Haven Global
The Wiggles are tuning up a new licensing partnership with Haven Global. The Aussie agency—whose other clients in the kids space include Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon and Pokémon—will manage the 31-year-old music group’s consumer products program worldwide going forward, initially focusing on setting up new apparel and toy deals. The Wiggles have sold more than 30 million albums and are about to embark on a tour that will take them across Australia in November and December. Prime Video picked up the group’s new documentary, Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles, and plans to launch it worldwide on October 24.
Epic Story Media
The Toronto-based company has signed on to help develop, finance, produce and distribute a new CG-animated series for upper preschoolers called Issa’s Edible Adventures (pictured, 52 x 11 minutes). Created by Toonz Media Group and American celebrity chef Aliya LeeKong, it’s built around an aspiring young cook who travels the world in search of rare ingredients she needs to complete her dishes. Epic has exclusive distribution and L&M rights in North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, with Toonz handling all other regions. The author of several acclaimed cookbooks, LeeKong has appeared as a judge on Food Network shows including Kitchen Casino, Beat Bobby Flay and Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition. She also launched an Issa’s Edible Adventures app in 2018 that’s designed to teach kids about food from around the world.
Dandelooo
The French distributor has picked up global rights to Canadian studio Tobo Media’s The Great White North holiday special. This 2D-animated one-off (60 minutes) is a sequel to Tobo’s miniseries Dounia (six x seven minutes), which Dandelooo also represents. The Great White North is aimed at kids ages six to nine with a story about a seven-year-old girl from Syria who moves to Canada and has to adjust to a different culture. Production is completed, but the special hasn’t aired anywhere yet.