New Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit adventures in the works from Aardman

Aardman Animation Studio has announced the cast lineup for its latest feature film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and confirmed a brand-new Wallace & Gromit adventure for 2024.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the sequel to Chicken Run, the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, will be coming exclusively to Netflix in 2023.

Like its 2000 predecessor, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a comedy action-adventure, in which our chicken heroes have to break into an impenetrable fortress. Ginger and Rocky will be played by Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi, respectively, while Bella Ramsey will voice their headstrong daughter, Molly. Reprising their roles are Jane Horrocks (Babs), Imelda Staunton (Bunty) and Lynn Ferguson (Mac), joined by new additions Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), David Bradley (Fowler), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher) and Nick Mohammed (Dr. Fry). Sam Fell (Flushed Away and Oscar-nominated ParaNorman) will direct the film, on which production is already underway.

The BBC has also announced a brand-new Wallace & Gromit adventure for British audiences in 2024.

From the creative mind of Nick Park and the first Wallace & Gromit film since the 2008 BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated A Matter of Loaf and Death, the as-yet-untitled new film focuses on Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependant on his inventions – which proves justified when Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop a mind of its own. As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces or Wallace may never be able to invent again…

The BBC has a long relationship with Aardman and this announcement follows the success of the latest Shaun the Sheep caper The Flight Before Christmas, which aired on BBC One over the festive period.

Sean Clarke, MD of Aardman, says: “Wallace and Gromit are so loved by everyone at Aardman – they’re like family to us, and we couldn’t be more excited to be creating a brand-new film for them to star in. When Nick came up with the concept for a ‘smart gnome’, we all agreed that Wallace would find the idea irresistible – despite warnings from Gromit, who is wise beyond his (dog) years. We’re sure audiences will find the story irresistible too.”

The film will premiere on the BBC in the UK, and on Netflix in the rest of the world. It will be directed by Nick Park (creator of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep) and Merlin Crossingham (Creative Director, Wallace & Gromit and Animation Director, Early Man) with the story written by Nick Park and Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Shaun the Sheep Movie) and the screenplay by Mark Burton.

Opinion I Beyond the metaverse: how brands are transforming the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape

The hype that has surrounded Web 3.0 and the co-opting of the term ‘metaverse’ to describe the digital opportunities on offer has set the investment market and business world abuzz. But many of the strategies and initiatives ascribed to the metaverse are already at work today in the Out-of-Home (OOH) entertainment landscape, contends industry expert Kevin Williams of Spider Entertainment.

Location-based entertainment (LBE) and the OOH entertainment industry are the best representations of creating a physical business from digital IP and content. These physical representations of digital brands are achieved not just with characters and themed settings, but increasingly now with immersive technology that allows guests to be placed within the virtual universe of these properties.

This approach is not a new one, and is perhaps best illustrated with the move by the media content empire Walt Disney Corporation into the theme park and resort business way back in 1955. Along with the use of its film library to theme its attractions, the Corporation also undertook licensing agreements with big brands to incorporate them into the ‘story’ of its venues.

However, it’s the crossover of toys, movies and videogames into physical experiences that has seen the most far-reaching developments.

Video-game giant Nintendo has invested considerably in being one of the major multidisciplinary license platform providers in the global market, seeing its properties traverse the bounds of toys, games, licensed material and even movies.

A physical presence with venues of its own was a logical move, and Nintendo signed an agreement with Universal Studios in 2015 to develop a concept that would offer an interactive theme park extension in Universal resorts, based on Nintendo video-game characters and IPs. This would result in ‘Super Nintendo World’, which opened in Universal Studios Japan in 2020 and offered numerous attractions based on the Super Mario universe.

The latest immersive technology was applied to create compelling experiences such as ‘Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge’, which deployed Augmented Reality (AR) and Interactive Dark Ride (IDR) technology that placed the guest in the videogame. Hugely popular since opening, the theme park extension is due to be incorporated into other Universal park properties globally, with the Californian and Florida versions currently under construction.

