SALES BECOME ANIMATED
Indie sales agency All Rights Entertainment has achieved a string of pre-sales on “Lendarys,” a family adventure animation film that is currently in advanced stages of production and set for delivery later this year.
The film was licensed to KMBO (France); Flins & Piniculas (Spain); Another World Entertainment (Denmark and Norway); Njuta Films (Sweden); Outsider Films (Portugal); Blitz Film (Ex-Yugoslavia), Five Stars Distribution (Israel), Selim Ramia and Co. (Middle East and North Africa), The Film Group (Greece & Cyprus), Kino Swiat (Poland), Nashe Kino (CIS excluding Baltics), ACME Film (Baltic States) and Madness Entertainment (Mexico).
The film’s story is a quest narrative about a young wizard, an outlaw with a mysterious power, a wacky pachyderm and a fantasy beast called a Lendarys, all on the trail of the wizard’s missing brother.
“Lendarys” is directed by Philippe Duchene and co-directed by Jean-Baptiste Cuvelier. Duchene’s previous work includes acting as lead concept designer on the animation hit “Leap!” (aka “Ballerina”) and as a character designer on Netflix’s animated series “Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles.”
The film is structured as a France-Canada co-production produced by PM S.A. (“Fonzy,” “Holy Lands”) with 2 Minutes Animation (“Calamity,” “Zombillenium,” “Long Way North”) acting as line producer, in association with Caramel Films (Fireheart, Leap!).
K-POP K.O.
Korean tech giant Kakao said Tuesday that it had bought or received pledges representing 40% of the share capital of K-pop agency SM Entertainment. That is the figure that Kakao had sought to buy in a KRW150,000 per share tender offer that defeated a rival bid from BTS-backer Hybe Corp. In recent days, Hybe accepted defeat and would sell its roughly 15% stake in SM. Kakao now gets management control of SM Entertainment, while Hybe gets a deal that sees SM talent work with its fan outreach platforms.
“We will create great synergy based on SM Entertainment’s global K-pop intellectual property and production system and Kakao’s IT and business capability,” Kakao CEO Hong Eun-taek said in a statement on Tuesday. “We’ll speed up the takeover process and announce our business plans among Kakao, Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment.”
ACQUISITION
Kids and family entertainment outfit WildBrain has signed an agreement to fully acquire Toronto-based animation pre-production company House of Cool. Closing consideration for the acquisition will consist of $15.5 million, with $10.25 million through the issuance of 4,479,406 WildBrain shares and $5.25 million in cash (less any debt existing on closing and subject to customary working capital adjustments and holdbacks). Additionally, there is an earn-out of up to $6 million based on collection of tax credits earned up to closing.
YOO ISSUES APOLOGY
Prominent Korean actor Yoo Ah-in used social media on Tuesday to apologise for the disappointment to fans and disruptions to business caused by his alleged misuse of prescription drugs, cannabis, ketamine and cocaine. He attended a Seoul police station for 12 hours on Monday and was released without charge and on Tuesday promised to sincerely cooperate with the ongoing legal probe.
Yoo is scheduled to appear in Korean movie “High Five,” and Netflix movie “The Match,” both of which are completed or in advanced post-production. He is also reported to be attached to Netflix series “Good-Bye Earth.”
APPOINTMENTS
Sarah Fischer, head of human resources at Germany’s leading independent media company Leonine, will join the management board of its holding company on April 1, reporting into CEO, Fred Kogel.
In addition to overseeing the group’s HR unit, she has taken on the role of chief people and sustainability officer, and is now also in charge of all topics related to social responsibility, environment and sustainability at Leonine Studios. – Leo Barraclough
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Meanwhile, international production company and production services provider, The ATS Team has promoted MD and executive VP production Danny Sanz to COO. Sanz’s new role will see him lead the continued international expansion of The ATS Team, with a focus on the U.S., Europe and Latin America production markets. He will work between the company’s London, Los Angeles and Lisbon offices to continue developing its international formats, and build on its team, with CEO Nate Moore at the helm.
Since the start of 2022, Sanz has led the line production of“The Bridge”alongside Workerbee and two seasons of“SAS: Who Dares Wins,” from Minnow Films, both in Vietnam.
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Elsewhere, Maximiliane Prokop will join Bavaria Fiction as executive producer based in Berlin on 1 April, reporting into Marcus Ammon, managing director content.Prokop most recently worked as a producer at X Filme Creative Pool on the ZDF series “Doktor Ballouz,” the RTL event series “Das Haus der Träume,” the ZDF political thriller series “Furia” and the Grimme Award-winning series “Tina mobil.”
CANNESERIES
Kiyo Films has revealed a trailer for Cannesseries Short Format Competition title, Patrick William Smith’s comedy mockumentary “Groundbreaking.” The show follows Gale – 15 years into a demoralizing career that has shattered her romantic and unrealistic expectations of archaeology – who embarks on what she secretly knows will be her final dig. Accompanied by her colorful crew and vagabond pseudo-family (Goose, Reilly, Finn, and intern Ori), Gale arrives in the uber-religious town of St. Quinn, Ireland – encountering a hostile community, a rancorous contractor eager to slow their work, and a series of inexplicable events that indicate something bizarre is at work on this mysterious island.
The cast includes Natalie Cutler, Steven He, Brian Villalobos, Clara Guziewicz, Theo Holt Bailey, Bar Reddin and Jean Law.
Watch the trailer here:
