Genius Brands Partners with Powerkids Entertainment on New Kid’s Channel
The co-branded Powerkids Kartoon Channel! will offer ‘Shaq’s Garage;’ ‘Roblox Rumble;’ ‘The Jungle Book;’ ‘Peter Pan;’ ‘Rainbow Rangers;’ ‘Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten;’ and other kid’s programming.
Sneak Peek Weekend: ‘Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten’ Episode 1 Premiere
The exclusive Kartoon Channel! event runs January 29-31 and will feature an introduction from series co-executive producer and star, Arnold Schwarzenegger; the shows officially debuts Spring 2021.
NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal Stars in All-New ‘Shaq’s Garage’ Animated Comedy
Genius Brand and ABG Entertainment partner with O’Neal on new kids’ action adventure series slated for release on Kartoon Channel! in early 2022.
Genius Brands Consolidates Consumer Platforms Under Newly Created ‘Genius Networks’
Veteran Media and Entertainment executive Todd Steinman named President, Genius Networks, Uniting Kartoon Channel!, Ameba TV, and Frederator Network.
John Landis to Direct Arnold Schwarzenegger on ‘Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten’
Famed director joins Genius Brands’ new animated kid’s series, also being developed into live-action series and feature film spin-off.
Legible Signs ‘The Batman’ EP Michael Uslan to Develop New Stan Lee Comics
The new eBooks will feature proprietary rich media that includes video, audio, and unique graphics to bring the legendary creator’s never-before-seen characters to life.
Frederator and BuzzFeed Team Up on ‘Chikn Nuggit’
The new animated series based on the online gender-inclusive comedy series about a weird, long-eared dog named Chikn Nuggit and his fast-food-named friends is the second property under development as part of Genius Brand’s first-look deal with Frederator.
Genius Brands Adds Kerry Phelan to Manage Company Licensing and Merchandising
Consumer branding pro will lead global management of the company’s existing IP across licensing, merchandising, retail, and promotions; previously spearheaded successful licensing programs for major franchises including ‘Star Wars’ for Lucasfilm Ltd. and ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Twilight’ for Lionsgate.
Genius Brands Creating Stan Lee Universe with POW! Entertainment
New joint venture will assume perpetual, worldwide rights to over 100 original, previously unexploited, Stan Lee post-Marvel properties.
Genius Brands Buys Wow! Unlimited Media
Leading media company scoops up Canadian animation producer and its growing list of projects for clients like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Mattel; acquisition also includes famed Channel Frederator, which boasts 2,500 channels and over 1 billion ad-supported YouTube views each month.
Genius Brands Adds Zrinka Dekic as CFO, Head of Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions
Entertainment industry and financial markets exec bolsters brands’ international operations following acquisitions of Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media Inc and stake in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG; previous CFO Bob Denton named executive vice president of finance and accounting.
Genius Brands and ChizComm Founders Part Ways Under Contradictory Claims
Harold and Jennifer Chizick are out less than a year after their company was acquired by the growing kids’ media company; business will continue under the leadership of Donna MacNeil and Kathleen Campisano.
Jeff Bezos and Michael Strahan Team Up on New Animated Series
STEAM-based ‘Blue Origin Space Rangers’ adventures heads into development; will inspire kids to explore the universe, science, and new worlds to benefit Earth.
Production Begins on ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’
Director Jeff Fowler reveals work is underway by teasing the film’s logo, hinting at the appearance of Miles ‘Tails’ Prower, the two-tailed fox.
The ‘Blue Blur’ Returns: Netflix Drops ‘Sonic Prime’ Trailer and Art
The speedy hedgehog returns to hold the fate of the multiverse in his gloved hands; all-new 8-episode 3DCG series streams in December.
FilmRise Nabs Rights to Monster-Sized Slate of ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ Titles
The streaming network’s new deal with Konami will bring the hugely popular anime franchise to its apps and TV channels.
‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Coming Exclusively to Crunchyroll This Fall
‘The God of High School’ director Sunghoo Park leads the production of new series based on Gege Akutami’s manga published by Shueisha in Japan and VIZ Media in the U.S.
‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ Heads to the UK and Down Under
Konami Cross Media inks new streaming/digital agreements with UK-based Sky Kids and Australian-based anime streaming platform, AnimeLab.
Hello Einstein Studios Issues Open Call for Pitches
Kids media and entertainment company seeks original IP for expansion, development, and collaboration across streaming, music, and books; studio recently launched new animated series ‘The Sandbox’ on Roku with music distribution by Pandora.
Moonbug Acquires YouTube’s ‘Blippi’ and ‘CoComelon’
Entertainment company boosts subscriptions to over 235M across 100+ digital platforms, harnessing the increasing call for widely accessible kids’ content.