Portlandia co-creator Jonathan Krisel is in talks to direct Legendary Leisure’s sequel to Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Deadline experiences. Chris Galletta (The Kings of Summer season) is writing the script impressed by the smash hit online game franchise. Krisel is repped by UTA, Mosaic and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman. Galletta is repped by UTA and Nameless Content material.
The primary Detective Pikachu flick, directed by Rob Letterman, was launched by Warner Bros. Footage in 2019 and grossed greater than $430 million worldwide. The live-action outing that includes 3D CG Pokémon starred Ryan Reynolds because the voice of Pikachu, Justice Smith, Ken Watanabe and Kathryn Newton; Reynolds is presumed to make a return look within the sequel.
Toonz Leisure (Pinocchio and Associates, Zoonicorn, Rat-a-tat, Briko, Darwin and Newts), the distribution wing of worldwide children and household leisure main Toonz Media Group, has appointed Bernhard Stephan as Director, Business Distribution and Maria Romanelli as Senior Gross sales Supervisor for Italy. These newly created roles within the gross sales arm are a part of Toonz Ent. restructuring with the purpose to turn out to be a number one distribution companion throughout totally different geographies.
“We’re including 258 hours of extra content material to our distribution catalogue this yr and along with our companions we’re optimistic about buying new enterprise, as there may be all the time demand for high quality children and household leisure content material,” mentioned Bruno Zarka, President – TV Co-production, Distribution & Syndication Division.
Stephan began his media profession in 2000 with TV Loonland AG as Head of Licensing earlier than transferring on to Discovery Networks as Supervisor EMEA within the Program Gross sales & Licensing Division (at this time Warner Media), based mostly in Munich & Moscow. He has additionally labored as Nation Supervisor Russia & CEE at Crimson Bull Media Home (representing and managing all media of Crimson Bull Media Home & Terra Mater Studios), based mostly in Moscow and took administration roles as CCO at YFE AG and Head of Media at Animaccord.
Romanelli, an business veteran having over 4 many years of expertise in creating worldwide enterprise and Licensing & Merchandising, began her profession in mid-’80s within the U.Okay. at CPLG as Head of Worldwide, Maria was instrumental in establishing the Italian division of Shopper Merchandise for Warner Bros and restructuring the U.Okay. one. Additional on, she joined Saban and was concerned over the years with Fox Children and Jetix. Along with her Licensing & Merchandising work, she was concerned in TV Coproduction, TV and Video Distribution (6,000+ of applications).
Arles- and Annecy-based animation studio/prodco TNZPV (previously Tu Nous ZA Pas Vus; Pachyderm, Whit e Fang, Marona’s Incredible Talil, Two Birds, The Coop Troop) welcomes Boris Hertzog to its technique committee. Hertzog is the previous Managing Director of Mikros Animation and has simply fashioned his consulting firm, BH Conseils. He’ll assist and advise TNZPV from its historic web site in Arles and in its actions, notably on the worldwide market.
Hertzog started his animation profession in 2002 after 10 years in authorized and finance, serving to kind Perspective Studio and serving as MD and Board member. In 2004, he was awarded the Entrepreneur Journal Grand Prize for Rising Firm, and in 2005 took half within the creation of Cap Digital, of which he was vice-President accountable for SMEs. He arrange OuiDO! Leisure with Sandrine Nguyen in 2007, promoting the Collection division to Groupe Lagardère in 2008. Between 2008 and 2013, he and Nguyen ran Genao Productions earlier than creating OuiDO Productions and bringing again from Lagardère all developments on the sequence Alvin and the Chipmunks, Sonic Growth, Mini Wolf and The Legendaries.
In 2015, they accepted a suggestion from Technicolor to purchase OuiDO Productions. They continued to run the corporate, now known as Technicolor Animation Productions, which has produced greater than 10 animated sequence since 2013. In 2021, Technicolor introduced that it will be grouping collectively its CGI animation studios – Technicolor Animation Productions, Technicolor Animation and Mikros Animation – beneath the model Mikros Animation. Hertzog was appointed MD of the brand new group, organized between Paris, Montreal and Bangalore. He remained on this place till late February 2023.
