Atlantyca Entertainment, a cross-media entertainment company based in Italy, today announced a landmark agreement with China's CCTV Animation which grants Atlantyca exclusive broadcast and home video distribution rights throughout Europe to the English-language version of Monkey King (52 x 22"), it was announced by Atlantyca Entertainment CEO Claudia Mazzucco.
Press Release from Atlantyca Ent.
CARTOONS ON THE BAY - (April 16th, 2010) - Atlantyca Entertainment, a cross-media entertainment company based in Italy, today announced a landmark agreement with China's CCTV Animation which grants Atlantyca exclusive broadcast and home video distribution rights throughout Europe to the English-language version of Monkey King (52 x 22"), it was announced by Atlantyca Entertainment CEO Claudia Mazzucco.
The new deal, one of the first of its kind between the most important Chinese animation content producer and a European distributor, is the result of Atlantyca Entertainment's commitment to work with the Chinese after opening a field office in Beijing this past January.
"We are thrilled to be one of the first European distributors to represent programming from China and look forward to using this agreement as the foundation for a new bridge for commerce between China and Italy," said Mazzucco.
"It is exciting to be working with Atlantyca Entertainment as we continue to close the gap and cross the bridge between our continents. This is a journey to share our beloved children's programming with the Western world and look forward to working with them on a number of other properties in the very near future," said CCTV Animation General Manager Wang Ying.
Monkey King is an animated series that combines 2D and 3D technology, developed and produced by CCTV Animation. It is based on the Chinese classic novel, Journey to the West, and includes key characters Monkey King, Six Ear Monkey, Jade Rabbit, Ginseng Fruit, Elder Monkey King and Elder White Deer (Nine Soul Saint).
About Atlantyca Entertainment:
Atlantyca Entertainment was established in September 2006, by leading Italian publishing entrepreneur and creator Pietro Marietti who with Elisabetta Dami, produced one of today's most successful junior publishing sensations, the celebrated kids book series Geronimo Stilton. A cross media entertainment company with production, licensing, publishing and a foreign rights sales divisions, Atlantyca Entertainment seeks co-production partners (and to acquire third party properties) to produce content for TV, movies, books and multi-media. The company, along with co-production partner Moonscoop, recently completed the production of the new animated series Geronimo Stilton which saw its European premiere in fall 2009.
Atlantyca's foreign rights sales departments, the licensor of the Geronimo Stilton book series that is responsible for seeking new business opportunities for the books and all of its character spin-off franchises, has secured 1300 deals with publishers such as Random House US, Scholastic US, Planeta, Sun Ya, and 21st Century Publishing House . The publishing department aims to create, develop and produce loosely based book series based on new and popular animated series, and is currently developing novels for Moonscoop's Code Lyoko, Dive Olly Dive and Hero 108. Atlantyca Entertainment is responsible for the sales of foreign rights for Piemme children's books and properties, and through a dedicated foreign rights sales division has secured 1700 translation deals with 50 leading publishers around the world.
The company's licensing division manages the international licensing initiatives for the Geronimo Stilton brand and is the appointed Italian licensing agent for Moonscoop's Code Lyoko, Growing Up Creepie and Dive Olly Dive. The division recently became the Italian licensing agent Le Petit Prince, and FitzRoy Media's Funny Face icon animated fruit characters. Atlantyca is a co-production partner and distributor (Italy only) for Dive Olly Dive (Season II) animated series. www.atlantyca.com
About CCTV Animation Inc.:
CCTV Animation Inc. is a state-owned company founded on March 18th, 2007 by China Central Television. Its predecessor, CCTV Animation Dept., produced China's first TV animation in 1991 and grew rapidly as China's most important TV animation producer. The company's main broadcasting platform is CCTV Kids Channel. CCTV Animation Inc. has first-class creative talent of the country, great animators and 3D artists, and experienced M&L people. CCTV Animation develops and produces animation series and serials in different genres (comedy, education, fairy, sci-fi, adventure etc.) and techniques (2D, 3D, stop-motion, motion capture etc.) . CCTV Animation Inc. has been committed to animation origination, national and international collaboration, multi-media and multi-channel broadcasting with a view to inspiration and diversification of the content, the interactivity with the audience, the perception of the market and the value realization in families, cultural communication and global cultural industry.
Its huge library of TV animations contains almost 200 TV animation shows; about 6000 minutes copyright animations increase per year, and a variety of popular brands, like Journey to the West, The Legend of Nezha, The Adventures of Little Carp, Monkey King, which win many nation-level awards, such as Gold Eagle Awards, Starlight Awards, Monkey King Awards and Golden Panda Awards. Its core business include eveloping and producing original animation, branding and copyright management of the animations, distributing, merchandising and licensing animations, new-media content production and distribution, related stage dramas and cultural activities.
The company is now working with professionals at home and abroad as well as other stakeholders on all possible fronts, such as animation co-production, worldwide TV distribution and new media distribution, worldwide L&M, strategic cooperation in providing industry information and consultation, and developing human resources. CCTV Animation welcomes cooperation from friends home and abroad for achievement in both animation and children's life.
Synopsis for Monkey King:
Long ago, there was a monkey-shaped stone with a superior spirituality. After adopting the essence of the nature, a monkey burst out of the stone and starts his legendary life. He once joins local monkey family and is elected as the new King. In order to protect the family, he leaves his friends, Jade Rabitt, Six Ear Monkey and Ginseng Fruit, and travels far away to learn the magic power and Kongfu from the Patriarch in Doist Mountain and gets his name, Sun Wukong.
After gaining great magic power, Sun Wukong defeats the Demon, breaks through the Hell, and gets the As-You-Will Gold-Branded Cudgel as his weapon from the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. For comforting Sun Wokong, the Jade Emperor asks him to be the Protector of Horse in Heaven. However, he brings the Heaven into troubles once again..After realizing his hasty behaviors, Sun Wokong accepts the punishment and finally passes his final test successfully for the mental and physical growth. He becomes the Monkey King in the real sense.
When coming back to the Moutain of Flower and Fruit, he finds another Monkey King is ruling his family, who is his childhood friend, Six Ear Monkey-to be king of the monkeys. However, the Elder White Deer is finally defeated by Sun Wukong and his faithful companions. The handsome Monkey King finally saves his friend Six Ear Monkey and becomes the King of The Mountain of Flower an Fruit.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
