Animated series inspired by Doug The Pug in the works

EXCLUSIVE: US prodco Kickstart Entertainment is developing a new toon aimed at six to 11s based on the web-famous dog.
January 18, 2023

It’s one small step for celebrity pugs, but one romp in the park for the creator economy as LA’s Kickstart Entertainment (StarBeam) puts a new series called Doug The Pug into development.

The project is based on the real-life canine celebrity who has accumulated a large following on social media; his Instagram clocks in at 3.7 million followers and his Facebook friends number 5.7 million. Leslie Mosier and Rob Chianelli are the owners of Doug and the creators of his online brand.

Kickstart is working on a 2D-animated series starring the pug that will target kids ages six to 11 and feature 11-minute episodes. The studio is currently shopping the concept to distributors. 

New York-based Whalar Talent, which specializes in creator brands, is the management agency for Doug, and its managing director Victoria Bachan will executive produce the series alongside Loris Kramer Lunsford (Johnny Test).

Bachan says that internet-born IPs represent an expanding area of talent development for kids and family entertainment, and they also come with the bonus of a built-in fan base. 

“With the Doug the Pug brand [especially], being able to have a living, breathing, always-updated social platform as an extension to the traditional content makes it a more well-rounded and exciting experience for fans,” notes Bachan. 

Doug has already gone for a short walk in the world of entertainment, with a voice acting credit on Sony’s CG-animated film The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021) and music video appearances with artists like Katy Perry and DNCE. And Scholastic published a picture book called Doug the Pug and the Kindness Crew in 2021. Aimed at four- to eight-year-olds, the book follows Doug on a mission to see how many acts of kindness he can complete with his friends.

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