Nintendo is now looking at its Out-of-Home entertainment landscape afresh. The company announced in its Second Quarter Financial Reports and Corporate Management Policy Briefing in November 2021 that it intended to spend some $2.7b on establishing a new stream of revenue through its investment into theme parks and new Nintendo entertainment stores – not just retail stores, but entertainment venues that will comprise immersive entertainment and scaled-down interactive attractions. The company has dabbled with retail stores in the US and Japan, but this will mark a major investment towards creating immersive entertainment spaces and has started a land-grab by other major properties keen to carve out a place in the ‘Retailtainment’ sector.

Throwing open the floodgates for others to follow, European videogame developer and publisher Ubisoft has also looked to broaden the penetration of its videogame properties. Having already seen motion pictures based on its Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia brands, as well as countless merchandised products and branded toys, the company’s expansion to a physical facility business seems logical.

Its first move was to establish a Location-based Entertainment Manager role within the corporation, looking at Out-of-Home entertainment opportunities. Fast forward to today, and Ubisoft is well known for its work on the successful VR amusement attraction Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride, which has seen several hundred units placed in amusement sites globally. The company also has a division (Ubisoft Escape Games) licensing unique VR escape game team-based experiences to facilities.

What’s more, the company announced in November that it would be partnering with leading theme park and attraction developers to launch its first ‘Ubisoft Entertainment Center’. Scheduled for 2025, the venue will be situated on France’s Mediterranean coast as part of the Studios Occitanie entertainment hub. Ubisoft is not stopping there; with partners Storyland Studios, it is working on its own design for a large-scale Ubisoft theme park, having looked at Nintendo’s progress in this area and wanting to share some of the opportunity. Other video-game publishers are eagerly watching the fortunes of these two companies and their massive investments in the physical space.

Movies and TV – and zombies

Movie and television/streaming entities now looking at a wider penetration for their brands and licenses have also caught the bug and are looking to dive into the crowded waters of the “metamorphosis of the digital into physical”.

The use of Out-of-Home entertainment to turn digital content and properties into physical attractions has not been lost on the big players, including streaming giant Netflix, which has an estimated audience worldwide of some 215m paid memberships.

For a company streaming TV and movie content and investing vast sums in production, having a physical vehicle that can promote its properties seems obvious. Many industry insiders had speculated that Netflix was looking for its own chain of cinemas, but the implosion that has struck the theatre business seems to have lessened this interest. There is, however, one area of facility investment that has interested the corporation.

With the successful launch of the Netflix movie property Army of the Dead, a new marketing and promotional concept was rolled out by the company – marking an investment in a physical presence for its properties and employing the latest immersive technology. ‘Army of the Dead: Viva Vengeance’, an immersive pop-up attraction, was launched at selected Westfield mall locations, most recently (until the end of December 2021, after a run in Los Angeles) at the space vacated by Debenham’s department store in London’s Westfield Shepherd’s Bush mall. Not just dependent on live actors, the whole experience represented an interactive virtual reality (VR) attraction, which had guests blasting hordes of the undead as they traversed through the infested badlands.

This is not the only example of streamed or movie properties turned into VR experiences and deployed in location-based entertainment (LBE) venues. Movie production houses such as Lionsgate and Sony Pictures have ongoing projects that will see specialist attractions and venues based on their properties. Likewise, IP licenses are being acquired by entertainment venues to be incorporated into the mix of existing spaces. The food and entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s, for example, has had a strong affiliation with licensed IP to attract its target audience, having commissioned virtual reality attractions based on blockbuster film properties such as Jurassic World, Star Trek, Men In Black, among others, from location-based entertainment company VRstudios.

The ability to create an entertainment offering that can be injected into the available retail space has led to an explosion in Retailtainment. The ‘Retail Apocalypse’ that had hit the shopping mall landscape was obviously exacerbated by the global lockdown, but in re-emerging, the owners of these retail spaces have turned to entertainment to fill the gaps left by closed department store chains.

