Produced by DHX Media and Sony Pictures Animation, animated series commissioned by Canada’s TELETOON has been picked up by Turner Broadcasting for its second flagship kids channel, Boomerang, across EMEA, APAC and Latin America.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- DHX Media has signed a far-reaching deal with Turner Broadcasting for the new animated television series Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series based on the Sony Pictures Animation blockbuster film franchise.
The 26 x 22’ animated series which DHX Media is producing with Sony Pictures Animation, commissioned by TELETOON in Canada, has been picked up by Turner Broadcasting for its second flagship kids channel, Boomerang across EMEA, APAC, and Latin America.
DHX Media handles global television, licensing and merchandising and non-U.S. home entertainment rights to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series (Sony will distribute home entertainment in the U.S.). The series is being produced at DHX’s animation studio in Vancouver.
The 2009 mouth-watering animated feature comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and its 2013 sequel, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, were produced by Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Both films were critical and commercial successes which grossed a combined $510 million in theaters.
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has a huge global fan-base following the successful movie franchise and we are confident that the equally whacky and wonderful TV series will resonate with children and families globally,” said Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution at DHX Media.
“As we continue to expand our programming line-up, we’re on the look-out for great content that whole families can enjoy,” commented ecilia Persson, VP of Acquisitions & Co-Productions, International at Turner Broadcasting. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs offers exactly that and we’re delighted to have acquired the series for Boomerang right across our international markets.”
“We're really excited to see the comedy and heart of Cloudy packed into a TV Series,” added Rick Mischel, executive producer at Sony Pictures Animation. “This brand has fans worldwide, and now they get to go back and see all the adventures of Flint and Sam as teenagers.”
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: the series takes place before the giant food fell from the sky. The series is a prequel where Flint Lockwood is a tween unlike any other kid in town. After all, Swallow Falls is a blue-collar place where the whole economy is built on sardines and currently business is BOOMING! Everyone loves those oily little critters. But Flint suffers from NFD: non-fish-related dreams. He wants to be a serious scientist and maybe one day not have his inventions blow up in his face and end in disaster. Along for the ride is his best friend Sam Sparks, the new girl in town, and wannabe school reporter. Together, these two outsiders have a lot of laughs and adventures and share a simple dream: to help their fellow Swallow Fallians by inventing sure-fire gizmos that have gotta be better than sardines, right?!
Of course, all of the characters from the movies are back for the series including Flint’s father, Tim, a man of few words and even fewer expression; Steve the monkey, Flint’s sidekick and totally unreliable lab assistant; Mayor Shelbourne, the man who won his last term on a pro sardine platform; Brent, a local celebrity who still models babywear even though he’s a teenager; Earl who isn’t a cop yet, but is working an even tougher gig…as a school gym teacher; and Manny, the shockingly capable kid who runs the school’s audio-visual department and anything else he touches.
Source: DHX Media
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
