Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, WeKids and Toon Boom Animation are expanding their existing partnership in China and launching a local kids’ animation incubator competition, with the aim of discovering fresh talent, and developing and producing a slate of original properties. Jointly funded by all three partners, the contest will be open to submissions starting January 2018.
“We are looking forward to working even more closely with the talented teams at WeKids and Toon Boom,” said Scott Dyer, President, Nelvana. “Expanding our presence in China is a priority for Nelvana, and this continued partnership is the right step as we grow our footprint in the international market. We are committed to bringing original and engaging content to our Chinese fans through this inspiring and creative competition.” Nelvana is one of the world’s leading producers and distributors of children’s animation and live-action content, producing a stable of award-winning titles and boasting a 4,000+ episode library.
“We are very excited to start working on this brand-new project with Nelvana and Toon Boom,” said Sean Chu, Founder and CEO, WeKids. “Our partnership thus far has been incredibly successful, and we are thrilled to be supporting both the development of animation based on Chinese stories and local Chinese talent to produce content for an international audience with Nelvana and Toon Boom as our partners.” WeKids is the local market leader in providing top quality animation from around the world to kids and families in Greater China, working with digital distribution partners and overseeing overall licensing and brand management.
“We recognize the need for quality content and innovative Toon Boom talent. We are proud to partner with Nelvana and WeKids to promote China and bring Chinese stories to the world,” said Francois Lalonde, Co-President, Toon Boom Animation. The company’s award-winning software solutions including Harmony and Storyboard Pro have become the global standard for 2D animation production, being used by studios such as Bento Box, Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Fox TV Animation, Mercury Filmworks, Nelvana, and The Spa Studios.
