- Just Play has signed a global master toy deal for Universal Products & Experiences’ Shrek franchise (pictured) and is working on a range that includes plush, collectibles and games. The plan is to stage a rollout of just a few lead products in 2025, followed by the full line in late 2026—just in time for the premiere of DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming fifth Shrek movie on December 23.
- Spanish-language kids brand El Reino Infantil is bringing its La Granja de Zenón touring stage show to the US in partnership with live events company BlueTeam Group. Following runs in LatAm, Spain and Argentina, this stage adaptation will make its stateside debut in August, with around 100 dates planned. It’s based on a same-name CG-animated series from El Reino that has generated roughly 18 million YouTube views in the US over the past year.
- Totoy, the Florida-based children’s media company behind CG-animated preschool series José Totoy, has signed on with talent agency Gersh to drive global expansion for this flagship brand. José Totoy is already quite popular in Brazil and LatAm territories, where it consistently makes the top-10 kids content rankings on Prime, YouTube and Netflix. Totoy is also attending the Cannes Film Market this week, possibly signaling that a José Totoy movie is on the horizon.
- HarperCollins Productions and Hobie Films are teaming up to produce an animated film adaptation of 1970 children’s novel The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White. This kidlit classic has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, telling the story of a voiceless swan who learns to play the trumpet and strikes up a friendship with a boy who’s not too fond of birds. On board to write the screenplay are David Guion and Michael Handelman, who previously teamed up for last year’s family pic Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Deals in Brief – May 12, 2025
Shrek gets a new master toy licensee in Just Play, and HarperCollins and Hobie Films team up to adapt The Trumpet of the Swan for the big screen.
May 12, 2025
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