Mattel and Nickelodeon have drawn up plans to produce a new animated series and live-action television movie musical based on the popular toy franchise, Monster High – a brand centered on the children of some of pop culture’s most notorious monsters.
The new series will follow the story of Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, and Frankie Stein as they navigate high school in the hallowed halls of Monster High. The series will be available globally across Nickelodeon platforms with a scheduled premiere date of 2022.
Similarly, the movie musical event, which marks the first time Monster High will be brought to life in live action, will be available on Nickelodeon platforms globally next year.
“Monster High’s strong message of inclusivity is more relevant than ever,” said Fred Soulie, general manager, Mattel Television. “Nickelodeon shares our passion for the brand and its purpose having worked on the franchise when it first launched more than a decade ago. They are the ideal partners to bring these beloved characters and their stories to life through episodic television and the live-action television movie.”
Ramsey Naito, president of Nickelodeon Animation, added: “These classic monsters have always captured kids’ imaginations and we are so excited and proud to welcome Monster High to our brand for a new generation of kids.
“We have terrific partners on board at Mattel to create original content in different formats, and, with the expertise of the Nick creative team helmed by Claudia Spinelli on the animation development side, and Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan on the live-action side, we can’t wait to showcase the comedy and adventure of these characters as they defy expectations and take on the world.”
Adam Bonnet, executive producer, Mattel Television, said: “We could not be more excited to work with Ramsey, Claudia, Zack, Shauna, our writers and the entire Nickelodeon animation and live-action teams to introduce Monster High to a new audience.
“This property has always resonated deeply with fans and our reimagination of the franchise will focus on addressing important themes of identity and empowerment for kids today.”
The Monster High series and movie musical event join other Mattel Television content in production, including series and specials based on Barbie, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, Polly Pocket and Fireman Sam, to name a few.
The forthcoming Monster High series and movie underscore a key element of Nickelodeon’s content strategy, to build and expand the worlds of enormously popular franchises such as Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants, Henry Danger, Big Nate and Real Pigeons Fight Crime among others, to give audiences more of what they love.
Production on the Monster High animated TV series is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, senior vice president, Animation Development. Shea Fontana (Polly Pocket, DC Super Hero Girls) is serving as the showrunner. Jenny Jaffe (Big Hero 6: The Series, Rugrats) and the writing team of Greg Erb and Jason Oremland (Princess and the Frog, Playmobil: The Movie) have been tapped to write the Monster High live-action television movie.
Monster High was first introduced in 2010 with a global fan base embracing its message of inclusivity. Beginning in 2022, Mattel will be refueling the franchise and introducing Monster High to a whole new generation of kids.