Nexus Studios has signed Bonnie Taylor Forsyth to its animation expertise roster. “Bonnie is an thrilling new directorial voice arising within the business. Her versatile and fluid method to 2D animation means she all the time hits the temporary, crafting vibrant and compelling tales for each venture. We’re thrilled she’s becoming a member of our roster,” mentioned Chris O’Reilly, Co-Founder & CCO, Nexus Studios.
Taylor Forsyth beforehand labored as a 2D animator at Nexus sister studio Mighty Good (Sydney), mentored by founder Darren Value. Her portfolio contains work for Apple, Nike, ReMarkable and J Balvin together with native expertise Heaps Homosexual, SummerCamp Pageant, VIVID, the AEC & Victoria Bitters. Her first movie acquired a nomination for Finest Quick Animated Movie at The AACTA Awards and a latest Rising Director of the 12 months win on the AWARD Awards. Her work has been screened internationally at over 20 movie festivals.
The animator has lately directed two movies as a part of an animated docuseries, produced at Nexus Studios in partnership with the worldwide charity Room to Learn, which will likely be launched later this yr.
Animation UK — the collective voice for animation within the U.Okay., appearing as advocates for the sector and in search of to affect key determination makers together with the U.Okay. authorities, U.Okay. public sector broadcasters, business our bodies and OFCOM — has appointed six new Council representatives, together with Duncan. The Council decides Animation UK’s insurance policies affecting the animation sector. Member elections happen each two years, with every consultant serving two phrases.
The newly elected members are Sean Clarke, MD at Aardman Animations; Duncan Fraser, Head of Manufacturing at A Productions Ltd.; Deborah Thorpe, Founder and Artistic Director at Kelebek Media Ltd.; and Tracy Liddell, Joint MD and Producer at Studio Liddell.
Richard Gordon, MD and Producer at JAM Media, and Richard Scott, CEO at Axis Studios, have been co-opted onto the Council to present illustration for Scotland and Northern Eire. All 4 nations are actually represented on the Council, reflecting the animation sector as probably the most geographically various sector of the display screen industries.
These representatives be part of the prevailing Council: Phil Dobree, CEO at Jellyfish Footage; Ruth Fielding, Joint MD at Lupus Movies; Ed Galton, CEO at Cake Leisure; Oli Hyatt, MD at Blue Zoo; Erica Angell, MD at Spider-Eye and Eagle vs Bat; Barney Goodland, Producer at Magic Mild Footage; Jon Rennie, MD at Fabric Cat Animation; Jamie Badminton, Artistic Director and Senior Producer at Karrot Leisure; and Britt Gardiner, CFO at Locksmith Animation.
Ian Mackinnon, MD at Mackinnon & Saunders; Mark Taylor, MD at A Productions; and Kerry Lock, Finance Director at Aardman Animations, will likely be stepping down from the Council.
The Youth Media Alliance (YMA) introduced that Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos will chair the Awards of Excellence jury. The gala will honor Canada’s greatest youth programming productions on Could 31 in Toronto at CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio. Nominees for the awards will likely be introduced on the finish of March.
Previous to becoming a member of the Ottawa Movie Workplace, Pechels de Saint Sardos labored in gross sales and distribution at Radio Canada/CBC, rising their children’ catalog. At Rocket Launch Media and Sanden Media, she created children’ content material from printed guide properties and distributed content material domestically and internationally. She labored at Groupe Média TFO as Director, Acquisition and Co-production.
Earlier than TFO, Pechels de Saint Sardos spent 9 years with Bejuba! Leisure as EVP of Gross sales & Acquisitions. She constructed a catalog of over 600 half-hours of youngsters’ TV and secured co-development and co-production offers. Previous to Bejuba, Sandrine labored in NYC for an array of main leisure corporations in inventive improvement, co-production, and distribution. This contains Sunbow Leisure (Transformers, My Little Pony, G.I. Joe, and so on.), Sony Marvel/Sony Music, TV-Loonland, Hallmark and Basic Media/DreamWorks, the place spearheaded WW gross sales and co-productions on Casper, George of the Jungle and different titles.
