HappyNest Entertainment, a joint venture from UTA and Stampede Ventures, and Chuck E. Cheese are launching the global family entertainment fun center brand into animation with an original holiday special — The Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special — which is currently in production with a release date scheduled for this holiday season.
This special brings together powerhouse creative talent in the animation world, with writing and producing partners Zac Moncrief and Jon Colton Barry (Phineas and Ferb, Be Cool Scooby-Doo!) as executive producers and co-writers. Oscar-nominated character designer and animator Bobby Pontillas (Moana, Big Hero 6, Zootopia) crafted the new character designs. Animation is being handled by Pixel Zoo Animation Studios out of Brisbane, Australia, with a team of artists and animators led by founder and CEO Paul Gillett, head of studio Sebastian Gonzalez and director Steve Trenbirth (The Croods: Family Tree, The Jungle Book 2), with Moncrief as co-director.
The voice cast includes Nathan Kress (iCarly) in the titular role of Chuck E. Cheese, alongside animation veteran voice actors Grey Griffin (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Nolan North (Uncharted), Kari Wahlgren (Rick and Morty) and Fred Tatasciore (Kung Fu Panda 2).
The special will also feature an all-new original Christmas song co-written by Jon Colton Barry, Zac Moncrief, composer Ben Bromfield (Ginny & Georgia) and Barry’s father, Jeff Barry — a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee behind hits like “I’m a Believer” for the Monkees, “Sugar Sugar” for the Archies and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” popularized by Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé.
“This project brings together all the elements of a soon-to-be holiday classic — a beloved brand that has entertained generations, a world-class creative team, and a timeless story filled with heart and comedy. We’re proud to have our characters brought to life by an outstanding cast of voice talent, and an exceptional production team led by acclaimed animation veterans Zac, Jon and Steve,” said Sadaf Cohen Muncy, SVP of Production and Development at HappyNest.
Melissa McLeanas, VP of Global Media, Licensing & Entertainment at Chuck E. Cheese, commented, “This is more than just a TV special — it’s a milestone moment for the Chuck E. Cheese brand. We’re entering the entertainment arena in a way that builds on our nostalgic legacy while charting a new future for our characters as a storytelling franchise.”
This latest venture marks a strategic content expansion for Chuck E. Cheese, just as the brand has been reimagined for the latest generation of kids, launched a licensing division that currently has over 30 licensee partners in retail, novelty gift, toys, books and more, and engages with over 40 million kids and families every year across its nearly 600 fun centers around the world. This first Chuck E. Cheese launches a long-term vision to create a storytelling universe.
The announcement follows the launch of the CEC Media Network — a more than 3,500-screen digital-out-of-home (DOOH) platform driving over 2 billion impressions annually, offering distribution partners a turnkey marketing channel across digital and in-store touchpoints. Chuck E. Cheese has over one billion lifetime visitors to its family entertainment centers through its 48-year legacy and continues to be a multi-generation appealing brand.
HappyNest is an independent kids’ and family entertainment media company that forms strategic partnership to create and produce projects across diverse content verticals. Recently, HappyNest announced Paris and Pups, a kids’ animated series with Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media and 9 Story Media Group (a subsidiary of Scholastic Media) that is inspired by Hilton’s real-life pets.
Jon Colton Barry is an Emmy Award–winning executive producer, head writer/story editor, songwriter, commercial artist, playwright and creative consultant. He has worked across a wide range of mediums, including television, film, animation, sketch comedy, music and theater. JCB has played key creative roles in hit and critically acclaimed series such as Phineas and Ferb, Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and LEGO City Adventures, earning him additional Emmy and Annie Award nominations along the way.
Zac Moncrief is an Annie Award winner and Emmy-nominated executive producer, writer, director, storyboard artist and songwriter who has worked on many hit animated series of the last two decades. His credits include Phineas and Ferb, Family Guy, Fairly OddParents, Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, Brickleberry, Dora the Explorer, Lilo & Stitch and LEGO: Hidden Side! Most recently, he served as co-executive producer on the 2024 Annie Award–winning series Ghee Happy, and has spent the past year-plus developing new animated content with Netflix. A graduate of CalArts, Moncrief has contributed to all genres of animation, from preschool to primetime.
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