ITV

Category: Kids

  • Bandai America is toy licensee for Kamen Rider Dragon Knight series

    MUMBAI: Adness Entertainment has named Bandai America as the master toy licensee, which will be covering all territories outside Asia for Kamen Rider Dragon Knight series.


    Produced by Adness Entertainment, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is based on the original series Kamen Rider Ryuki, produced by Japan‘s Toei Company.


    Adness Entertainment is involved in the production, worldwide distribution and merchandise licensing of original kid-based television entertainment.



    Bandai America, a Japanese toy making company, will launch a comprehensive global toy line for the live-action franchise, debuting in late 2009. The line will include collectible action figures, vehicles and role-play lineup targeted at boys aged between 6-11.



    “Bandai America is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of the highest quality toy brands in kids’ entertainment. We look forward to supporting the Kamen Rider Dragon Knight franchise with a powerful toy line from this worldwide toy manufacturing leader,” said president and CEO Fumio Sebata.






    “With Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, Adness Entertainment has produced an exceptional series that is certain to captivate kids in the U.S. We are excited to work with Adness in launching a toy line that will extend the viewing experience of the series into exciting play patterns for fans,” added Bandai America president Sho Omatsu.


    Also, 4Kids Entertainment will serve as the US broadcast home for Kamen Rider Dragon Knight.

  • Jetix Europe, Disney-ABC International TV sign distribution deal

    MUMBAI: Jetix Europe has signed an agreement with an affiliate of its majority shareholder, The Walt Disney Company Ltd, for the distribution of its channels and digital content across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).


    The move, which will come into effect as of 1 July, will mean that the distribution of Jetix channels in the region will now be serviced by Disney-ABC International Television‘s (DAIT) newly integrated TV distribution business.



    Disney-ABC International Television already services programme sales for Jetix content to free-to-air broadcasters globally.



    The new deal will strengthen this partnership, which currently represents the leading Disney-branded kids channels, Disney Channel, Disney Cinemagic, Playhouse Disney, Toon Disney, ESPN Classic and NASN. DAIT‘s responsibilities will span all platforms including cable and satellite as well as digital services such as IPTV and PPV.



    Jetix Europe CEO Paul Taylor said, “The new deal with DAIT will allow us to benefit from Disney‘s strong market presence in all of our key territories. Channel distribution is a key revenue stream for us and I am confident that being part of this first class integrated distribution operation will deliver significant benefits over the medium to long term.”



    Disney-ABC International Television EMEA and Canada VP and MD Tom Toumazis added, “This agreement completes the EMEA integration of our Channel and Programme distribution assets and teams, to better serve our international clients and deliver value for our Company, adding Jetix channels to the unique brand strength of Disney and ESPN channels.”

  • Animated titles from Toei to be available on internet

    MUMBAI: Toei Animation has announced the launch of their most popular animated content online this June. Slam Dunk and Fist of the North Star are the first titles scheduled to roll out.

    Each series will be available for download on IGN.com’s Direct2Drive section.



    The premiere of other animated titles from their extensive series catalogue will be announced later this year.



    “We are thrilled to expand the ever-growing need for these popular shows on the web and We look forward to building a new legion of fans through this important platform,” said Toei Animation Coo and president Yosuke Kobayashi.



    In Slam Dunk, former punk Sakuragi Hanamichi joins his high school basketball team attempting to impress his dream girl Haruko. Naturally athletic, yet lacking any experience in the sport, Sakuragi struggles to contribute to the Shohoku High team.



    Fist of the North Star is set when the world is enveloped in the fires of a nuclear holocaust. On the charred remains of the earth’s surface, a few remaining group of humans are struggling to survive. However, they find themselves in a fearful world ruled by violence. The young wanderer, Kenshiro, stands up to the bandits. Upon his chest are seven scars in the shape of the North Star.

  • Nick launches Dady Cool contest

    MUMBAI: In an attempt to promote Father’s Day, Nick India has launched yet another interactive initiative called Dady Cool Contest.


    This Father’s Day, Nick, the channel full of masti and dhamaal, gives kids a chance to prove to their friends that their dad is truly the coolest! All kids have to do to prove their dad’s Cool Quotient, is participate in the Daddy Cool Contest!



