The fall, the MIPJunior market will bring over 11,000 global animation producers, creators, distributors and buyers from more than 100 countries to the Marriott in Cannes, France, from Oct. 18-20. Here are 11 shows that will be premiering at the popular market:
Lí Ban
Produced by: Paper Owl Films
Distributed by: Aardman
Target Audience: Kids 7-9
Synopsis: The adventures of sassy 12-year-old Lí Ban are some of the wildest ever passed down through Celtic generations. Her quest is now a thrilling, fast-paced adventure anime series. Transformed mysteriously from girl and dog into mermaid and sea otter, Lí Ban and her faithful Con explore the watery kingdoms of legend, meeting gods, monsters, giants and wily humans in their search for answers through the heart of an ancient Celtic universe.
Standout Qualities: The series is appealing to the whole family with hooky storytelling through Lí Ban’s quest for answers in an ancient world of gods and monsters. The series features Sadbh Breathnach as Lí Ban and Jude Petticrew as Con.
Delivery Date: The first season is slatedfor 2024; second and third seasons are in development. (The series will premiere on CULA4/TG4 in Ireland and S4C Wales this fall.)
paperowlfilms.com | aardman.com/distribution
Obocchama-kun
Produced by: TV Asahi and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)
Package: 26 x 22′ or 52 x 11′
Target Audience: Kids 6-11
Type of Animation: 2D
Based on: Yoshinori Kobayashi’s manga (1986)
Synopsis: The new series will be a sequel to the original series from 1989 — a comedy about a “crazy rich boy with his outrageous school life and family love. With one of the world’s largest fortunes and a mansion so vast that one could get lost without a guide, the Obo family is incredibly wealthy.”
Standout Qualities: Kobayashi’s classic manga is popularly known as a hallmark of “gag manga.” Chama’s unique way of speaking, known as “Chama-nese,” became a social phenomenon in Japan.
Exec Quote: Maiko Sumida, TV Asahi’s head of animation sales and development, says, “Obocchama-kun, the iconic manga, sparked a major boom in Japan 30 years ago and is now experiencing a resurgence in popularity in India. This renewed interest has led to a collaboration between TV Asahi and Sony Pictures Networks to co-produce a new sequel. This ambitious project will see the stories created in Japan and the animation produced in India.”
Delivery Date: Fourth quarter, 2024
Coal
Produced by: Laughing Dragon Studios, Shaw Rocket Fund and Telefilm
Distributed by: Shaftesbury, Muse Distribution in Quebec
Type of Animation: 2D
Package: 3 x 15′
Target Audience: Kids 6-10 & families
Synopsis: Ethan Bishop and his family have just moved to a new house right before Christmas. Ethan’s younger sister, Charlotte, and his parents are excited for the new house, but he feels like their old house was perfect and resents letting it go. At the North Pole, Santa is shocked when Ethan lands right on the line between naughty and nice, so he sends the legendary Lump of Coal to guide Ethan on a ho-ho-hilarious journey.
Standout Qualities: Viewers can anticipate a playful 2D-animated series, complete with magical charcoal-style sequences.
Exec Quote: Ryan Sohmer, CEO of Laughing Dragon Studios, says, “With an initial concept from our very own Ryan Costello and seeing what our director of original productions Jeff Moss has molded Coal into over the last few years, I am thrilled to begin this next stage of production and counting down until we can bring Ethan and his family to worldwide audiences.”
Delivery Date: Christmas 2025
Max & Rabbit
Produced by: Dandelooo
Package: 26 x 5′
Target Audience: Preschoolers (3-5)
Type of Animation: 2D
Based on: Books by French author Astrid Desbordes, illustrated by Pauline Martin and published by Nathan.
Synopsis: Max & Rabbit follows the adventures of Max, a four-and-a-half-year-old boy, and his rabbit as they navigate everyday situations. They talk to each other, confide in each other, give each other advice, console each other and bicker. But only Max knows the truth about his purple friend.
Standout Qualities: Dynamic duo Max and Rabbit accompany young viewers through age-appropriate everyday situations. Using clever and effective tools, Max & Rabbit deals with emotions, helps kids to listen, accept, verbalize and find fun solutions for every little problem they may encounter.
Exec Quote: “When we read the Max et Lapin stories, we were thrilled by the characters, the tender look at the first experiences of early childhood, and above all, its tone — a delicate humor that appeals to little ones and to everyone really,” says Emmanuèle Pétry, Dandelooo’s producer and head of international. “We are so happy to see Max come to life and become alive on screen and to embody young children’s strong emotions, which he’s able to tackle thanks to his dear rabbit.”
