- PGS Entertainment will handle worldwide distribution (excluding France and Canada) for Bayard Jeunesse Production’s 2D-animated series Vampirette & Me (pictured). France Télévisions commissioned this 52 x 11-minute comedy about the friendship between a human and a vampire, set in a school full of magical creatures. It’s aimed at six- to eight-year-olds, and Bayard Jeunesse (SamSam) will present the series at Cartoon Forum in September.
- China’s UYoung has licensed more than a dozen English-language series from European producers/distributors for its Ukids app. These pick-ups include Blue Zoo’s Alphablocks (83 x five minutes) and Numberblocks (150 x five minutes), Magic Light Pictures’ Pip and Posy (104 x seven minutes), Horrible Science (15 x 25 minutes) from the BBC and Silly Sundays (78 x seven minutes) from Cartoon Saloon (via distributor Superights). A subscription-based app, Ukids is aimed at zero- to nine-year-olds and has more than 300,000 daily active users.
- LA-based Alcon Media Group has acquired Village Roadshow Entertainment Group’s library of 108 feature films in a US$417.5-million deal. It includes rights and royalties to a catalogue featuring kids & family titles such as The LEGO Movie, Happy Feet, Wonka and Ready Player One. Village Roadshow filed for bankruptcy protection in March, and Alcon emerged shortly after as the stalking horse bidder to purchase its assets.
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