Have you ever wondered what a Zombified Cinderella or Snow White might look like in the Dia de los Muertos universe? Next-generation transmedia company Elf Labs is planning to try its hand at projects just like these by bringing to life reimagined versions of dozens of classic characters.
Los Angeles-based Elf Labs launched this week after amassing more than 400 copyrights and 140 trademarks for some of the most popular characters in children’s literature, including Peter Pan, Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty.
Deadline reports that Elf Labs is building an immersive, cloud-based streaming platform for the characters and will also launch character-based content directly on YouTube, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. Animation tools have been developed using artificial intelligence and digital distribution, with content aimed at all age groups.
Elf Labs has DreamWorks alumni and Beavis and Butthead director Mike De Seve and branding industry titan Bernt Ullman on his team and Cosmic Wire in the global technology sector as a partner and investor.
Founder of the company Billy Phillipswho initially acquired the character brands, is now President and Creative Director, while his son David Phillips has been CEO since 2022. Mark Rowen has been hired as Head of Content and Thomas Gerrit is Head of Partnerships.
De Seve, founder of Baboon Animation, will work with Elf Labs’ IP to develop and produce content, which Elf Labs will then use as a starting point to close character licensing deals.
De Seve said: “A creative production is only as good as its plot, and the stellar roster of characters that Elf Labs has secured has provided my team with an incredible starting point.”
The first is RoboStarsa series that includes characters like Robo Cinderella and Robo Pinocchio “as a metaphor for free will, inspiring children with the power to reject robotic reactions to internal and external challenges because we all possess the power to create proactive, positive change,” according to Laboratories of the Elves.
“The Elf Labs platform is a multi-patented system designed to incubate, develop and launch mega IP franchises,” said David Phillips, CEO of Elf Labs. “Combining the world’s most iconic IP with captivating, creative and revolutionary technology will allow Elf Labs to truly reimagine entertainment.”
He added that Elf Labs will generally look to release content on its own, but admitted that “it makes sense to work with other platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime” and was talking to potential partners.
The company’s origins can be traced back to 1913, when the Rand McNally mapping company launched the Elf Children book division (later renamed Junior Elf) and published “Cinderella” expanding a library of more than 200 titles.
After the library was bought and sold several times in the late 20th century, it was acquired in 2012 by Toon Studio, led by Phillips’ father, Billy Phillips.
A period of court battles followed when Toon Studio began trademarking characters such as Cinderella Zombie around 2012 and 2013. The United States Patent and Trademark Office and USPTO initially rejected a number of applications, but after appeals at the highest level, Toon Studios was victorious.
“My father started this company 14 years ago because he came across the book Junior Elf,” David Phillips said. “He saw an opportunity to monetize and build words without going through gatekeepers, so he started recording characters over the years.”
As part of the USPTO’s trademark registration process, those considered competitors like Disney were given the right to challenge decisions. In the end Toon Studio won by registering more than 140 characters, which have been on the market for several years.
Many classic characters are well past the 70-year copyright limit after their authors’ deaths, while trademarks usually last about a decade before needing to be renewed. In recent years we have seen characters like Winnie-the-Pooh revived in new forms after they were no longer protected by copyright.
What do you think about the reimagining of these characters? I don’t see the point in remaking them, as I think Disney did a great job of turning them into memorable stories that fans enjoyed.
I think creating new characters would be the best route, but who knows? Maybe they have some great ideas for bringing these characters to life in new and exciting ways.
by Jessica Fisher
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
