Nov 06

Codashop partners with Paytm payment gateway to drive digital gaming penetration in India

Posted in: Animation

Codashop, the leading website for game and digital content purchases announced a strategic partnership with Paytm, the largest Payment Gateway in India. Codashop, a world leader in gaming industry payments, enables digital content providers to accept payments for mobile and online games.

Commenting on the association, Codapayments CEO Philippe Limes, said, “India’s mobile gaming market is forecasted to grow from $1.1 billion in 2018 to $2.4 billion in 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 49 per cent. Our partnership with Paytm is a stepping stone in expanding our presence in India and strategically working with leading local partners in emerging markets.”

Through this partnership, which will be available both through the Paytm app and at Codashop, the company aims to capture the digital gaming and entertainment market in India.

“Indian gaming youth prefers mobile devices owing to the flexibility they offer, in terms of the potential ‘anytime, anywhere’ usage. Codashop’s rich portfolio of games and entertainment content will complement Paytm with deeper consumer engagement. Our expertise in the global markets will also help us in accelerating our plans in the Indian digital gaming industry,” he further added.

Paytm PG will act as an important payment channel for Codashop digital customers to make in-game purchases.

Talking more on this association, Paytm  sr. vice president Puneet Jain adds “At Paytm, we have built India’s largest and most robust payment gateway stack. Our constant endeavour is to extend these PG solutions to different businesses and help them build a seamless payment experience on their platforms. In this regard, we are excited to partner with Codashop which is a leader in the gaming space. Gaming has been a high growth category for us and we believe this partnership will further enhance the experience of Indian gaming users”

Codashop has empanelled some of the world’s largest gaming publishers including PUBG, Free Fire, Hago and many more along with marketing and promotional offers that include rewards; will enable merchants to engage with consumers in a truly differentiated way.

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Nov 06

9 Story Media Group gets on board former Nickelodeon executive, Karen Fowler

Posted in: Animation

9 Story Media Group has brought in a former Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon executive to lead its Toronto-based development team. Karen Fowler is joining the firm as VP of development for animation and live-action.

Reporting to chief creative officer Angela Santomero, Fowler will be working closely with Jennie Stacey (VP development), Sarah Wallendjack (VP development and production) and Jeremy Slutskin (VP live action, NY), to help expand 9 Story Media’s development and production slate.

She was previously executive producer of The Sesame Workshop/PBS reboot of The Electric Company, which won 10 Emmys and has held staff positions at Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon and CBC Kids, where she was executive in charge of development and production.

More recently, Fowler was development executive and creative producer on Nickelodeon’s Abby Hatcher for Spin Master.

9 Story’s slate of animation includes Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Octonauts.

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Nov 06

Discovery India appoints Black White Orange as L&M partner for ‘Fukrey Boyzzz’

Posted in: Animation

Fukrey Boyzzz, a production from Discovery Kids, launched in association with Excel Entertainment, which helped the channel reach the top third position in the first week of launch itself, has attracted lots of queries in the licensing and merchandising space. Discovery India has appointed Black White Orange (BWO) as the licencing partner to harness the full potential of the newly launched IP beyond TV.

“Fukrey franchise extends beyond demographics; Fukrey Boyzzz has added another level of zing to it – which is what we are targeting to leverage in the L&M space,” said Discovery managing director – South Asia Megha Tata. “We are delighted to partner with BWO in our endeavour to ensure that Fukrey Boyzzz fans get to experience and engage with the iconic characters beyond TV, both online as well as offline, by early 2020.”

BWO is working closely with Discovery India and Excel Entertainment to conceptualise designs and represent the IP across a wide range of categories. BWO is targeting to reach out to interested partners in back-to-school, apparel, toys and novelty products’ space.

“Fukrey Boyzzz has opened new vistas; new horizons for us. An L&M partnership is a natural extension to fully tap the hidden potential of this iconic franchise whose following transcends varied demographics. We are keen to work with partners who understand and imbibe the ethos of the Fukrey franchise,” Excel Entertainment co-founder Ritesh Sidhwani mentioned.

“The Fukrey franchise has a huge fan base in India and Fukrey Boyzzz is a treat for kids with extremely entertaining content! We are excited to work with the Discovery Kids team to take the brand to the next level with merchandise and interesting licensing partnerships,” commented Black White Orange Brands founder and CEO Bhavik Vora.