New operator Spider Entertainment has been created to provide landlords, developers and investors with a turnkey solution to run profitable pop-up and permanent attractions for their retail destinations, employing the latest brands, along with the latest immersive entertainment attractions, to help reinvent the retail experience. Physical spaces that include this level of brand immersion offer a unique new revenue stream beyond the original video-game and movie properties, and a level of customer engagement that is new and compelling.

What’s clear is that marketing and licensing executives keen to connect with their customer base will now have to include Out-of-Home entertainment as a new weapon in their armoury – a weapon that offers great opportunities and could in fact change the whole landscape of consumption.

Entertainment and technology specialist Kevin Williams is a regular presenter at international conferences, speaking at the Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) and Amusement360 events, as well as at bootcamps for LBE and FEC investors. He is one of the senior judges of the VR Awards.

Kevin’s consultancy KWP Ltd specialises in helping international clients develop immersive and interactive entertainment. Kevin has recently become Co-Owner and Technology Director for OOH entertainment specialist Spider Entertainment and is the publisher of the Stinger Report, a-must-read for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry.

Kevin can be reached at kwp@thestingerreport.com.

 

Disguise announces Squid Game costume and accessory launch

Disguise, the costume division of JAKKS Pacific, is currently designing and developing costumes and masks based on Netflix’s hit series Squid Game for launch in North America and APAC in autumn 2022.

Disguise will design, market, manufacture and distribute a range of costumes and costume accessories featuring characters from the show. These styles will include a red Triangle Guard jumpsuit and teal “Player 456” Track Suit as well as a Squid Games Front Man mask and masks for Square and Triangle Supervisors.

Korean series Squid Game became a fast favourite on Netflix this year with over 142M views in just 4 weeks, becoming their most watched show to date.

Squid Game is a perfect addition to our vast array of costumes and offerings that cater to fans demanding a higher quality and a more detailed design that fully embodies the characters,” says Tara Hefter, EVP and GM of Disguise, Inc. “The show sets the stage for the perfect Halloween group dress-up opportunity and we anticipate the sell-in for this line to be incredible.”

All Squid Game costumes and accessories will be widely available at retailers in North America and APAC in store and online in 2022.

Disguise signs multiyear deal for Disney costume rights in EMEA

BlackMilk Clothing debuts Squid Game apparel

Fans of Netflix’s hit series can showcase their Squid Game love with a capsule collection from BlackMilk, featuring instantly recognisable clothing and images from the show.

The 13-piece collection allows fans to cosplay their favourite Squid Game players with tracksuits inspired by those worn by characters on the show, featuring the numbers of fan favourites 001, 067, 218 and 456. A customisable tee also lets fans choose their own player number.

Other printed pieces feature icons and imagery from the show, including the Red Guards, the ‘Red Light Green Light’ doll and the iconic staircase that leads players to each game.

The BlackMilk Squid Game collection is now available on the BlackMilk website.

BlackMilk to release The Witcher capsule collection

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Zavvi’s second Money Heist collection released in line with final season

Fans of Netflix’s hit Money Heist can now get their hands on the second installment of exclusive merchandise from online retailer Zavvi. 

Launching in line with the new season, which premiered on Friday 3 December, the collection is emblazoned with the iconic Dali Mask and the memorable line “Bella Ciao!”.

The exclusive range contains everything from t-shirts and hoodies, to blankets and face masks. The Dali Mask Cushion and fleece blanket have been designed to help create a cosy environment to binge-watch the latest season on Netflix.

The new range is available on Zavvi.com, with prices starting from £7.99.

‘Vikings’ spin-off ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ to drop on Netflix on 25 February

Rocket’s stand at Brand Licensing Europe took visitors back in time, as the agency presented the much-awaited new addition to the global sensation that is MGM’s Vikings: brand-new series Vikings: Valhalla. 

Vikings: Valhalla will premiere on 25 February 2022 on Netflix, and fans are already eagerly awaiting the consumer products portfolio.

