Spellbound Entertainment has granted an international toy license for its new pre-school property, THE KOALA BROTHERS, to leading toy company Hasbro Inc. The deal covers key merchandise categories including plush toys, figurines, play sets and Play-Doh. Items will be available in stores next year following the show's premiere on the BBC later this year.
Negotiations are in advanced stages in other key markets around the world following a successful MIP-TV for Spellbound, which is handling all TV and home entertainment distribution. The stop-frame preschool series has also been sold to Disney Channel in the U.S., Super RTL in Germany, ABC in Australia, and TV Ontario and Knowledge Network in Canada. THE KOALA BROTHERS features the adventures of Frank and Buster, two very helpful koalas and their adventures in the Australian outback. It is in production in London, under the auspices of Spellbound's joint md and former head of co-productions and acquisitions at Hit Entertainment, Peter Curtis. Curtis commented, "With Hasbro in place, we have now secured one of the leading distribution channels in the U.K. required to spearhead the retail launch of THE KOALA BROTHERS." Spellbound Entertainment was launched in 2002 by Curtis and ex-Endemol executive, Nick Barrington. Spellbound can be reach via email at info@spellbound.uk.com.