Fukrey Boyzzz features characters from the Excel Entertainment film – Choocha, Hunny, Laali and Bholi Punjaban – in their animated avatars.  At the press launch of Fukrey Boyzzz, all lead actors including Richa Chadha, Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma and Manjot Singh were seen in Fukrey Boyzzz inspired fashion wear. The style guide being developed for the L&M leverages the well-defined characters of the franchise in a fun way.

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Nov 06

VFX heavy series ‘Narcos vs Zombies’ to launch exclusively to Amazon Prime Video in 2020

Posted in: Animation

Amazon Prime Video has announced a new Amazon Prime Original TV series  Narcos vs Zombies, will launch in 2020, it is aiming to bring audiences across an exciting story passing various genres, from science-fiction to horror to action. It is comprised of eight episodes and will be available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, including Mexico and the rest of Latin America.

The series is a Mexican production created and written by Nicolas Entel  and Miguel Tejada Flores, directed by Rigoberto Castañeda and stars Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Fátima Molina, Horacio García Rojas, Nery Arredondo and Adria Morales.

Narcos vs Zombies follows the story of legendary narco kingpin Alonso Marroquín (Peris-Mencheta), who escapes from a high-security Mexican prison with his son Lucas (Nery Arredondo) and finds refuge hiding at Paradiso, a remote drug rehab facility located on the U.S. side of the border. Meanwhile, test subjects from a failed U.S. military experiment —intended to transform wounded soldiers into killing machines— are left for dead near the border, only to revive as deadly mutant zombies. In its pursuit of the runaway Marroquins, the Mexican SWAT team is infected by the newly-created zombies, becoming a zombie army in its own right. Alerted of the imminent threat that this new species represents to humanity, the U.S. Army embarks on a mission to annihilate them. The series is produced by Dynamo and Red Creek Productions.

“We are always looking to bring new kinds of premium content to our Prime members, therefore we are very excited about this new and innovative series that will surely be loved by fans of a variety of genres,” said Javier Szerman, Head of Mexico Originals, Amazon Prime Video. “The story of Narcos vs Zombies is something that hasn’t been done at this scale in Latin America.”

“For all of us at Dynamo it has been an incredible experience to produce this unique original series for Prime Video in Latin America.The level of complexity in the production of this series added with the blending of genres will bring audiences a story which they have never before seen,”  said Dynamo CEO Andrés Calderón.

“The series is a lot of fun, action-packed and features amazing VFX, but it will also likely ruffle some feathers as it deals with several important – and controversial – current affairs,” said Red Creek Productions founding partner and series showrunner  Nicolas Entel.

Narcos vs Zombies is the most recent Amazon Original series announced by Prime Video for Mexico, joining a growing list of popular and critically-acclaimed local original series like Diablo Guardian, LOL: Last One Laughing, Un Extraño Enemigo, El Juego de las Llaves and the recently launched Derbez Family Vacation, along with hit global originals including the award winning series The Marvelous Maisel and Fleabag, as well as global hits like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Good Omens and Carnival Row.

Prime members will be able to watch all episodes of Narcos vs Zombies anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV stick, Apple TV and Chromecast, as well as stream online. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in Mexico at no additional cost to Prime membership and now with Prime Video Channels, Prime members can add channels they love such as HBO, STARZPLAY and Paramount+, with most subscriptions offering a free trial and the ability to cancel anytime.

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Nov 06

‘Deadpool 3’ supposedly in production by Marvel Studios?

Posted in: Animation

Post The Walt Disney Studios acquired Fox, there has been a lot of assumptions and conversations about the future of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

While some characters are expected to undergo a reboot with new actors for the roles, there has been one exception with Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds will continue to portray the witty anti-hero in the Marvel universe. Few reports suggest that Reynolds had visited the head executives at Marvel regarding the future of his character and the next Deadpool film.

Lately, a certain business transaction has garnered eyeballs leading to speculation that Deadpool 3 might be starting soon. As unveiled by HNEntertainment, Disney has filed a new corporation for an upcoming unnamed production. The name of the company was revealed to be Finger Guns Productions.

While there have not been any confirmations, the developments surrounding Deadpool 3 suggest that it could be the unnamed project. In October, the film’s writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick revealed that after Reynolds’ conversation with Marvel Studios, the two are waiting for a confirmation from him so that they can begin writing Deadpool 3.

