After captivating global audiences with the evergreen Winx Club and the award-winning 44 Cats, Italy’s animation pioneer Iginio Straffi and his entertainment company Rainbow Group are ready to bring a classic children’s tale to screens, partnering with global animation major Toonz Media Group for Pinocchio and Friends.
The two studios have teamed up to produce a contemporary, amusing children’s series based on legendary Italian author Carlo Collodi’s masterpiece The Adventures of Pinocchio, the fairy tale which has inspired multiple generations of kids around the world. The 26 x 12’ CGI show is expected to hit the small screen by the end of 2021 and will be targeted at 4- to 7-year olds.
“The new Pinocchio I imagined speaks to children in a light-hearted, educational way and empowers their dreams. Families will love this compelling series and kids will find their new TV hero in Pinocchio,” commented Straffi, Founder & CEO of Rainbow Group. “We are glad to partner with Toonz, combining the great expertise of both our solid and international teams, which will be indeed an asset of this great production for a worldwide audience”
“Giving life to a world classic is always a challenge, but at the same time very exciting as well. We are happy that Toonz has got a great partner in Rainbow to take up this challenge and deliver Pinocchio as a top-notch series with very high-quality content. I am sure kids across the world will love and enjoy this show,” said P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group.
Paying tribute to Collodi’s avant garde work, Straffi reimagined a story that many studios have tried to adapt – but with fresh eyes and a modern twist. Pinocchio and Friends transports the classic character into today’s world of bustle and smartphones, filling his world with adventure, comedy, fun and educational elements while bringing out the essence of what makes the original character of Pinocchio so inspirational and timeless.
Synopsis: Pinocchio is an enchanted puppet living in today’s world, one where anything is possible. He grows alongside his best friends – Grandpa Geppetto, the pirate doll Freeda and the Talking Cricket – as he dreams of one day becoming a real boy by following the advice of the Fairy with Turquoise hair. Characters from the original story are joined by new ones in a fantabulous setting that promises to bring fresh air to televisions around the world, and to the licensing market.
While the pre-production, post-production and supervision operations will be carried out at Rainbow studios in Italy, the animation – from 3D asset creation to final lighting, rendering and compositing – will be done at Toonz’s studios. Toonz will handle distribution rights of the show in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Spain and Portugal. Toonz will also hold the licensing and merchandising rights of the show in the Indian subcontinent. Distribution and L&M rights in the rest of the world will be handled by Rainbow.
Pinocchio and Friends is slated to debut in Q4 2021.
