Hilarious new original kids' series,
co-produced with Cartoon Saloon, expected to roll out across 170+
territories in 2020
HALIFAX, Feb. 11, 2019
/CNW/ - DHX Media (or the "Company") (TSX: DHX, NASDAQ: DHXM), a
global children's content and brands company, is bringing the weird
and wild world of Dorg Van
Dango to Nickelodeon International, having signed a new
exclusive agreement with the global kids' broadcaster.
Dorg Van Dango is a
Canada-Ireland co-production from DHX Media and
Cartoon Saloon, in association with Family Channel in Canada and RTE in Ireland.
"The world of Dorg Van
Dango is really hilarious and quirky," said Josh Scherba, President, DHX Media. "What kid
wouldn't want a super-cool unicorn, a curious alien, an ancient
witch and an eerie ghost as his secret, new best friends? When
these escapees from Area 51 look to 'normal kid' Dorg Van Dango for help, things get crazy.
Alongside the team at Cartoon Saloon, we've created something
really fun and special here, and we're confident Nickelodeon's
international audience is going to love following the adventures of
Dorg and his unusual new friends."
"We are thrilled to be partnering with DHX and Cartoon Saloon on
Dorg Van Dango. The vibrant,
fun, fresh look of the series and unique stories of friendship, are
a perfect fit for Nickelodeon and we look forward to introducing
Dorg and the Magicals to our audience internationally," said
Layla Lewis, SVP Global Acquisitions
and Partnerships, Nickelodeon.
"I want to thank the very clever people at Nickelodeon for
joining Cartoon Saloon and our wonderful colleagues at DHX Media on
this journey to bring Dorg and his friends to an international
audience," said Paul Young, CEO of
Cartoon Saloon. "Our Emmy-winning comedy writer, Nick Murphy, has been leading a team of Irish
and Canadian writers to create scripts that have left me crying
laughing. Our creative team of Fabian Erlinghauser, from Cartoon
Saloon, and Matt Ferguson, from DHX
Media, are preparing a show that has a very colourful, original
look. Something fresh for a new generation of kids out there. We're
all very excited!"
Under the agreement, Dorg Van
Dango will air exclusively on Nickelodeon
International's channels, including in the UK, Australia, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Spain,
Central Eastern Europe, Poland,
Israel, Latin America, Asia (excluding China), India, the Middle
East and North Africa.
Commissioning broadcaster Family Channel will air the new series in
Canada.
A brand new animated comedy for six to 11-year-olds,
Dorg Van Dango (52 x 11')
follows the adventures of Dorg, a normal kid, living in the very
normal town of Normill. That is, until he meets THE MAGICALS: Jet
Lazor, the super-cool unicorn; Patronella, an ancient witch; RD, a
curious alien; and Yooki, an eerie ghost. They are all escapees
from Area 51 and are in desperate need of help and refuge. To have
them blend in with the citizens of Normill, Dorg disguises them as
teenagers and hides them in the basement in the local shopping
mall. With his new best friends attempting to help navigate life's
challenges, Dorg's world just got a whole lot less normal and a lot
more fun!
Production on the series is underway at DHX Media's Vancouver studio. Dorg Van Dango is expected to roll out
internationally in 2020.
Dorg Van Dango is
based on an original idea by Fabian Erlinghäuser (Song of the
Sea, Moone Boy) and Nora Twomey
(The Breadwinner, The Secret of Kells) and is developed and
produced with assistance from Fís Éirean/Screen Ireland and
Creative Europe. Cartoon Saloon handles writing, designs,
storyboards and post-production as well as distribution in
Ireland and the UK, and DHX Media
handles voice records, character and background builds, animation,
and distribution rest-of-world.
About DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. (TSX: DHX, NASDAQ:
DHXM) is a global children's content and brands company, recognized
for such high-profile properties as Peanuts, Teletubbies,
Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, and the
acclaimed Degrassi franchise. One of the world's foremost
producers of children's shows, DHX Media owns the world's largest
independent library of children's content, at 13,000 half-hours. It
licenses its content to broadcasters and streaming services
worldwide and generates royalties through its global consumer
products program. Through its subsidiary, WildBrain, DHX Media
operates one of the largest networks of children's channels on
YouTube. Headquartered in Canada,
DHX Media has offices worldwide. Visit us at
www.dhxmedia.com.
About Cartoon Saloon
Cartoon Saloon is a
four-time Academy Award® and BAFTA nominated animation
studio formed by Paul Young,
Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey in 1999. From award-winning shorts
to Feature Films and TV series, Cartoon Saloon has carved a special
place in the international Animation industry.
In 2010 the studio's first feature film, The Secret of
Kells, was nominated for an Academy Award® and in 2015 Tomm
Moore's follow up feature, Song of the Sea, garnered Moore a
second Oscar® Nomination and the first nomination for Producer Paul
Young and won the IFTA for Best Film in Ireland. In 2018 Nora Twomey received an
Oscar® Nomination for The Breadwinner, their third feature
film, which had the help of Angelina
Jolie as an executive Producer. Writer/Director Louise Bagnall and Producer Nuria Blanco (also
an Associate Producer on Dorg) received Cartoon Saloon's
4th Oscar® Nomination in January
2019, for the short film Late Afternoon.
Concentrating the artistic skills and experience of the company's
core creative founders, Cartoon Saloon continues to tell stories
for the screen, aligning with artists and partners with whom they
can grow and learn. www.cartoonsaloon.ie
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its
39th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for
kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first
in everything it does. The company includes television programming
and production in the United
States and around the world, plus consumer products,
digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon is one of
the most globally recognized and widely distributed multimedia
entertainment brands for kids and family, with 1.2 billion
cumulative subscriptions in more than 500 million households across
170+ countries and territories, via more than 100+ locally
programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of
Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc.
(NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world's leading creators of
programming and content across all media platforms. For more
information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are
trademarks of Viacom Inc.
Disclaimer
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" under
applicable securities laws with respect to DHX Media including,
without limitation, statements regarding the territories in which
Dorg Van Dango is expected to
air on Nickelodeon International, the expected timing for the
international broadcast of Dorg Van
Dango, and the business strategies and operational
activities of the Company. Although the Company believes that the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are
reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and are
based on information currently available to the Company. Actual
results or events may differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause actual results or events to differ materially from current
expectations, among other things, include market factors,
production risk, and risk factors discussed in materials filed with
applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time,
including matters discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's
most recent Annual Information Form and annual Management
Discussion and Analysis, which also form part of the Company's
annual report on Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made as
of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update
or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as
required by law.
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SOURCE DHX Media Ltd.