Amid the bustle of last week’s Annecy Festival and MIFA market, French major Mediawan Kids & Family showcased it’s massive slate of animated originals and co-pros across series and film and a range of genres. The studio also shared its latest news, revealing a number of notable projects and partnerships:
As part of their strategic partnership inked in 2022, Good Hero studio and Mediawan’s Method Animation announced their first co-production: the CG-animated series Tales of the Miruu: Vet Explorers (Kids 8+, 13 x 26′). Currently in development, the show is created by Laurent Zeitoun (co-founder of Good Hero) and written by Zeitoun and Nina Bargiel.
At Oddar Wildlife Reserve, the animals are out of this world. Literally. Here, the world’s top vets care for Miruu – alien animals with fantastical powers who sought refuge on Earth after their planet was destroyed. From spewing goo to defying gravity, most powers are harmless — but, if a Miruu feels ill or threatened, their powers can turn destructive. Many were scared of the Miruu, but a group of brave vets campaigned to build a place for them.
There was also good news for Osamu Tezuka fans, as it was confirmed that French broadcaster TF1 has boarded the development of Method and Shibuya Productions’ reboot of Astro Boy. The project was announced in 2022.
“We are thrilled to develop the reboot of Astro Boy, the iconic character created by Osamu Tezuka, with our longstanding partner TF1, who has been a key partner on the success of the Miraculous franchise,” said Katell France, Managing Director & Head of Content at Method Animation. “This new series we’re developing around this unique character, whose values such as the coexistence of technology and nature, tolerance, and friendship perfectly embody Mediawan Kids & Family values, while aligning with our strategy of creating major franchises for kids & families. We are excited to bring Astro Boy back to life through this reboot, with new stories our audiences can relate to.”
Additionally, Mediawan K&F has joined forces with France Televisions to produce Tuff Pom, from Wildseed Studios and Method Animation. Aimed at Kids 6+, the 52 x 11′ mixed-media comedy series is created by Joel Mackenzie and directed by Khalil ben Naamane.
Tuff Pom is a warm-hearted sibling comedy about two Pomeranian brothers, Tuff Pom (an adorable live-action pup) and Pompeii (a hand-drawn 2D character), and what happens when their parents retire, leaving them in charge of the family shop. Episodes could be as basic as trying to order a pizza, or as ultra-complicated as getting wi-fi set up on Pompeii’s new virtual reality visor.
Hopping across the Channel, Mediawan K&F has signed on to co-produce and distribute Duck & Frog, the first series commission from BBC’s Ignite animation initiative to go into production. Created by Sam Shaw, the 50 x 7′, 2D-animated series for Kids 7-12 is produced by Sun & Moon in Bristol, U.K., in partnership with BBC.
Duck & Frog tells the story of a long suffering ducktrying to live a quiet life, and his larger than life, eccentric frog flatmate who tries to live a loud one! Each episode begins with Duck (voiced by Humza Arshad) accepting a brand new job from a temp agency. From security guard to circus clown, no career is off limits as Duck tries his best to get the job done and finally make rent. However it doesn’t take long for his dreams of keeping a job longer than a day to crumble before him. Problems begin to mount up, mainly due to his overbearing flatmate Frog (Matt Berry) showing up. Frog is an eccentric amateur actor who bores easily and will do anything to keep himself entertained… and worst of all, he’s signed up to the same temp agency mailing list! So whether as a fellow employee, a deliberately difficult customer, or in any number of disguises he has crumpled in his wardrobe, Frog haunts Duck’s day to day, pushing every day scenarios to their maximum drama potential while Duck tries to put out any metaphorical (and sometimes literal) fires Frog causes.
Other spotlight projects included a slate of feature films from Mediawan Kids & Family Cinema:
- Twisted (Kids & Family) – A modern fairy tale/buddy comedy about a smooth-talking teen who teams up with a truth-telling creature on a quest across Italy to save her home town from an evil curse. Directed by Lino DiSalvo, written by Kissy Dugan, co-produced by Palomar Animation.
- Meow-Woof (Kids & Family) – After eating some mysterious kibble, athletic search & rescue dog Elvis and lazy tomcat Palmetto wake up to discover they’ve switched bodies on the most important day of their lives. Directed by Louis Clichy, written by Clichy and Christophe Turpin, produced with Big Band.
- Spike (Family) – A 3D animal adventure about Spike, the alpha rhino in his heard, who gets lost in the wilds with his teenage son Enzo and dehorned by poachers. Losing his sense of self, Spike gradually learns from Enzo through their journey that it is OK to be vulnerable. Created by Julia Louw, written by Mpho Osei-Tutu, produced by Submarine, co-pro with Diprente.
- Dansker (Adults) – Set in the 1970s, the 2D drama centers on James, who leaves his dark and violent past in Turkey behind to make a new life in Denmark, where he soon falls into the criminal underworld and abandons his family. But when his children are in danger, James solves one more problem with violence before he gives up crime for good. Based on the graphic novel by Halfdan Pisket, written and directed by Jonas Rasmussen (Flee), produced by Submarine, co-pro with Doghouse Films.
Submarine is also in development on new premium series Infinite Kung Fu, and adult 2D action/adventure series (10 x 44′) co-produced by IDW set in a post-apocalyptic future where a new blend of swordcraft and spirituality is humanity’s only hope against an invasion of the undead; and Kiranmala, a kids’ (7+) 3D-animated comedy-adventure (13 x 22′) based on the book by Sayontoni DasGupta, about a suburban 12-year-old who finds herself transported to a dimension of myth and magic to fulfill her destiny, co-produced by Rebel Maverick and starring Freida Pinto.
Method Animation is at work on new originals and adaptations, notably Pango, a new 2D-animated preschool series (78 x 7′) based on the popular app from Studio Pango; and Masked Cinderella (Kids 6+, 52 x 11′), a modern twist on a fairy tale adventure which reimagines the famous character as a high school student who fights evil as her heroic alter ego.
Somewhere Animation is busy with colorful 2D projects, such as the new comedy toon Chococat & Me (Kids 6+, 52 x 11′), based on the comics by Alexandre Arlène and Fabien Öckto Lambert, about a schoolboy named Louie who is dropped into the cat-populated world of the Feline Quarter in a school exchange program mix up.
These are just a few of the animated treats cooking at Mediawan Kids & Family; visit mediawan.com for more info.
