to be launching this range with Smiffys ahead of Book Week in October across a number of our key retail partners.”

China’s UYoung brings Magic Light Pictures’ The Gruffalo and more to its UKids app

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China’s children’s and family entertainment media company, UYoung, has acquired six family favourite films from Magic Light Pictures to broadcast across its educational UKids app and SVOD service.

The new deal will see Magic Light’s hit features The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat, and Zog all land on the platform, China’s only dedicated content English learning platform for pre-schoolers.

Based on the much-loved children’s picture books written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the films were first broadcast to audiences of millions on the BBC as an integral part of its Christmas schedules, for which Magic Light has produced a new festive treat each year for the last seven years.

Ukids is UYoung’s recently launched one-stop service of global children’s programming for Chinese families aimed at helping children to speak English through high-quality developmental content. Available on OTT, iOS, Android mobile and tablet, the dedicated kids’ app contains a wealth of specially curated content chosen for its educational value, ranging from STEM, arts and crafts and nature through to socio-emotional programming.

The English language learning elements of the app have been developed in partnership with the British Council.

Clara Yang, vice president international business and newly appointed general manager for Ukids, said: “We are delighted to have added these wonderful films from Magic Light to our UKids portfolio. They are perfect for the platform’s aim of providing educational and entertaining content in a safe and happy environment to help children grow and develop, and are yet another example of our ability to acquire top-class content from leading international production companies.”

Muriel Thomas, Magic Light Pictures’ head of international distribution, said: “The Gruffalo’s films and subsequent TV specials have a huge international appeal and we are thrilled to have signed our first deal with UYoung to bring these wonderful stories to a whole new audience.”