CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis: Kids!
05/17/06
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, May 17, 2006 and this is your first early morning Kids! briefing.
Liberty Media Corp. has set a deal in motion with IDT Corp. to acquire IDT Entertainment, for all of Liberty Media’s equity interests in IDT and its subsidiaries, $186 million in cash and the assumption of existing debts. Upon completion of the deal, IDT Ent. will become part of Liberty Media’s Starz Entertainment Group (SEG), providing Starz with the capability to create a range of CG animated and live action programming for domestic and international distribution in all major channels, including broadcast syndication, premium TV, theatrical, and home video/DVD. Additionally, IDT Ent. and SEG will ink a five year programming deal under which some of IDT Ent.’s CGI animated movies and live action shows will be broadcast on Starz’s premium channels. Liberty Media also owns a range of electronic retailing, media, communications and entertainment businesses and investments and owns or has interests in companies, including QVC, Encore, Starz, IAC/InterActiveCorp, Expedia and News Corporation. IDT Ent.’s upcoming animated feature film Everyone’s Hero (f/k/a Yankee Irving) is slated to open nationwide on September 15, 2006. Everyone’s Hero is being distributed domestically by Fox under a multi-picture deal with IDT Ent.
NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
The Bratz will be the stars of a live action movie, as MGA Entertainment, Inc., Avi Arad Productions and Crystal Sky Pictures partner on the movie based on the Bratz doll line and characters. The screenplay is tentatively titled Bratz, and the movie is currently slated to begin production this fall 2006 in LA. The live action Bratz feature film will be produced by MGA’s Isaac Larian, Avi Arad, and Crystal Sky’s Steven Paul. Crystal Sky Pictures will provide financing for the movie and its President, Benedict Carver will Executive Produce.
Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to Coraline, the stop-motion animated movie from Laika Entertainment, per Variety. Based on Neil Gaiman’s book of the same name, Dakota Fanning is lending her voice to Coraline, which revolves around a young girl who finds herself occupying herself by exploring the house she and her preoccupied parents have just moved into, which includes a number of doors including one curious one, which she walks through and finds a oddly similar house, with a Mom and Dad who want Coraline to remain and be their daughter.
Genius Products, Inc. has entered into an exclusive five-year distribution agreement with filmmaker Dan Grodnik’s Grodfilm Corporation. Under the deal Genius Products has the first right of refusal on all of Grodfilm’s future film productions, and expects to release 6-12 films annually as part of the pact, which includes home video, digital, TV and theatrical distribution rights in North America. Theatrical releases resulting from this deal will be distributed through The Weinstein Company. Genius also recently announced distribution deals with Peach Arch Entertainment and the Wellspring library.
Movie moves:
- Disney has moved the release of Prince Caspian, the second of The Chronicles of Narnia movies, by half a year to summer 2008, from it original December 14, 2007 release date. The reason for the move, according to Hollywood Reporter, is to avoid releasing Prince Caspian on the same date, or near, Columbia‘s fantasy movie The Water Horse, which Columbia plans to release on December 14, 2007.
- Fox shifting the release of its live action movie Fantastic Four 2 to June 15, 2007 from its previous date July 4, 2007. Fox’s Guys was to debut on June 15 but has been pushed off.
Spike TV will launch its first original scripted action-adventure weekly series, Blade: The Series with a two hour premiere, on Wednesday, June 28 at 10p. The remaining 11 one-hour episodes will begin airing weekly on Wednesday, July 5, at 10p. While the series continues the Blade story from the New Line Cinema and Marvel Studio’s movie trilogy, the show also includes new storylines and introduces new characters. Blade: The Series is produced by screenwriter David Goyer (Blade trilogy and Batman Begins) and is executive produced by comic book writer Geoff Johns and David Simkins (Charmed, Roswell, Dark Angel). Also serving as executive producers are Jim Rosenthal and Jon Kroll of New Line Television; Avi Arad, Chairman/CEO, Marvel Studios, and Ari Arad, EVP, Marvel Studios. While neither the series nor Spike TV is targeted to kids, those who are comic book fans will find there way to the program.
MORE KIDS STUFF
Cartoon Network has picked up 22 episodes of the new series Pokemon Chronicles, which it will premiere on Saturday, June 3, at 7p during the Toonami block. Pokémon Chronicles is a collection of mini-stories featuring many of the familiar Pokemon characters and what they do when not on an adventure with Ash.
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior a new original Disney Channel movie is set to premiere Friday, June 16 at 8p. The TV movie stars Brenda Song (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) as Wendy Wu, a popular Chinese-American girl who is living the average teen life including a bid to be Homecoming Queen. But her life takes a turn when a young monk named Shin shows up and informs Wendy that she is a reincarnated female warrior and is needed to save the world. In addition to being an actress Song is also has a black belt in Karate. The series also stars Japanese actor Shin Koyamada (The Last Samurai). An eight hour marathon of Disney Channel programming featuring Song, including episodes of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Phil of the Future, and the Disney Channel movies Get a Clue and Stuck in the Suburbs.
In Canada, Astral Media‘s Family Channel will premiere the TV movie Cow Belles on Friday, June 30, 7:30p. An original Disney Channel movie, Cow Belles is the story of two wealthy, freewheeling teen girls, who can shop with the best of them. That is until the day that their exasperated father decides to put them to work at the family business over the summer to teach them about responsibility. But the bigger lesson comes when someone empties the company’s bank accounts and the girls face a whole new kind of life. Cow Belles stars sisters Alyson Michalka (Phil of the Future) and Amanda Michalka (Oliver Beene), also known as recording artists Aly & AJ.