Delivery Date: Fourth quarter, 2025
Cuquin
Produced by: Ánima Kitchent Media SLU
Package: Season 1 & 2 (20 x 5′)
Target Audience: Preschool
Type of Animation: CG
Synopsis: Cuquin follows the fun adventures of Cuquin, Clementina and Cyan, three exuberant toddlers who love playing together at nursery. They are full of ideas and things they want to do or play with — but the day’s schedule sometimes means they can’t immediately do what they want. The three friends use their imagination and move from the classroom into an exciting fantasy where their favorite toys, Robi the robot, Trex the dinosaur and Ghost the cheeky class rabbit, join in on the fun!
Standout Qualities: This adventure-comedy series addresses a common issue among kids today: the desire for instant gratification. Each episode shows how one of the main characters uses their imagination to craft a game with friends while awaiting something they desire. The engaging conflicts are resolved through teamwork, Cuquin’s curiosity, Clementina’s courage and Cyan’s logic.
Exec Quote: Exec producer Rodrigo Pineda says, “Cuquin is a character that was first introduced in 1965. He has captivated multiple generations through various forms of media (TV, movies and the internet), and his popularity on YouTube has established him as a beloved global character with a unique charm worldwide. Warner Bros. Discovery has taken on the project, envisioning a distinctive series characterized by fast-paced adventure and non-dialogue cartoon style.”
Delivery Date: Second quarter, 2025
Nikhil & Jay
Produced by: King Banana TV, Paper Owl Films and CAKE
Based on: Award-winning author Chitra Soundar’s books
Package: 52 x 11′
Target Audience: Preschool
Type of Animation: 2D
Synopsis: Nikhil & Jay follows the funny, relatable stories of two brothers, Nikhil and Jay, who live in a multicultural family. With their mom Amma, who is Indian Tamil by heritage, and dad Appa, who is English, and Indian and English grandparents, their life is a rich blend of customs, traditions, festivals, food and music.
Standout Qualities: Full of curiosity, joy and a cheeky sense of adventure, the show authentically represents the everyday experience of dual-heritage children with warmth, heart, humor and family themes that children all over the world will relate to. Actor Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton, Alex Rider) leads a diverse team of actors, writers, animators, composers and directors. The show will launch on CBeebies later this year.
Exec Quote: According to Lotte Elwell, company director at King Banana TV, “Everyone at King Banana is so excited to bring Chitra’s experiences to the screen. We know that the stories, character and humor in Nikhil & Jay will have a huge impact on the preschool audience.”
Delivery Date: Fourth quarter, 2024
Badjelly
Distributed by: WildBrain
Produced by: Mukpuddy Animation, Sphere Animation and Cantilever Media
Based on: Spike Milligan’s Badjelly the Witch: A Fairy Story
Package: 13 x 22′
Target Audience: Kids 7-11
Synopsis: Badjelly tells the exciting tale of two curious kids whose future is in the balance after their beloved cow is cow-napped. Will they be made into boy/girl soup to rehydrate the desiccated has-been, Badjelly? Or will they enlist the help of a paranoid sausage-hatted tree goblin, a rusty metal lion, an inhumanly strong worm and an ex-banana mouse to defeat evil and win a bonus giant?
Standout Qualities: The show delivers a fresh new take for today’s kids on this classic story, all while preserving the crazy humor, bizarre situations and quirky characters from Milligan’s original tale that has entertained kids for generations.
Lord of the Mysteries
Created by: Tencent Video
Based on: The million-selling web novels dubbed “The Harry Potter of China”
Package: 13 x 35′
Target Audience: 12+
Type of Animation: 2D
Synopsis: Lord of the Mysteries unfolds in a captivating otherworld, a stunning blend of Victorian Europe and steampunk style, where superhumans known as Beyonders coexist with ordinary humans. Unwittingly propelled into this world, Zhou Mingrui transforms into a series of fantastical characters, gaining superhuman powers and facing forces for evil, as he searches for a way back home.
Standout Qualities: This exciting new animated series is like nothing else on screen, bringing Lord of the Mysteries’ bestselling web novels to life to transport viewers to a stylish, steampunk vision of Europe and thrust them into an odyssey of historical adventure.
Exec Quote: Qing Fan, producer and head of content partnerships of animation at Tencent Video says, “This uniquely original and stylish animated series is set to thrill the web novels’ 10s of millions of fans as it brings the Victorian era vividly to life in spectacular steampunk style, immersing viewers in a web of time-transporting historical intrigue.”
