Tag Archives: netflix

Rilakkuma lands second series on Netflix as Sagoo sees licensing programme ‘growing apace’ in Europe

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Rilakkuma, the cute Kawaii bear, will be returning to Netflix for a second series, following a successful debut back in 2019 that has given life to a growing licensing programme managed by the independent agency, Sagoo Licensing.

Production of the new stop-motion animated series is now underway with the title Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure. The series depicts an active day of incidents and meetings that take place when Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Kaoru go to play in an amusement park that is about to close.

San-X’s Rilakkuma brand made its streaming debut in 2019, also on Netflix, when Rilakkuma and Kaoru debuted. The series featured 13 episodes following the duo’s friendship and daily life, as the popular bear went to live in his friend, Kaoru’s apartment.

The fresh content will provide a further boost to the Rilakkuma brand, which is already one of the most popular brands in Japan and is rapidly gaining traction throughout Europe. The growth is largely thanks to the property’s online presence, along with a plethora of new and exciting products coming to market.

Since working with San-X, Sagoo has secured deals with Difuzed for apparel, Graine Créative for arts and crafts, and Pioupiou & Merveilles (Shokid) for toys and gifts, with more to be announced over the coming months. 

Veronique Pichon, president, Sagoo, said: “We’re very excited to see the return of Rilakkuma to Netflix following such a successful debut last year. The brand is growing apace throughout Europe and consumer demand for licensed product is also increasing. 

“We are looking forward to further building the consumer products offering as new fans are welcomed into the wonderful world of Rilakkuma via his latest Netflix adventures.”

Rilakkuma lands second series on Netflix as Sagoo sees licensing programme ‘growing apace’ in Europe

Posted on by

Rilakkuma, the cute Kawaii bear, will be returning to Netflix for a second series, following a successful debut back in 2019 that has given life to a growing licensing programme managed by the independent agency, Sagoo Licensing.

Production of the new stop-motion animated series is now underway with the title Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure. The series depicts an active day of incidents and meetings that take place when Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Kaoru go to play in an amusement park that is about to close.

San-X’s Rilakkuma brand made its streaming debut in 2019, also on Netflix, when Rilakkuma and Kaoru debuted. The series featured 13 episodes following the duo’s friendship and daily life, as the popular bear went to live in his friend, Kaoru’s apartment.

The fresh content will provide a further boost to the Rilakkuma brand, which is already one of the most popular brands in Japan and is rapidly gaining traction throughout Europe. The growth is largely thanks to the property’s online presence, along with a plethora of new and exciting products coming to market.

Since working with San-X, Sagoo has secured deals with Difuzed for apparel, Graine Créative for arts and crafts, and Pioupiou & Merveilles (Shokid) for toys and gifts, with more to be announced over the coming months. 

Veronique Pichon, president, Sagoo, said: “We’re very excited to see the return of Rilakkuma to Netflix following such a successful debut last year. The brand is growing apace throughout Europe and consumer demand for licensed product is also increasing. 

“We are looking forward to further building the consumer products offering as new fans are welcomed into the wonderful world of Rilakkuma via his latest Netflix adventures.”

Silvergate Media lines up partners in Spin Master, Hot Topic and Forbidden Planet as Hilda returns to Netflix

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Silvergate Media has detailed a tranche of new partners for its popular animated series, Hilda, that includes not only a direct to retail partnership with the pop culture specialist, Forbidden Planet, but the series’ first board game courtesy of Spin Master and an extension of its successful plush line with GUND.

Details of an extending licensing slate for the Scandinavian-inspired animated series have been releases in anticipation of the launch of Hilda’s second season on Netflix this December 14th. Silvergate has secured exclusive retail partnerships with Hot Topic and Forbidden Planet, as well as a slate of new toys.

Co-produced by Silvergate Media and Mercury Films, the 13 x 22-minute episodes in season two of Hilda bring fresh adventures for the blue-haired heroine as she delves deeper into the vast wilderness of Trolberg. The animated series is based on Luke Pearson’s acclaimed graphic novels.

The upcoming second season follows on the success of the multi award-winning first season, which debuted on Netflix in September 2018 and went on to scoop multiple awards including a BAFTA, Kidscreen, International Emmy award and three Annie awards. Silvergate’s licensing programme has been developed to tap into the series’ growing international fanbase.

