Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana announced today a development deal with Japan’s Polygon Pictures to deliver Japanese-originated animated content for kids. The new development collaboration leverages Polygon’s position and reputation in the Japanese market with Nelvana’s track record of partnering to bring Japanese animation hits — such as Bakugan, Beyblade and Cardcaptor Sakura — to global audiences.
Assisting Nelvana and Polygon with this new venture is veteran animation expert Rika Sasaki, who has developed expertise in managing Japanese IP for global export through her previous roles at d-rights Inc., ADK Emotion and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions.
“Nelvana has enjoyed tremendous success over the years working with several notable Japanese content companies on such brands as Bakugan, Beyblade and Cardcaptor Sakura, and we are excited to team up with Polygon Pictures to uncover the next big global hit,” said Colin Bohm, EVP Content and Corporate Strategy, Corus Entertainment. “We’ve long admired Polygon Pictures, a truly innovative and creative studio, and we couldn’t be happier to be working together.”
Operating for over 50 years, Nelvana produces and distributes a slate of a award-winning and globally recognized kids’ animation and live-action brands. The studio’s content airs on Corus kids’ channels in Canada and in more than 180 countries worldwide. Its 5,000-plus episode library has won more than 70 international awards, including Emmys and Canadian Screen Awards.
The collaboration will focus on Japanese properties aimed at younger audiences, drawing inspiration from both existing legacy content and creating new perspectives such as lifestyle, publishing and design.
“Over the past 10 plus years, Doug Murphy, President and CEO of Corus Entertainment, Colin, and I have had many impassioned discussions about how we can synergize our strengths, to create global hits out of properties originating from Japan” said Shuzo Shiota, President of Polygon Pictures. “With the help of Rika, I believe the time is finally ripe to achieve this goal. I am beyond excited at the prospect of what this partnership will bring.”
Founded in July 1983, Polygon Pictures is one of the largest digital animation studios in Japan. Including its subsidiary studios in Malaysia and India, the company employs more than 300 creators from around the world. Noteworthy productions include Knights of Sidonia, multiple Transformers series, Star Wars Resistance, Stillwater, Pingu in the City, and more.