Following on from Vikings, which transported viewers through the epic adventures of  Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer, MGM’s Vikings: Valhalla is set to thrill the original series’ army of fans.

The series will feature an all-star cast including Sam Corlett as Leif Eriksson, Frida Gustavsson as Freydis Eriksdotter, Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson, Bradley Freegard as King Canute, Johannes Johannesson as Olaf Haraldson and Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy.

The UK licensing programme is set to combine three key touchpoints, enabling fans to “look like a Viking, act like a Viking, and express their love of the series”. It will cover a range of categories including apparel and accessories, health and beauty, homewares, collectables, costumes, games, figures, publishing and stationery, interactive and gambling, as well as experiential events and collaborations. Existing licensees include GB Eye, Ecell Global and Winning Moves, with new licensees and categories coming on board soon.

A new style guide has been prepared for the new series, offering a wealth of assets across three main themes – Vikingr (harvest colours combined with woodland greens); Skjaldmaer (Rustic moods combined in neutral winter hues) and Meidmar (featuring the logos and Viking treasures).

Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD, Rocket Licensing, commented: “The anticipation for Vikings: Valhalla is palpable. The original series built up such a huge following as the most in-demand historical drama in the world, and the second most in-demand TV series in the world. The series had a stupendous 11.2 million viewers per episode, and all of those people are eagerly awaiting this follow-up now on Netflix, meaning the demand will be off the scale.

“We had a great response from potential licensees at BLE and are now looking forward to welcoming new partners to the Viking clan. There is so much potential for this brand and we’re excited to get the licensing programme into action.”

Robert Marick, MGM’s Executive Vice President Global Consumer Products and Experiences, says: “The Vikings series has been incredibly popular over the years, reaching millions of viewers and inspiring the pop culture lexicon.

“We are thrilled to work with our new licensing partners to bring fans an exciting slate of new products for the latest installment of the story, Vikings: Valhalla.”

During its successful run, Vikings garnered 11.2 million views per weekly episode.  Beginning 100 years after the original series concludes, Vikings: Valhalla, from MGM Television, dramatises the adventures of the most famous Vikings who ever lived: Leif Erikson, Freydis, Harald Harada and Norman King William the Conqueror (also a Viking descendant). Around the world, Vikings has accrued more than 30 licensees across apparel, collectables, publishing, novelty and gaming.

BadHero Sunglasses signs worldwide deal with Netflix smash Too Hot to Handle

Following the huge success on Netflix of Season 1 and 2 of Too Hot to Handle, BadHero Sunglasses has signed a worldwide license deal to sell sunglasses based on the show.

In a deal that will see new ranges launched in spring 2022, BadHero will be selling direct to consumers and through traditional retail across the globe.

Too Hot to Handle is produced by Fremantle for Netflix and has become a massive worldwide viewing phenomena, attracting 16-34s in their millions.

Talking about the deal, Katie Smith, joint founder of BadHero, commented: Too Hot to Handle has become the talked-about TV series across the world, and we are delighted to now be creating an innovative high fashion range of new sunglasses and accessories to complement the viewing.

Zavvi launches exclusive Stranger Things collection ahead of the new season

Ahead of the new season of Netflix hit Stranger Things, online retailer Zavvi has released a new instalment of exclusive merchandise inspired by the show, with everything from t-shirts to denim jackets and tote bags up for grabs.

To reflect the conflicting worlds of the town of Hawkins and The Upside Down, the team at Zavvi have created ‘fan clubs’ for both El and the Demogorgon. Designed using iconic characters and scenes from throughout the series, the clubs are reflected through the aesthetics of the range, including design and colour palette.

With a clear influence from the 1980s era, the collection features distressed denim jackets, vintage graphic tees, and accessories such as blankets and stickers.  Emblazoned with illustrations of the Demogorgon, stills of Billy Hargrove and calls to find Will Byers, the new exclusive range will be available on Zavvi.com from 6 November 2021, with prices starting from £14.99.