    The contest gives kids a platform to not only wish their dad a Happy Father’s Day but flaunt their creativity by designing and decorating their dad’s photo. After the fun makeover, all they need to do is send in a picture of their dad to Nick through the website www.nickindia.com .



    The best picture will be put up on-air on Father’s Day and on the Nick website www.nickIndia.com. Kids can win Nick goodies by participating. The contest is open till 14 June.



    Nick is also conducting a poll on who according to kids is the coolest dad from Bollywood. Kids can log on to www.nickindia.com and choose from Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan.

  • Disney, Screenvision ink agreement for film promotion

    MUMBAI: Disney channel and Screenvision, an international cinema advertising agency, have signed an agreement to promote the cable network’s upcoming movie “Camp Rock,” starring teen pop sensations the Jonas Brothers.


    The movie will be officially aired on 20 June. As a part of the agreement, a 30-second spot in Screenvision’s Premium Pod will be dedicated to the movie. Screenvision offers ad placements before the previews. The ad will be run until 19 June before leading G (general audiences accepted) and PG (parental guidance suggested) rated films including ‘Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ and ‘Kung Fu Panda.’



    Screenvision’s cinema advertising network comprises 14,000 screens across 2,300 theatres and reaches 92 per cent of US. Screenvision produces host-format entertainment preshow which is aired across Screenvision’s digital network of approximately 7,000 screens.



    Screenvision executive VP sales and marketing Michael Chico said, “We’re thrilled that Disney Channel is working with us to help promote ‘Camp Rock’ and have chosen to run their spot in our Premium Pod. Through our Premium Pod we’re able to offer marketers such as Disney Channel, prime advertising real estate, with the maximum exposure possible in cinema in terms of available audience for viewing. This is a great way for Disney Channel to first experience the power of cinema advertising.”



    Disney Channel senior VP (marketing and creative) Richard Loomis said, “Camp Rock’ is a huge priority for the network and in order to maximize the reach of the targeted kids and teen audience during the summer timeframe, we will reach them in one of the main places they will be – at the movies. With Screenvision’s Premium Pod, we feel we are best able to optimize our advertising in cinema.”



    The movie’s story talks of a teen girl named Mitchie Torres who eagerly wants to spend her summer at a prestigious rock camp, but can only do so if she works in the kitchen as one of the cooks. Later she‘s overheard singing, but not seen, by a teen pop star at the camp, he is completely mesmerised and sets out to find the girl behind the beautiful voice. But the girl must confront her fears and step into the spotlight.



    Screenvision’s new deal with Disney Channel follows other partnerships with television brands including MTV, ABC Family, ABC Network, E!, Fox Home Entertainment, HBO and Showtime Networks.

  • Disney to release Nightmare on Blu-ray

    MUMBAI: Disney will be releasing Tim Burton‘s Nightmare on Blu-ray. The date of release is 26 August.


    The new Blu-ray format will include an interactive tour of Disneyland‘s Holiday Haunted Mansion titled ‘What‘s This? Jack‘s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour‘, ‘On Track‘ and ‘Off Track‘.








    The format will also include Tim Burton‘s poem narrated by Christopher Lee that inspired the creation of the movie, audio commentary about the film by producer and writer Tim Burton, director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman.


    It also offers an opportunity for viewers to witness the creation of film‘s sets including Halloween Town, Christmas Town and the Real World which will be titled ‘The Worlds of Tim Burton‘s The Nightmare Before Christmas‘.


    The other add on features include storyboard of the film, deleted scenes, original theatrical posters and trailers and Tim Burton‘s short film Vincent.


    The movie‘s story speaks of the time when the king of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, gets tired of his routine preparing for Halloween every year.


    And later when he discovers Christmas Town, he is inspired to take control of Christmas season. Unfortunately his morbid subjects find it difficult to get the festive holiday right. Meanwhile, Sally, a maid who takes care of her creator Dr. Finklestein, is trying to run away from her confines and worries for Jack as she foresees that his plans will be a failure.

     

  • Nick to air Buddy on 8 June

    MUMBAI: Nick will premiere Buddy, a true story of a New York socialite and a gorilla on 8 June in the Nick Home Cinema slot. The movie will air at 11 pm with a repeat telecast at 7 pm.This movie is a dramatization of the autobiography “Animals Are My Hobby” of Mrs. Gertrude Lintz a soft-hearted, 1920s New York socialite.