Well, only time will tell the truth about the assumptions of Deadpool 3. Fans don’t have any other option but to wait and hope that the character appears on the big screen again soon.

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Nov 06

Studio 100 Film and Kool Produktion announce voice cast for ‘Ella Bella Bingo’

Posted in: Animation

Studio 100 Film and Kool Produktion AS announced an impressive voice cast for the upcoming theatrical feature Ella Bella Bingo.  Leading the voice cast are Summer Fontana (The Originals, Dark Phoenix) as Ella Bella, Jack Fisher (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Legends of Tomorrow) as Henry.

Summer Fontana

Jack Fisher

Joining the duo are Benjamin Plessala (Shameless, Big Little Lies) as Johnny, as well as Tress MacNeille (Tiny Toon Adventures, The Simpsons), Richard Kind (Inside Out, Argo), Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy, Star Wars Rebels, IT, Moana) and Chris Sullivan (This is us, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).  Jamie Thomason (The Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice) will serve as the voice director for Ella Bella Bingo.

Kool Produktion AS producer Frank Mosvold commented, “I am more than delighted that we have brought together such an internationally well-known and exceptionally talented cast. Ella Bella Bingo tells a heartwarming story about friendship. We have found the perfect voices to bring Ella Bella and her friends to life.”

‘Ella Bella Bingo’ tells a touching story about the fear of losing one’s best friend, a story we all can identify with.  Ella Bella and Henry are best friends, but one day a new boy moves into the neighborhood and their friendship is challenged.  In the tradition of Astrid Lindgren the film takes children seriously and sees the world through their eyes.

Studio 100 Film director operations Thorsten Wegener added, “We are very happy to represent this outstanding movie and look forward to the completed film this December.  The talents that Frank Mosvold has gathered to create this movie are impressive and the result is spectacular – we are convinced it will win over audiences around the world.”

Ella Bella Bingo is a Scandinavian production by Kool Produktion AS together with Gimpville AS.  The movie is currently in production and its delivery is planned for December 2019.  Studio 100 Film acts as the international sales agent.

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Nov 06

Cyber Group Studios appoints licensing agency Medialink Group in Southeast Asia for ‘Gigantosaurus’

Posted in: Animation

French independent producer and distributor of animated content, Cyber Group Studios, has appointed Medialink Animation International, a subsidiary of HK listed company, Medialink Group, as licensing agency for preschool animation IP, Gigantosaurus.  

This deal will strengthen the exposure of the IP and create new licensing opportunities in Southeast Asia in places like – Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. With this collaboration, Medialink aims to further grow the merchandise, tie-in promotions, and events business for the brand.

Cyber Group Studios International Licensing and Marketing exec Bruno Danzel D’Aumont added : “Gigantosaurus is a global brand with an ambitious merchandise licensing program. We are delighted to work with Medialink as licensing agent in South East Asia. Medialink has a talented team with a strong experience and great expertise in the licensing business and retail development. I am confident that they will contribute to the success of Gigantosaurus in all product categories.”

Gigantosaurus, multi award-winning adventure-comedy series is based on Jonny Duddle’s book published by Templar and sold at 500,000 units worldwide. The 52x 11’ CGI series features four fiercely-fun dinosaur friends – Rocky, Bill, Mazu and Tiny – who take pre-school kids on exciting, comedy-filled adventures as they dare to be themselves and explore the world beyond their nests. The laugh-out-loud pre-school animation currently airs on Disney around the globe and is set to hit UK screens on free-to-air channel, Tiny POP, next year. The show is also confirmed to broadcast on free-to-air channels in other territories, such as France Télévisions, Germany’s Super RTL plus Italy’s Rai Yoyo. Content is also available on Disney’s YouTube channel and will come to Netflix. 

Medialink Group executive director Noletta Chiu said, “Gigantosaurus is the perfect preschool brand for licensing. Both boys and girls love it very much. We are excited to work together with Cyber Group Studios. As a licensing agent, Medialink has the expertise and experience in building strong pre-school brands in Southeast Asia. We have made successful launches and events for international pre-school brands that are well supported by consumers and retailers alike. With our strong network in the market, we have the leverage to further develop Gigantosaurus in toys, home products, apparel, characters’ meet and greet, and mall events. We look forward to bringing new and successful elements to Gigantosaurus.”

