Deals of the Week: SVT, Trustbridge, WildBrain CPLG
SVT
Sweden’s public broadcaster is looking to fight boredom superhero-style with a new 52 x 11-minute series called Super Brakan & Ice-Bella (pictured). SVT commissioned this CG-animated project from local studio Nuttery Entertainment and Toonz Media Group for a 2025 premiere. Episodes will center around a team of young heroes who use the power of imagination to stop an evil scientist’s schemes to remove fun from the world (by building a machine to turn every ice cream flavor into vanilla, for example). The show is based on 30-plus Håkan Bråkan books penned by Swedish authors Anders Jacobsson and Sören Olsson that have been published by Rabén & Sjögren since the ’90s. Toonz is handling animation production and worldwide distribution.
Trustbridge Entertainment
Headed up by president Bob Higgins, who’s been in place for a year now, New York’s Trustbridge Entertainment has partnered with entertainment executive Suzie Domnick’s Very Big World Entertainment prodco to adapt a nine-book Emily Windsnap series about a 12-year-old mermaid into a live-action adventure show. The companies plan to wrap production on the family-friendly project in early 2024. Liz Kessler is the writer behind the book series, which has sold 5.5 million copies in 28 languages since its 2003 debut. Candlewick Press is set to release book number 10 in spring 2025.
WildBrain CPLG
WildBrain’s licensing agency and SEGA have just closed several licensing deals for their Netflix original series Sonic Prime. New partners include Ravensburger (puzzles, games and crafts in Europe and MENA); Cooneen by Design (apparel in the UK and Ireland); Dulcop International (toys in Europe and MENA); Educa Borras (toys and puzzles in Iberia, France and Lebanon); TM Essentials (crafts and stationery in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg); Kubbinga (outdoor products in Benelux); and Markidis (branded Easter eggs in Greece). They join existing toy licensees such as Israel’s PMI and Jakks Pacific.
TeamTO
Looking to spotlight female historical figures on the small screen, French prodco TeamTO has acquired the rights to a kidlit franchise called Elisabeth, Princess of Versailles. The book series from children’s author Annie Jay is about the youngest sister of King Louis XVI. TeamTO plans to adapt the books into an animated adventure series that will see the French princess investigating mysteries and using her quick wit and math skills to solve problems. Kids publisher Albin Michel Jeunesse has released 26 titles in the book series since 2015, and they’ve collectively sold more than 1.5 million copies across print, audio and ebook formats.