Delivery Date: Fourth quarter, 2024
Tiddler
Created by: Magic Light Pictures
Based on: The book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Package: 1 x 30′
Target Audience: Family
Type of Animation: 3D/CG
Synopsis: Every day, Tiddler tells a different story to his teacher and his friend, Johnny Dory, about why he’s late for school. His stories stretch from riding on seahorses or swimming around a shipwreck to being captured by a squid! His stories are so great that word of mouth helps them travel through the ocean, and so when Tiddler gets lost, he realizes they may help him find a way home.
Standout Qualities: The 12th festive film from Magic Light Pictures and the U.K.’s No. 1 picture-book creators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Tiddler has a stellar cast including Hannah Waddingham, Lolly Adefope and Rob Brydon. Beautifully animated, heartwarming and funny, Tiddler is a magical tale about a little fish with a big imagination.
Exec Quote: Producer Barney Goodland says, “Tiddler is a beautifully illustrated and imaginative underwater adventure that we are thrilled to be bringing to screen. Its celebration of the power of storytelling speaks to everything that Magic Light does and diving deep into that theme has been a real joy. We’re excited to share our adaptation of this absolute classic Julia and Axel story with families this Christmas.”
Delivery Date: Fourth quarter, 2024
My Friend Maisy
Created by: BBC Studios Kids & Family co-production with Trustbridge Entertainment, working in collaboration with Karrot Animation, A Productions and head writer Matilda Tristram
Distributed by: BBC Studios Kids & Family
Package: 52 x 5′
Type of Animation: 2D
Target Audience: Preschool
Synopsis: Maisy is a preschooler’s BEST best friend! She can go anywhere and do anything — repair a car in her garage, fly a rocket to the moon or slip into a dreamscape of squiggles when she’s eating spaghetti for dinner. Big or small, Maisy does it all! For decades, Maisy, in books written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins, has captivated the hearts of children with her charming, simple stories and vibrant art style. In My Friend Maisy, the series will get to know Maisy like never before — for the first time, audiences will be able to hear Maisy and her friends chatting. And giggling. And sometimes singing too!
Standout Qualities: The show pushes the boundaries of classic preschool storytelling with stories that slip seamlessly between the real and the surreal, like a child’s imagination. Maisy and her friends are unique in today’s preschool landscape, in that they are childlike, but not bound by the limits of childhood. Maisy really can go anywhere and do anything just because she’s Maisy!
Exec Quote: Zoe Bamsey, BBC Studios Kids & Family head of development animation, says, “Maisy has captivated the hearts of children for decades with the charming stories and vibrant art style in the books that so many families know and love. BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions are therefore thrilled to be bringing My Friend Maisy to global audiences, so they can get to know Maisy and her friends even better in this wonderful new preschool animation. Her sense of humor, imagination and her camaraderie really do make Maisy the best best friend.”
productions.bbcstudios.com/our-production-brands/kids-family
Chimera Keepers: Adventures with Incredible Creatures
Created by: Clément De Ruyter, Marie Manand and Lila Peuscet
Produced by: Monello Productions (part of Banijay Kids & Family), Belvision, RTBF
Distributed by: Banijay Kids & Family Distribution
Type of Animation: 2D
Target Audience: 6+
Synopsis: Chimera Keepers: Adventures with Incredible Creatures is a fantasy 2D-animated series centering on Thelma and Wendy, two sisters who have amazing experiences with fascinating creatures called the Chimeras. When they arrive in the countryside to spend the summer with their grandfather, the two sisters come face to face with a giant fox whose fur is made of trees. They soon learn that their grandfather’s garden is full of these Chimeras and that they will have the craziest vacation of their life!
Standout Qualities: The series feels cinematic, with beautiful landscapes and a vibrant, expansive and intricate world brought to life with its unique design. It cleverly explores our relationship with nature and introduces important ecology and environmental issues in a fun and colorful way.
Exec Quote: Giorgio Welter, producer and CEO of Monello Productions says, “This is a visually striking series, which layers themes of family, friendship and nature with out-of-this-world adventures. A fantasy animation which uncovers a world beyond our wildest imagination, audiences can immerse themselves in the series and experience the most exhilarating vacation of their lives!”
Delivery Date: 2024
banijaykidsandfamily.com/shows/chimera-keepers-adventures-with-incredible-creatures