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Nov 06

Qualifying teams to compete at regional finals of PMCO Fall Split 2019 at a prize pool of $175,000

Posted in: Animation

PUBG Mobile Club Open Fall Split 2019 tournament has announced the schedule for South Asia play-ins and the countries that will be participating in the tournament. Qualifying teams for the year’s biggest mobile esports event, PUBG Mobile Club Open have been revealed and it is time for the South East Asian round to begin. Top 24 teams of PUBG Mobile from South Asia Region will face each other and will give it their all to earn a Road to Finale tickets.

Out of the 24 teams, 16 teams will qualify for the Regional Finals of PMCO Fall Split 2019, which begins on 7 November. The top 16 teams will compete for a total prize pool of $175,000. The winning team will represent their country at the Global Finals in Kuala Lumpur and have a chance to play for the trophy and a prize pool of $2.5 million.The teams will be divided into three groups of eight players each. A total of six matches will be played on Day 1 in third-person perspective.

The first match begunat 1.00 PM and Day 1 will go on until 8.00 PM. Best PUBG Mobile teams from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh will be participating in the tournament. Some of the Indian teams include team Orange Rock, Soul, and IND.

Those who want to watch the tournament live and cheer for their favourite team can visit the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in Delhi, India, and the entry ticket is free. Besides this, VIP passes are also available that can be purchased online.

Those who can’t reach the spot can watch the live-action on PUBG Mobile Esports YouTube channel. The show has begun today, and it will be a five-day event. The winner will proceed to the Global Finals that will be played in Malaysia.

 

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Nov 06

Panipat’s trailer is out and the VFX looks stunning

Posted in: Animation

Panipat starring Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Sanjay Dutt is based on the third battle of Panipat between Sadashiv Rao Bhau and Ahmed Shah Abdali. The trailer left fans baffled with grand and picturesque visuals with war scenes.

With spectacular visuals, action scenes and the fight between Arjun and Sanjay Dutt, Panipat’s trailer presented viewers a  window into the annals of history. While glimpses of Mohnish Bahl, Zeenat Aman, Padmini Kolhapure left fans in awe, Pan. Arjun looked quite different in the Maratha avatar and was seen with a shaved head as well.

A spokesperson from AGPPL VFX shared, “Yes the movie’s VFX was worked upon by the in-house VFX studio and we have high hopes from the movie” The mountains, the desert, the battle sequences make for an epic VFX teat.

While celebs like Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and more praises the trailer, there have been conjectures.

We will keep you posted on the VFX aspect of the movie.

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Nov 06

Diamond Toons brings comic on life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Posted in: Animation

On the eve of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Diamond Toons brings an interactive ‘talking comics’ to educate children about his legacy, divinity and teachings. The comic aims at making kids aware of the teachings of Sikh culture and its rich heritage. The comic will be published in Hindi,English and Punjabi language.

The comic book has been made in the guidance of experts and is a part of the talking comic book series Celebrating India that will extensively cover the rich cultural heritage of India including our festivals, religions and spiritual gurus.

Talking comics – a concept created by Diamond Toons is a unique way to interact with kids and adults as it effectively communicates the message through pictures. This comic format effectively talks to active minds,quick learners and is an intelligent quick connect to consumers. It is specially designed for adults and children in 14 different languages to make the process of learning easy, interesting and creative.

On the launch of the comic, Diamond Toons director Manish Verma said, “India showcases incredible glimpses of intriguing and colorful shades of its rich cultural heritage. It boasts the title of ‘land of festivals’ along with innumerable saints and sages who have walked their journey of life here. Sikhism is the youngest religion, but has a lot of faiths and beliefs which we are unaware of. Diamond Toons attempts to pass this rich legacy and teachings of the religion to our younger generation. We will be coming out with more such illustrative books through series called Celebrating India that will chronicle the lives/memoirs and teachings of the enlightened spiritual gurus of India.

Talking comics has been proven as the most successful and trusted medium to spread knowledge and infuse behavioral change among kids and adults. Diamond Toons has already done similar successful projects with Google, Swachh Bharat, Ministry of Tourism Telangana for Bathukamma festival, Ministry of Uttar Pradesh for Kumbh, Washington Apples and others.

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