Kartoon Channel is producing a new series of Winnie the Pooh movies and TV shows coming to Amazon for viewers who subscribe to the Kartoon Channel. These projects will be developed using AI technology.
This ambitious move will launch with an animated Christmas filmA Hundred Acre Christmasand will be followed by five Christmas specials and 104 episodes of a series launched over four years.
Kartoon Studios will also launch a major merchandising push through a deal with national retail distributor Alliance Entertainment and a global launch of consumer products.
President and CEO of Kartoon Studios Andy Heyward said in a statement: “Leveraging A.A. Milne’s enormous heritage inherent to Winnie-The-Pooh, unique designs and storytelling, as well as production efficiency leveraging artificial intelligence, the new iteration of the timeless brand of Kartoon Studios will have an exceptional set of attributes that we believe will drive extraordinary profitability for the company.”
The designs of the projects will be based on AA Milne’s original character art and stories. Pre-production on A Hundred Acre Christmas has already begun and the plan is to release it on December 25, 2025. The other films and TV series will follow at later dates.
It’s explained that “the animated content will feature” a ‘yarn-based’ designer and palette for the characters and backgrounds, along with original modern stories inspired by the classic books. The stories will be told in rhyme ‘Seussian style’. Artificial intelligence was used alongside human work to develop the look.”
Heyward added: “With Winnie-the-Pooh Disney has created an iconic and hugely successful global brand that we have all admired so much for many decades.
“When the property entered the public domain, we knew we could only embark on creating Pooh for a new generation if we could bring a completely new, different and unique look that was contemporary, protectable and gave voice to the characters and stories created by AA Milne, as has never been done before.”
He continued: “At a time when our world can be confusing for children, Pooh is an oasis of goodness, grounded in family, friendship, kindness and love.
“These are the exact values that our version of Pooh will showcase as we focus on transforming Kartoon Studios’ Winnie-The-Pooh into a long-term global megabrand, through which the simple, comforting values originally envisioned by AA Milne, will endure forever”.
Steven A. HorowitzThe senior managing director of WTP SPV and Catalyst Venture Partners added: “Being able to participate in a timeless and proven children’s classic like Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, through the production of original animated content and the licensing of products consumption from those proprietary character designs and stories, it’s a unique opportunity that we’re very excited about.
“Andy Heyward and the team at Kartoon Studios have a long history of producing successful children’s films. An array of award-winning talent across development, manufacturing, marketing, consumer products and distribution have been brought together to manage the launch of the brand and we are thrilled to be part of what we are confident will be an extremely profitable business and long-lasting business.”
These projects will be financed through a joint venture production financing agreement with WTP SPV1, a subsidiary of Catalyst Venture Partners. The $30 million deal is non-dilutive for current Kartoon shareholders, with Catalyst only taking equity stakes in the shows and films.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
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