Cynopsis: Kids!

08/18/08

Good morning. It’s Monday, August 18, 2008, and this is your first early morning Kids briefing.

Still more reverb from Warner Bros. shifting the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21, 2008 to July 17, 2009 as Summit Entertainment swoops in to take over the November 21, 2008 release date for the feature film adaptation of Twilight.  Originally set to release on December 12, 2008, Twilight is based on the first book in author Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular young adult fantasy/romance series, the Twilight Saga, that revolves around a 17-year-old girl named Bella.  Rob Friedman, Summit’s Co-Chairman and CEO, says the move not only gets the movie to fans sooner and, I’d bet more importantly, into more theaters ahead of the big movie holiday season where screen time tends to be more limited.  Little, Brown Young Readers released Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in Meyer’s Twilight Saga with great fanfare and in-store release events around the country on August 2, 2008 selling 1.3 million copies on that day, making it the publisher’s biggest one-day sales ever.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Alcon Entertainment acquires the movie rights to Cryptozoo Crew, a two-volume graphic novel by Jerry Carr and Allan Gross, per The Hollywood Reporter.  Joe Gazzam has been tapped to pen the screenplay for the feature film.  Published by NBM (2005), Cryptozoo Crew revolves around the humorous adventures of Cryptozoologists and husband and wife team Tork and Tara Darwyn, who travel the world studying undiscovered animals.  Alcon Entertainment’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson will serve as producers with Lloyd Phillips and Circle of Confusion’s production arm.

The next month could bring news of Warner Bros. newly re-thought plans for movie adaptations of DC Comics, both Time Warner companies, according to Variety.  Warner Bros.’ production president Jeff Robinov explained they are continuing to entertain a Justice League movie but are treading carefully saying, “the studio doesn’t want to piss off the Comic-Con contingent.”  And of course there is the Batman franchise, helmed successfully by Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), with the ball in the director’s court as to if he wants to take on a third movie.  So, stay tuned … there will be more DC superhero movies from Warner Bros.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and the Gotham Group ink a deal that will provide the publisher with a cut of financial action should Gotham adapt one of its books, for which it holds films rights to, for the big screen, per Publishers Weekly.  S&S is not investing its own funds into movie production and will share in the revenue of any movie projects with Gotham.  The agreement will also see S&S take on books for publication of books the Gotham Group brings in with movie potential.  The first project set to go under this new pact is Alienated, a forthcoming middle-grade book series by filmmaker/writer David O. Russell, which will be published in fall 2009, according to the New York Times, that also includes a screenplay based on the series.  The NYT also notes that S&S will glean revenue if one of its titles is exploited in other categories such as video games and comic books among others.

One banana, two banana, three banana, four …  Those of us raised on the oeuvres Sid and Marty Krofft and Hanna-Barbera will want to tune in, not to mention share with our uninitiated kids and friends, as The Banana Splits are featured in a new Warner Bros. Consumer Products multi-platform effort that includes with the debut of shorts (130×1.5-2.5 minutes) and music videos on Cartoon Network (Mondays-Friday 9a-2p) and Boomerang.  The next phase of the efforts includes a new Banana Splits website, and DVDs and music CDs from Universal Records, which will also be available via the new website, iTunes and amazon.com.  Additionally, on the live front, the already launched The Banana Splitsville area (for K4-7) at Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina continues with rides, concerts and a play area, while in the works are a live concert tour and a range of merchandise (e.g. toys, games, books and apparel).

Toronto-based producer/distributor Tricon Films & Television will debut the format rights for its first original kid-aimed reality series The Next Star at Mipcom this October.  The company will also distribute the first season of the Canadian music-centric version of The Next Star (13×60) that is currently airing on YTV, which is a co-producer of the series there.

Global Wonders a new preschool-targeted multi-cultural entertainment and education brand, which launched earlier this year, premieres the first four DVD titles this October 21, 2008.  Created by Rashmi Turner, former executive producer, Disney’s Baby Einstein, the Global Wonders series is designed to expose kids to different cultures and their respective family/friends, music, customs and lifestyles.  The Global Wonders creative team also includes writer Sandi McKay (Jakers!), animation director Ed Wexler (Little Einsteins, My Friends Tigger and Pooh), and computers Jim Latham (JoJo’s Circus, Dragon Tales).  The series was created with guidance from J. Kevin Nugent, Ph.D., founder/director, Brazelton Institute and an advisory panel.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Tween Brands, Inc., has unveiled plans to convert about 560 of its Limited Too stores in the US to Justice brand stores to drive growth and profitability.  Bother Limited Too and Justice are fashion and lifestyle retail outlets catering to Girls 7-14.  The conversion of the stores is expected to be completed by end of Q1 2009, when the current 310 Justice stores will grow to 900+ stores nationwide.  While the move effectively ceases Tween Brands’ operation of any Limited Too stores in the US, select Justice stores will offer Limited Too branded product.  The Justice chain offers less expensive product versus the higher end Limited Too chain.

STONE SOUP

Weekend Box Office Estimates for kids/tweens/teens rated G, PG or PG-13; August 15-17, 2008:
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.) PG-13                                      $16.8m-5 wk total $471.5m
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Warner Bros.) PG                           Opening Weekend $15.5m
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Universal) PG-13     $8.6m-3 wk total $86.6m
Mamma Mia! (Universal) PG-13                                                 $6.5m-5 wk total $116.4m
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Warner Bros.) PG-13     $5.9m-2 wk total $32.1m
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (MGM (Weinstein)) PG-13                      Opening Weekend $3.7m
Journey to the Center of the Earth (Warner Bros. (New Line)) PG $3.5m-6 wk total $88.1m
Fly Me to the Moon – 3D (Summit Entertainment) G                    Opening Weekend $2.0m
Wall-E (Buena Vista) G                                                             $1.8m-8 wk total $214.1m
Hancock (Sony / Columbia) PG-13                                             $1.8m-7 wk total $225.1m
Source: Box Office Mojo

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Andreas Sbrodiglia is appointed CEO of Brio AB, the Swedish kid’s toy and products company.  Sbrodiglia is expected to take up his new post from 2009.  Andreas previously held a leading position at Hero AG, which acquired Semper AB in 2006, where he served as CEO and prior to that as Deputy CEO.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Thursday, August 14, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1319; K6-11 779; TWEENS 9-14 598
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11   911; K6-11 670; TWEENS 9-14 568
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   848; K6-11 555; TWEENS 9-14 407
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   178; K6-11 109; TWEENS 9-14   62
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM THE CYNOPSIS FOUNDATION, INC.

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: On the long-running sitcom That ’70s Show, when Donna got a job at a radio station, what was her on air name?  HOT DONNA Kudos to: Rachael Guadagno-Nickelodeon/NY; Bob Friedland-Toys”R”Us, Inc./NY; Meredith Wayne -TeleRep/NY; Barry Solomon-Menudo Entertainment LLC/NY; Jenna Peter-KARK/Little Rock, AR; Brooke Carrie-Balihoo/Boise, ID; Squirrel Rippley-Dark Horse Media/Tucson; Kat Garcia-Davis Public Relations/Encino, CA; Jamie Kokiw-Segal Licensing/Toronto; Stephanie Watsa-Canwest Broadcasting/Toronto

Today’s Trivia Question:  What is the setting of the animated series Chop Socky Chooks?  (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Gwen
 Gwen Billings for Cynopsis Kids!
08.18.08

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