MARKETING/LICENSING
Buena Vista Home Video announced that The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has taken the lead as the bestselling DVD of 2006 (thus far). Based on the first book in CS. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, the DVD has sold 11+ million units since it was released April 5, 2006. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe release is available as both a single disc DVD and as a Special 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD.
Big Red Frog, an Australian multimedia company, and its North American marketing agent 360ep are launching The BRF Body Mechanics Program, an initiative and property that aims to get kids to adopt active and healthy lifestyles. The Body Mechanics Program features a team of super heroes who battle obesity and provide health related information to kids. The team is comprised of characters that are personified internal human body-parts, hormones and diseases. 360ep is introducing a Body Mechanics merchandising and promotional program in North America including, publishing (comic books, young reader and edutainment series), Toys & games, home and interactive entertainment and packaged goods partnerships, specifically focusing on food companies for the latter. 360ep also publishes and distributes original and custom content comic books under its 360jam imprint. 360ep was founded by Bill Jemas and Russ Brown, both former senior executives of Marvel Enterprises, Inc., who were key in rebuilding Marvel from near bankruptcy to a top entertainment company.
Joy Tashjian Marketing Group has inked new license deals for Fear Factor, which launches its third season on NBC this summer. Unilever has signed on for its Popsicle brand, while RC2 will create Fear Factor playsets, interactive toys and Fear Factor branded die-cast vehicles. Additional Fear Factor licensees: Fear Factor Hasbro (Digital Audio Visual Media e.g. discs and cartridges and Video Now); Penguin Putnam (Mad Libs); Scholastic (Official Fear Factor Scrapbook); Leap Frog Inc. (Fly pen); Masterpieces, Inc. (non-electronic board games/puzzles); The MEAD Corporation (printed notebooks, calendars and school products); NTD Apparel (activewear US & Canada); American Classics, Inc (T-Shirts adults/Jr./youth); American Marketing Enterprises, Inc. (men/boys sleep and loungewear, boxer shorts, briefs); Bio-Domes (headwear); Brand New Products, LLC (novelty candy); Dare Foods Ltd. (Viva Puffs, Wagon Wheels, Ah Caramel Canada); Freeze (T-shirts, fleece, novelty tops adults/kids); Play Interactive (video game); Rand International (extreme sports products, e.g. stunt bikes, rails, skateboards, snowboards, balls, inflatables, aquatics, protective gear, paintball guns and pellets); Stylus Writing Instrument Co. (candy, writing instruments); and Versaly Ent. (mobile phone ringtones, alarms, screensavers, wallpaper etc).
Warner Home Video will release Heidi, the new, original live action version of the movie on DVD August 8, 2006. Based on Johanna Spyri’s classic 1880 storybook, the movie stars Emma Bolger (In America as Heidi), and Max Von Sydow as her grandfather, with Dame Diana Rigg as her Grandmother and Geraldine Chaplin as the strict housekeeper.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Lenora Hume has been appointed EVP/Production and Programming, Hit Entertainment. Hume, who joins Hit in June, responsibilities will include building on the company’s existing preschool programming as well as developing new content and brands and acquiring new properties. Hume will be based in London and will report to CEO, Bruce Steinberg. A 30 year entertainment industry veteran, Hume spent 16 yrs with Disney, most recently SVP/Worldwide Production, DisneyToon Studios.
RATINGS
Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Saturday, May 13, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON: K2-11 1354; K6-11 866; TWEENS 9-14 605
DISNEY CHANNEL: K2-11 945; K6-11 550; TWEENS 9-14 398
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 827; K6-11 559; TWEENS 9-14 435
TOON DISNEY: K2-11 141; K6-11 56; TWEENS 9-14 34
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data
Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Sunday, May 14, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON: K2-11 1160; K6-11 760; TWEENS 9-14 561
DISNEY CHANNEL: K2-11 863; K6-11 530; TWEENS 9-14 425
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 818; K6-11 545; TWEENS 9-14 370
TOON DISNEY: K2-11 147; K6-11 69; TWEENS 9-14 40
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data
Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Monday, May 15, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON: K2-11 1217; K6-11 543; TWEENS 9-14 405
DISNEY CHANNEL: K2-11 755; K6-11 426; TWEENS 9-14 367
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 711; K6-11 424; TWEENS 9-14 296
TOON DISNEY: K2-11 148; K6-11 72; TWEENS 9-14 55
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data
Answer to Yesterday’s trivia question: Here is the scenario, you give me the product that the commercial is for. Cute purple kangaroo that stands up in a movie theatre because his view of the screen is blocked by the female in front of him. AUSSIE SHAMPOO Kudos to: Jenn Bryson- Noggin/The NNY; Nicole E. Johnson-TV One, LLC/Silver Spring, MD; Allison Lort-4Kids Entertainment/NY; Jodi Bogdanoff-4Kids Entertainment, Inc/NY; Tom Boyd-WGN-TV/Chicago
Today’s Trivia Question: The title character on what cartoon had a girlfriend named Sonya? ( click here 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 Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis Kids!
05.17.06 – 3:47a
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