“The first season of Hilda set the bar high in terms of what a children’s animated series could achieve and it was so rewarding for our creative team that it received the widespread recognition that it did,” said Waheed Alli, CEO at Silvergate Media.

“It’s now a genuine pleasure to bring audiences new adventures in season two that will expand the universe of Trolberg in unexpected ways.”

The US-based pop culture retailer, Hot Topic, is launching an exclusive line of Hilda inspired t-shirts for the North American market. While here in the UK, science fiction and fantasy retail specialist, Forbidden Planet, has an exclusive direct to retail agreement with Silvergate that will see the retailer launch its own line of apparel in 2020 before expanding into homewares and gifting from 2021.

“We’re really excited to be developing our own range of Hilda merchandise,” said Anthony Garnon at Forbidden Planet. “The show’s fantastical storylines and imaginative visuals speak directly to our consumer base and give us plenty of inspiration for products that will stand out on shelf and become must-have items for Hilda fans.”

The growth of the apparel category will be boosted by additional product lines launching to coincide with season two. This includes global toy partner, GUND, which is adding further plush accessory lines targeting girls and teen fans to the main lines which launched earlier this year, and lead publisher Flying Eye Books, who has released three new novelisations tying in with season two.

Additionally, Spin Master is readying the first-ever Hilda board game, scheduled to hit retail from next summer.

Netflix and Ubisoft partner for live-action Assassin’s Creed series – and a promise of more to come

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Ubisoft has partnered with the streaming giant Netflix to develop a new ‘genre-bending’ live action adaptation of its hit video gaming franchise, Assassin’s Creed. It will form part of a multi-project deal with the games publisher that includes other live action, animated, and anime series to follow.

The series will be executive produced by Ubisoft’s own Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik, but is yet to find a showrunner.

“For more than 10 years, millions of fans around the world have helped shape the Assassin’s Creed brand into an iconic franchise,” said Altman. “We’re thrilled to create an Assassin’s Creed series with Netflix and we look forward to developing the next saga in the Assassin’s Creed universe.”

Netflix’s Peter Friedlander, said: “We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that Assassin’s Creed is beloved for.”

The development of the series follows the 2016 cinematic adaptation starring Michael Fassbender, which fell flat among film critics and goers.

Pop culture retailer Geek Retreat to open 100 new UK stores as geek chic continues to rise

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The UK’s geek culture retailer, Geek Retreat, has detailed its plans to open 100 new stores on high streets across the country over the space of the next two years, part of its own plans to ‘breathe new life into town centres.’ The move follows the rapid rise in the popularity of the pop culture scene among consumers today, one that has given rise to the success of the Marvel franchise or the likes of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

The opening of the 100 new Geek Retreat stores will not only ride the crest of the current wave of demand in pop culture and games, but will create around 600 new jobs in the UK.

Board gaming, card trading and tabletop games make up an industry currently worth some £8 billion in the UK alone. This is predicted to grow by 3.1 per cent annually over the next three years, highlighting its continued popularity.

The Geek Retreat franchise – which opened its first store in Glasgow in 2013 and now employs 110 people – is a comic bookstore, gaming cafe and events hub rolled into one. It currently has 14 city-centre stores, including Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, the Wirral, and two in London, which stock geek culture merchandise like comics, posters, clothing, figures and memorabilia as well as games and trading cards.

New stores in Bournemouth, Northampton, Liverpool and are due to open shortly. Northwich and Chelmsford were the most recent stores to open, attracting the largest opening days to date.

All stores do and will commit to a COVID-19 secure environment, with social distancing and hygiene measures in place, to give customers extra piece of mind that they can visit in confidence. Small gaming events can take place with safety guidelines being carefully implemented.

Peter Dobson, chief executive of Geek Retreat, commented: “The UK’s gaming and hobby sector is a real success story and Geek Retreat is a home for the communities who are at the heart of this phenomenon. The wellbeing of our customers and staff has always been incredibly important to us – now more than ever everyone should expect a friendly, safe and clean environment to meet and play.

“We have made sure all of our stores are welcoming and accessible to gamers whatever their interests, providing a place for our loyal customers to get out of the house and play safely post-lockdown.

“This is particularly important for our more vulnerable customers, like those on the autistic spectrum, or with mental health issues where being in an inclusive, welcoming, and social environment is very important. It is strength of the relationships which our stores build with local communities that is a key driver of growth.”