Zavvi Stranger Things: Battle of the Fans Collection

 

 

Aardman and Netflix secure promotional partners for musical short Robin Robin

Award-winning independent studio Aardman has announced partnerships with the UK’s largest nature conservation charity the RSPB and Twinkl Educational Publishing, for animated musical short Robin Robin.

Robin Robin is a 30-minute festive holiday shortcreated by its directors Dan Ojari and Mikey Please. The stop-motion film was produced at the Aardman studios in Bristol, is due to launch on Netflix in November 2021 and features the voices of Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Adeel Akhtar and Bronte Carmichael.

This Christmas season the RSPB is inviting families to celebrate their inner robin with a series of Robin Robin-themed adventure trails on over 30 of its nature reserves around the UK and exclusive activity packs. Running from 24 November to 10 January, the trails will encourage young adventurers to learn to sing like a robin, find their very own superpower, and use all their senses to connect with the robin within. Other activities on offer include nest building, storytelling events and robin-themed crafts, while RSPB nature reserve cafés will also be offering Robin Robin-themed food and drink.

Kate Struthers, RSPB Visitor Experience and Event manager, says: “We are so excited to be working with Aardman and Netflix to celebrate the festive magic of the robin with families across the UK. They’re one of the UK’s most beloved birds and a true Christmas icon. Our new trails will immerse families in the Robin Robin story and bring it to life amongst nature, and we hope the film and our adventure trails can inspire everyone to discover robins and other wildlife near them and get outside in nature. Our Robin Robin activity pack also includes activities and ideas on how you can help robins and other wildlife at home this winter.”

Alongside the trails, Aardman and Netflix have partnered with educational publisher Twinkl to create exciting new Robin Robin learning materials to use at school and home. Twinkl will be providing the official resources for young viewers aged 3 to 11, prior to the film’s release, and the storyline fits perfectly into their wider campaign about wellbeing this Christmas, with inspirational messages about being happy with what you have and finding where you belong.

Christmas TV time can be transformed into an opportunity for learning as these completely free resources can also be used by parents, creating a time for families to come together and engage in fun activities based on this new Christmas classic. From writing and maths mystery activities on the rules of ‘The Sneak’ to recreating the ‘Sticky Brown Poo’ cake, these educational materials link learning directly with scenes from the Netflix special, so children can engage with everything they experience off the screen as well as on it. Children can also step behind the curtain, whether it’s exploring scientific facts about robins, composing music, or even learning how to create a stop-motion animation. Find out more at twinkl.co.uk/robinrobin

“Being able to link Twinkl learning materials with Netflix programming makes for a really powerful opportunity for educators and parents,” says Jonathan Seaton, Co-Founder and CEO of Twinkl. “We love the idea of bringing a new dimension of off-screen learning to the Netflix ecosystem through Robin Robin.”

In addition, Macmillan Children’s Books have just launched a publishing range associated with the new film which includes a classic picture book, film tie-in picture book and range of activity and novelty books.

Robin Robin launches on Netflix on November 24 – netflix.com/robinrobin

You’ve watched Netflix’s Squid Game – now, thanks to Zavvi, you can wear it too

Super-fans of the Netflix series Squid Game can now get their hands on official merchandise from the series. Online retailer Zavvi is launching a globally exclusive, limited-edition and fully licensed Squid Game clothing collection, based on the Netflix hit series which is taking the world by storm.

Inspired by the incredible cinematography in the series, Zavvi has released a complete range of merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, canvas high-top trainers and a selection of homeware. The range is emblazoned with the distinctive iconography from the series, representing all six childhood-themed games that feature in the show individually and through bright stills. The range also features ‘456’ in its designs, a nod to the 456 participants in the games.

The South Korean thriller, which could become Netflix’s biggest show yet, follows the story of a group of desperate and cash-strapped people competing in a bloodthirsty survival game.

The new and official Squid Game merchandise will be available worldwide, exclusive to Zavvi.com.