    Buddy is the true story of Gertrude “Trudy” Lintz (Rene Russo), a progressive eccentric who helped change the public perception of apes when she raised a baby gorilla as her child.



    On her New York estate, Trudy, her physician husband (Robbie Coltrane) and her assistant (Alan Cumming) care for a menagerie including four chimpanzees, whom she treats as her children: She teaches them table manners, to play croquet, mix martinis and do light housework. And they become the stars of Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair. But her gorilla, Buddy, is her favorite.




    She saves the sickly animal from death, and proceeds to raise him as if he were her own. But Buddy inevitably grows up, and it becomes increasingly difficult for him to fit into his human world. Finally, Trudy has to make the decision all mothers face – she has to let go.

  • Nickelodeon launches Qwikies games for Verizon users

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon Kids, Family Group‘s AddictingGames (addictinggames.com), and Verizon Wireless have announced that Qwikies will now be “exclusively” available to Verizon Wireless customers.


    Marking its first extension off the PC, AddictingGames‘ Qwikies are flash-based mini-games which allow Verizon Wireless customers to play popular AddictingGames‘ titles from the palms of their hands, including “Fling the Ferret”, “50 States,” “Flip the Bird,” “Escape the Locker,” “Fly Squasher,” “Whack a Mole” and “Jungle Gym”.



    Qwikies have launched with fully functional high-score capabilities that enable customers to post scores to a daily community leader board from their phones or text their scores to friends.


    New games and content will be added every month.



    Verizon VP digital programming Ryan Hughe said, “Our customers have demonstrated an appetite for games that can be played quickly while on-the-go, and they love games based on popular content. Qwikies from Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group‘s AddictingGames are a great fit with the type of content our customers crave.”




    Verizon Wireless customers can access Qwikies in the AddictingGames section in the Get It Now virtual store for $4.99 for two uses, $6.99 for four uses and $8.99 for six uses.



    AddictingGames‘ Qwikies are available on a number of Get It Now-enabled phones. Download charges vary and airtime or megabyte charges may apply when downloading and using certain applications. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled handset and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.

  • Disney launches Kingdom Comics

    MUMBAI: Disney Studios has launched a graphic novel business called Kingdom Comics. The plan is to adapt the work into movies.

    As a part of the new launch, Disney Studios has signed a multi-year deal with writer-actor Ahmet Zappa, TV executive Harris Katleman and writer-editor Christian Beranek to manage the division. The basic aim is to create new titles for new film projects and also to re-imagine and revive movies from Disney‘s library of live-action films.



    Zappa is the younger son of late musician Frank Zappa and sold the rights of his first novel, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, to Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films in 2006. He is writing the second instalment in that series and is executive producing a feature version of Fraggle Rock with the Jim Henson Co.



    Katleman is a former president and CEO of 20th Century Fox Television. Beranek formed his own publishing company, Silent Devil, in 1996, producing titles like Dracula vs. King Arthur and Super Frat. None of the graphic artists’ names have been disclosed, though the trio stated that they were looking out for new and established talent.



    The new launch is keeping in mind competitor’s entry into graphic novel business. Kingdom Comics already has a first-look distribution deal with Disney Publishing Worldwide.



    If Disney disagrees to publish the book, Kingdom Comics can search for new avenues. Kingdom Comics is not bound to compulsorily publish a certain number of graphic novels in a year.



    The studio will selectively pick up titles and develop them on case-by-case basis. It also will place the company in business with established talent which will basically develop into a research and development division.



    Competitors like Paramount and Universal have deals with Marvel and Dark Horse Comics respectively. Warner Bros. owns DC Comics.

  • Nick to air Wind in the Willow on 1 June

    MUMBAI: Nick will premiere Wind in the Willows in the Nick Home Cinema slot on 1 June.


    The movie will air at 11 am, followed by a repeat at 7 pm.


    Written and directed by Terry Jones, who also stars as Toad, this movie is a screen adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame children’s classic The Wind In The Willows.


    This dramatic and hilarious journey follows the adventures of Toad, Mole (Steve Coogan), Rat (Eric Idle) and Badger (Nicol Williamson) as they try to save their world from encroaching progress.



    While the colorful characters struggle with the conflict between the idealized riverbank and the menace of the outside world, Toad leads the group on a quest for continued serenity.