Forbidden Planet teams with Gaumont to launch F is for Family apparel and accessories across the UK

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The French production and distribution studio, Gaumont, has partnered with the UK’s pop culture retailer Forbidden Planet to launch a new line of branded merchandise based on the Netflix Original animated series, F is for Family.

The high street retailer and specialist in the pop culture and geek culture sector, Forbidden Planet will kickstart the partnership with the launch of a range of apparel and giftware including t-shirts, hoodies, accessories such as sew-on patches, enamel keyrings and pin badges.

In addition to this, the ’70s themed animated series will lend its characters to an exclusive line of giftware with art prints, postcards packs, mugs, tea towels, magnets, and travel pass holders. The line is available from this month across the Forbidden Planet stores throughout the UK.

The launch of the new F is for Family line follows the success of the series’ fourth season, with a fifth and final season having just been announced. It coincides with an interview featuring series creator Bill Burr on Forbidden Planet’s new video platform, FPTV. 

Evolution USA, Gaumont’s global licensing and brand management agency across the title brokered the partnership.

Anthony Garnon, licensing and special projects manager at Forbidden Planet, added: “It’s time to take away those 2020 blues with this fantastic range of merchandise. F is for Family is a genuinely laugh out loud series, and I’m honoured to welcome the show and its fans into Forbidden Planet.

“We have got lots of great designs, covering all the fan-favourite characters and more – with additional items coming in 2021 as we plan to grow the range substantially for the next season.”

From the executive producer Vince Vaughn and created by the popular stand-up comedian Bill Burr with Emmy winner Michael Price, F is for Family is an animated half-hour adult comedy that follows the Murphy family back to the 1970s when kids roamed wild, beer flowed freely, and nothing came between a man and his TV.

A new anime Godzilla series is landing on Netflix in 2021

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Godzilla is stomping its way back onto Netflix next year with the launch of a new original anime series titles Godzilla Singular Point. The series is currently in development by the studio bones, the name behind My Hero Academia, and Orange, the popular Japanese animation studio.

Developed under a licensing agreement with Toho, known worldwide for its Godzilla films and manager of the licensing rights to the Godzilla brand, the new anime series will premiere in 2021 with a new cast and original story. It lands following the success of Godzilla anime films, Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater and taps into the growing global appeal of the anime entertainment scene.

Anime studio bones, in partnership with studio Orange, (Beastars, Land of the Lustrous) will produce the series combining hand-drawn and CG animation styles.

In addition to director Atsushi Takahashi, the creative team includes Kan Sawada, composer for countless Doraemon films and series such as Yowamushi Pedal, Japanese science-fiction novelistToh Enjoe making his TV debut as editor and writer for the series, Kazue Kato creator of Blue Exorcist and the hit comic currently serialized in Jump Square will serve as the character designer, and animator Eiji Yamamori from Studio Ghibli films including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Wind Rises will do the Kaiju design.

A new anime Godzilla series is landing on Netflix in 2021

Posted on by

Godzilla is stomping its way back onto Netflix next year with the launch of a new original anime series titles Godzilla Singular Point. The series is currently in development by the studio bones, the name behind My Hero Academia, and Orange, the popular Japanese animation studio.

Developed under a licensing agreement with Toho, known worldwide for its Godzilla films and manager of the licensing rights to the Godzilla brand, the new anime series will premiere in 2021 with a new cast and original story. It lands following the success of Godzilla anime films, Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater and taps into the growing global appeal of the anime entertainment scene.

Anime studio bones, in partnership with studio Orange, (Beastars, Land of the Lustrous) will produce the series combining hand-drawn and CG animation styles.

In addition to director Atsushi Takahashi, the creative team includes Kan Sawada, composer for countless Doraemon films and series such as Yowamushi Pedal, Japanese science-fiction novelistToh Enjoe making his TV debut as editor and writer for the series, Kazue Kato creator of Blue Exorcist and the hit comic currently serialized in Jump Square will serve as the character designer, and animator Eiji Yamamori from Studio Ghibli films including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Wind Rises will do the Kaiju design.

Cyber Group Studios appoints MDL as Italian licensing agent for Gigantosaurus

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Cyber Group Studios has named Maurizio Distefano Licensing Agency its exclusive Italian licensing representative as the firm continues to strengthen its multi-award winning children’s property, Gigantosaurus across the region.

