Kartoon Studios (NYSE American:TOON) today
announced its most ambitious project in the history of the company,
Kartoon Studios’ “Winnie-the-Pooh.” Plans include
an animated holiday movie, five holiday specials, and a four
year/104 episode series, to premiere on
Amazon Prime
Video, via Kartoon Channel!’s subscription service on the
platform. Concurrently,
Alliance
Entertainment (NASDAQ:AENT), a
leading distributor of physical entertainment that supports major
nationwide retailers, including Walmart, Target, Amazon and Barnes
& Noble, will debut new merchandise through a nationwide retail
program
, in conjunction with Kartoon Studios
rollout of a global consumer products campaign.
Kartoon Studios’
“Winnie-the-Pooh” is based on the designs and stories of
one of the most successful brands of all time, A.A. Milne’s
“Winnie-the-Pooh,” a property that has generated over $80 billion
in sales over the last four decades and is estimated to currently
generate $3-$6 billion per year for The Walt Disney Company. The
total lifetime revenues exceed those of “Barbie,” “Harry Potter,”
“Star Wars,” “Mickey Mouse,” “Peanuts,” “Ninja Turtles,” “Power
Rangers,” “Marvel,” and almost every major brand in the world.
“Disney created an iconic and tremendously
successful global brand with ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ that we have all
admired so much over many decades. When the property went into the
public domain, we knew we could only undertake creating Pooh for a
new generation if we could bring a completely new, different and
unique look that was contemporary, protectable, and gave voice to
the characters and stories created by A.A. Milne, as has never been
done,” said Kartoon Studios’ Chairman & CEO Andy
Heyward. “We are thrilled to launch with Amazon Prime
Video and Alliance Entertainment to deliver unique and exceptional
content, as we build out a new iteration of this entertainment
brand and ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’-branded consumer products to the global
marketplace.”
Pre-production has already begun on the animated
holiday movie, set to premiere December 24, 2025, on Amazon Prime
Video, through Kartoon Channel!’s $3.99/month subscription
distribution agreement with them. Concurrently, the global retail
program will kick off with the debut of products featuring an array
of special features, distributed through Alliance Entertainment
Corporation.
Kartoon Studios’
“Winnie-the-Pooh” animated content is being developed with
a unique ‘yarn- based’ design and palette for the characters and
backgrounds, along with original modern stories inspired by Milne’s
beloved classic books. The beautifully imagined yarn gives the
characters a depth and warmth. Additionally, the stories will be
told in a ‘Seussian style’ rhyme to provide an enriched dimension
to the stories.
“In designing Kartoon Studios’
‘Winnie-The-Pooh,’ we combined the best of both AI and human
creativity to arrive at the unique look of the characters and
backgrounds that could not have been imaginable prior to the advent
of AI in our industry,” commented
Heyward. “Our use of our AI platform
will enable us to bring a level of efficiency, speed-to-market, and
creativity, to the production heretofore not possible,” said
Heyward. “At a time when our world can be
confusing for children, Pooh is an oasis of goodness, grounded in
family, friendship, kindness, and love. Those are the exact values
our version of Pooh will showcase as we focus on building
Kartoon Studios’ “Winnie-The-Pooh” into a
long-term global megabrand, through which the simple and comforting
values A.A. Milne originally imagined, will endure forever.”
Heyward added: “We think this is a generational
opportunity to capitalize on one of the greatest properties ever
created, with a proven track record. Audiences around
the world are demanding healthy, positive, family-friendly stories
that will inspire and entertain kids, alongside a new line of
products, from toys to books, videos to apparel, and more, that are
steeped in these enriching values.”
The series is being financed through Joint
Venture Production financing of $30 million provided by WTP SPV 1,
a subsidiary of Catalyst Venture Partners. It is non-dilutive,
production financing.
Steven A. Horowitz, Sr. Managing
Director of WTP SPV and its parent company, Catalyst Venture
Partners, stated: “We have committed to provide $30
million to the Special Purpose Joint Venture for this exciting new
version of A.A. Milne’s ‘Winnie the Pooh’ from Kartoon Studios,
which is non-dilutive to any of TOON’s existing stakeholders.
Being able to participate in a timeless and proven children’s
classic such as Milne’s ‘Winnie-The-Pooh,’ through the production
of original animated content and the licensing of consumer products
from those proprietary character designs and stories, is a unique
opportunity we are very excited about. Andy Heyward and the
team at Kartoon Studios have a long history of producing hit
properties for children. An all-star array of award-winning talent
across development, production, marketing, consumer products, and
distribution has been assembled to manage the brand launch, and we
are excited to be a part of what we are confident will be a
hugely profitable and enduring business.”
“Capitalizing on the enormous equity inherent in
A.A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-The-Pooh,’ the unique designs and
storytelling, as well as the production efficiency by harnessing
AI, Kartoon Studios’ new iteration of the timeless brand will have
an exceptional array of attributes that we believe can lead to
extraordinary profitability for the company,” stated Heyward.
About Kartoon Studios
Kartoon Studios (NYSE AMERICAN: TOON) is a
global end-to-end creator, producer, distributor, marketer, and
licensor of entertainment brands. The Company’s IP portfolio
includes original animated content, including the Stan Lee brand,
“Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,” starring Arnold
Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel! and Ameba; “Shaq’s Garage,”
starring Shaquille O’Neal, on Kartoon Channel!; “Rainbow Rangers”
on Kartoon Channel! and Ameba; the Netflix Original, “Llama Llama,”
starring Jennifer Garner, and more. In 2022, Kartoon Studios
acquired Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media, and a material financial
interest in its subsidiary, Mainframe Studios, which is one of the
most successful animation service houses in the world, producing
top brands for 3rd parties , including “Cocomelon,” “Barbie’s
Playhouse,” Unicorn Academy,” and “SuperKitties.” Additionally, the
company made a strategic investment becoming the largest
shareholder in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG (FRA:RTV),
one of Europe’s leading distributors and broadcasters of
high-quality programs for children and families. Toon
Media Networks, the Company’s wholly owned digital distribution
network, consists of Kartoon Channel!, Frederator Network, and
Ameba. Kartoon Channel! is a globally distributed entertainment
platform with near full penetration of the U.S. market. Kartoon
Channel! and Ameba are available across multiple platforms,
including iOS, Android Mobile, Web, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV,
Amazon Fire, Roku, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling TV, Android
TV, Tubi, Xumo, and Samsung and LG Smart TVs. Frederator Network
owns and operates one of the largest global animation networks on
YouTube, with channels featuring over 2000 exclusive creators and
influencers, garnering billions of views annually.
For additional information, please
visit www.kartoonstudios.com
Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press
release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might,"
"will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate,"
"continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or
similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or
current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the
Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable,
undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking
statements, which are based on information available to us on the
date of this release. These forward looking statements are based
upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various
risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, our ability
to generate revenue or achieve profitability; our ability to obtain
additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all; the potential
issuance of a significant number of shares, which will dilute our
equity holders; fluctuations in the results of our operations from
period to period; general economic and financial conditions; our
ability to anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies,
fashion and technology; competitive pressure from other
distributors of content and within the retail market; our reliance
on and relationships with third-party production and animation
studios; our ability to market and advertise our products; our
reliance on third-parties to promote our products; our ability to
keep pace with technological advances; our ability to protect our
intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the
“Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual
results could be materially different. The Company expressly
disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by law.
MEDIA CONTACT:
pr@kartoonstudios.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
ir@kartoonstudios.com
Figures accompanying this announcement are available at
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