European powerhouse Studio 100 has taken another step in its international expansion by acquiring New York-based animation studio Little Airplane Productions. Known for bringing hit preschool series such as Wonder Pets, Small Potatoes, Super Wings and P. King Duckling to life, Little Airplane was founded by president Josh Selig in 1999 and has since earned numerous accolades, include 21 Emmy Awards.
“I am thrilled that Little Airplane has joined forces with our friends at Studio 100 and all of their amazing companies,” commented Selig. “There is a great synergy between our businesses and our teams, and we look forward to creating and producing new content together that will resonate with children around the world.”
Little Airplane has created original animated concepts as well as working on many international co-productions. The company has worked closely with major US broadcasters such as Disney, Nickelodeon and Sprout, and established strong links with European players KiKA, CBeebies and Canal+. Notably, Little Airplane has broken new ground in the Chinese market, working with local partners to develop content which has also sold outside China such as Super Wings.
“I have greatly admired the work of Little Airplane for years,” said Hans Bourlon, co-founder/CEO of Studio 100 with Gert Verhulst. “It’s a unique company. It has amazing creative strength and has produced the most fantastic series and songs. My absolute favourite is ‘The Potato Train’ from Small Potatoes.”
Selig will be working closely with Bourlon and with Hans Ulrich Stoef, CEO of Studio 100 Media and m4e. Little Airplane will continue to focus on developing and producing new projects, in close cooperation with Studio 100’s animation studios, Studio 100 Animation in Paris and Flying Bark Productions in Sydney, and will also continue developing for its third party clients. Studio 100 Media (Munich) takes care of international content sales, the exploitation of licences and merchandising, as well as the worldwide distribution of new brands and productions.
“We have been working successfully with Josh and his team for many years and currently develop Fun Town Wheels and Rock, Tacco, Balloon with him. So we are very excited about having this opportunity to join forces on a broader level,” said Stoef. “After m4e and I linked up with Studio 100 at the beginning of this year, the next logical step in the international expansion was to go into partnership with Little Airplane Productions. We have been impressed by the accomplishments of Little Airplane Productions and their great expertise in children’s and family entertainment. We are very much looking forward to producing world-class creations together.”