Gigantosaurus, the multi-award winning adventure comedy series produced by Cyber Group Studios, is based on Jonny Duddle’s book of the same name, published by Templar. The book has sold more than 500,000 units worldwide.

The first season is streaming on Netflix and Disney+ globally. The first episodes have been available on Rai Play since September 12th and the series will be broadcast on Rai YoYo as of September 21st. 

Soon to air on Rai (Italy), the series is also currently airing on major international networks throughout 2020, such as Disney Junior worldwide, CCTV in China, Tiny Pop in the UK, Super RTL in Germany, SRC in Canada, SVT in Sweden, and many others.

In addition, seasons two and three have been commissioned by The Walt Disney Company and France Télévisions, while Super RTL (Germany) has acquired season two. 

Buoyed by the series’ on-screen ratings success worldwide, a raft of licensing agreements have been signed with prestigious companies such as Clementoni for puzzles (EMEA), Dino Bikes for bicycles, Templar for books, Play Press for activities and colouring books for kiosks and Witor’s for Easter eggs.

All products will be available in Italy between the end of 2020 and next Easter 2021.

In addition, as part of a global launch, the Master Toy licensee Jakks Pacific Inc will sell a toy line this November in Italy. The Master Toy products are already distributed in the USA, Latin America, Germany, Denmark and Belgium. 

Already available globally and distributed by Bandai in Italy, “Gigantosaurus: The Game” has been designed by Outright Games in collaboration with Cyber Group Studios and developed by Wildsphere Studios. 

Maurizio Distefano CEO of Maurizio Distefano Advisory Srl said: “We truly believe in the strong potential of this series in the Italian territory.

Gigantosaurus has already won the hearts of all children and families globally, thanks to its themes and engaging stories. In each episode, preschoolers jump into a new epic adventure with our four dinosaur friends looking for Gigantosaurus. With the licensing products soon available in Italy, children will be able to recreate these scenes at home with their friends and families.”

Bruno Danzel d’Aumont, International Licensing & Marketing Vice President, Cyber Group Studios, added: “Gigantosaurus is a great global and long-term upper preschool property. I am very confident that Gigantosaurus will be successfully launched in Italy under Maurizio’s leadership by working with the major key players and major retailers.

“Maurizio Distefano has impressive experience in the licensing business that goes back many years and is recognized as such in the Italian market. It is a great pleasure to have Maurizio and his team on board and have them as our brand ambassador in Italy.”

Spin Master Entertainment’s The Mighty Express makes Netflix debut globally

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Spin Master Entertainment has made company history with the launch of its first straight-to-Netflix series, Mighty Express, a new CG animated pre-school series that is rolling onto Netflix globally from today. The launch of the new show marks the 11th children’s franchise to be developed by the children’s entertainment company.

“Spin Master Entertainment excels at developing evergreen global properties through compelling story telling and engaging characters that resonate with audiences,” said Spin Master Entertainment’s executive vice president, Jennifer Dodge.

“From the importance of friendship and teamwork, to boosting kids’ confidence in their own attributes and abilities, the Mighty Express series is a fun place for children to laugh and learn alongside the characters in the show. We are so excited for families to discover our first Netflix original series and we look forward to developing more content for the platform in the future.”

Animated by the Vancouver-based toon house, Atomic Cartoons, Mighty Express is created and executive produced by Keith Chapman, the name behind the global franchises PAW Patrol and Bob the Builder. The series is also executive produced by Dodge and Spin Master’s co-founder and co-CEO, Ronnen Harary.

Highlighting Spin Master’s latest commitment to its multi-platform content strategy, Mighty Express marks Spin Master Entertainment’s first series launching straight to a streaming platform. The Mighty Express franchise is wholly-owned by Spin Master and the company will retain the rights to distribution of the series, including the licensing of consumer products.

A toy line is expected to bow in 2021.

The Mighty Express is set in a vast, playful, and quirky world crisscrossed by railway tracks, a team of trains and their kid best-buddies keep things moving and get the delivery done no matter what the trouble. Each of the trains has a specialty which they use when going on Mega Missions or hauling cargo, be it animals, equipment, or giant dinosaur bones. They always rise to the occasion when trouble strikes.