Mattel

The toyco is partnering with attraction-builder Crystal Lagoons Island Resort to create its first-ever theme park.

Set to open in Glendale, Arizona in late 2022, the Mattel Adventure Park will feature branded content such as a Hot Wheels roller coaster (pictured) and go-karts, and a Thomas & Friends indoor theme park including the first life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine train that passengers can actually ride. It will also have branded restaurants and retail outlets.

Boat Rocker

The Toronto-based prodco has signed new broadcast deals for its 3D-animated preschool toon Dino Ranch.

Cartoonito (Italy) and HOP (Israel) will premiere the animated series in September; SVT (Sweden) plans to launch it in Q4; and pubcasters TVP (Poland) and HRT (Croatia) are lining it up to debut in 2022.

The 52 x 11-minute comedy-adventure series is about a ranching family that tames dinosaurs and explores the outdoors. Industrial Brothers chief creative officer Matt Fernandes is the mastermind behind the concept, and the two companies are producing the series together.

Dino Ranch premiered on Disney Junior (US) and CBC (Canada) in January. And it has also been picked up by Super RTL and TOGGO Plus (Germany), Gulli (France), NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland).

Universal

Take a deep breath. Meditation platform Calm and Universal are working together to create Trolls-themed mindfulness content.

Anna Kendrick (Trolls World Tour) is narrating a three x five-minute short series called Adventures in Perfect Harmony: Mindful Stories with Your Pal Poppy and 30-minute bedtime story Poppy and the Quest for Calm.

The new content features friendly troll Poppy sharing stories about mindfulness, self-love and relaxation. Both the shorts and the one-off are exclusively available now on the Calm app and website.

WildBrain

Toronto-based WildBrain Television has picked up HBO Max original series Baketopia to start airing on Family Channel June 14.

The 12 x 30-minute unscripted baking competition show is driven by chef and influencer Rosanna Pansino, who guides competitors through dessert challenges for a chance to win US$10,000. This broadcast deal marks the first time the family-friendly series, which debuted on HBO Max in March, will air in Canada. B17 Entertainment’s Rhett Bachner and Brien Meagher are executive producing the show along with Melissa Stokes and EP/showrunner Patrick Dooty (Nailed It). Lauren Riihimaki is on board as a producer