Global distribution powerhouse Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG and Grom Social Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: GROM), which recently entered into an agreement to acquire Curiosity Ink Media – a producer of original multiplatform family entertainment – today announced that Curiosity and Toon2Tango will develop Santa.com into an original animated musical holiday special. The special will serve as a feature length companion to Santa.com, Grom’s previously announced ecommerce initiative in which visitors can enjoy the merriest time of year in a virtual North Pole. The announcement was made jointly by Curiosity Ink Media’s Chief Content Officer, Russell Hicks and Toon2Tango Chief Executive Officer, Ulli Stoef.

 

Inspired by annual favorites like “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Elf,” Santa.com tells the story of how Santa’s retirement results in a fully automated North Pole. Elves oversee a workshop in which holiday wishes are fulfilled by robotic candy cane arms and gifts are delivered by peppermint drones. The updated system works smoothly and efficiently until Cyber Scrooge hacks the system and threatens to cancel Christmas. However, proving that technology can never replace the true spirit of Christmas, Yo-Yo the Elf embarks on a worldwide adventure to round up the now retired reindeer, find Santa’s broken sleigh and lure Santa out of retirement.

 

The feature length special serves as a brand companion to the Santa.com website, which Grom and Curiosity will debut in November 2021. This virtual holiday hub allows visitors to register their wish lists, tour the North Pole, play holiday-themed games, and even schedule a virtual visit with Santa Claus. The site offers one-stop-shopping for users to browse, purchase and send personalized gifts from the comfort of home. The ecommerce venue represents an opportunity to tap into the growing holiday retail market, projected to top $1 trillion this year, including a 11.3% climb in ecommerce to over $206B in sales.*

 

The partnership builds on Curiosity’s recent alliance with Toon2Tango to develop preschool original IP franchise Baldwin’s Big Adventure into an animated series. The Munich, Germany-based production company, who are specialists in development and global distribution of kids’ and family content, will aid Curiosity’s efforts to enhances their global reach in animation production and brand building to prepare IP for global audiences.

 

“The world needs a fresh, fun and inventive take on Christmas and Toon2Tango is the perfect partner to help us craft a new, instant holiday classic,” explains Hicks. “Their visual storytelling approach blends seamlessly with Santa.com’s heartwarming story, original musical score and richly defined characters to capture the fun and nostalgia of Christmas and create a new holiday tradition the whole family will love.”

 

“We are very happy to partner with Curiosity on this very fresh approach to a Christmas Story,” adds Stoef. “The idea offers everything Toon2Tango is looking for in order to bring outstanding original IP to the small and big screen.”

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*Source: emarketer.com Holiday 2021 Preview

Animated Series to Serve as Centerpiece of the Emerging Preschool Franchise

 

Grom Social Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: GROM), which recently entered into an agreement to acquire Curiosity Ink Media – a producer of original multiplatform family entertainment – today announced that Curiosity will partner with global production and distribution powerhouse, Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG, to develop Curiosity’s original IP (intellectual property) Baldwin’s Big Adventure into an animated preschool series. The series will serve as a centerpiece for the emerging preschool franchise, which recently unveiled a Baldwin’s Big Adventure book slated to hit shelves in Spring 2022. The announcement was made jointly by Curiosity Ink Media’s Chief Content Officer, Russell Hicks and Toon2Tango Chief Executive Officer, Ulli Stoef.

 

The partnership bolsters Curiosity’s expansion into original IP franchise properties, the thrust of its storytelling catalogue. Toon2Tango, the Munich, Germany-based production company and specialists in development and distribution of kids’ and family content, enhances their global reach in animation production and brand building to prepare IP for global audiences. Additionally, Toon2Tango will aid Curiosity’s efforts to tailor Baldwin’s Big Adventure to accommodate local cultural and language needs.

 

Baldwin’s Big Adventure tells the story of a young, fearless switcher train with a giant heart who embarks on a journey to reunite with his father.  In the tradition of Dora, the Explorer, preschoolers will meet new friends, learn important life lessons, and navigate the world along with Baldwin, as he sets out on a new adventure in each installment.

 

“We see enormous global potential for Baldwin’s Big Adventure and are excited to partner with the experts from Toon2Tango to bring this franchise to life,” said Hicks. “Their dedication to storytelling through compelling custom animation make them the ideal partner to cultivate this emerging property and serve as a gateway to revenue generating opportunities presented by the success we envision for this title.”

 

Ulli Stoef added, “We are very happy to join forces with the ambitious and experienced team at Curiosity and Grom and are excited to help Baldwin start his journey. It is a wonderful concept with stunning visuals and powerful and appealing storytelling. This is the first step in the birth of a brand that will bring joy and pleasure for generations to come.”

 

The first Spy-Fi animated kids’ show to arrive in 2022

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Toon2Tango, the new kids’ and family entertainment venture by long-time television and movie experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris, has announced that leading German free-to-air television network SUPER RTL has commissioned its new CGI show AGENT 203  – a clever, highly original and very entertaining co-production for kids that offers a brand-new take on the new and original concept of Spy-Fi.

 

The new show is created by Damjan Mitrevski and co-created by Toon2Tango’s Jo Daris and Ulli Stoef. The show will be produced by Toon2Tango and co-produced by Toon2Tango’s strategic partner Mondo TV and both companies will be jointly responsible for the worldwide distribution of all rights. An extensive L&M strategy is underway and discussions with wordwide toy partners are in the works.

 

AGENT 203 is a CGI adventure comedy series of 26x 22’ in the all new and original genre of Spy-Fi for six-to-ten-year-olds girls and boys. Our hero Zoe’s teenage problems just went galactic…when she became an ultimate intergalactic undercover spy agent. She and her team have to follow in her father’s footsteps and protect planet earth against a hostile take-over by the evil General Gore and his team of aliens.

 

There’s fun, excitement, humour and adventure in this smart and funny show as well as action, character-driven comedy and a big heart.

 

Headwriter is Mike de Seve, assisted by story consultants Jamilla Metran and Alice Burden.  Lead designer and director of the show will be Damjan Mitrevski.

 

This announcement comes at a busy time for Toon2Tango, which has a number of properties in development and on the heels of the recently announced deals with ZDF Enterprise/ZDF for Grisú as well as Monster Loving Maniacs with SUPER RTL.

 

Toon2Tango’s Jo Daris and Ulli Stoef say: “We had the pleasure of sharing our creative view for this concept with the team at SUPER RTL and we’re extremely happy that the efforts led to todays announcement that we will be teaming up with SUPER RTL, one of Germany’s leading and longest-established names in kids’ entertainment, for this wonderful show. AGENT 203 is adventurous, fast-moving and full of great ideas. The writing, design and animation are sharp and funny and we look forward to working with SUPER RTL’s  team in order to bring this exciting show to the small screen.”

 

SUPER RTL’s Chief Content & Revenue Officer Thorsten Braun adds: „Agent 203 is a great fit for Super RTL: a strong female protagonist who has to struggle with the everyday life of a 13 year old high school girl – while having to save the earth from an alien villain together with her friends. After the first creative steps went smoothly, we’re really excited to take this series into production alongside Toon2Tango’s highly professional team.”

Animated adventure comedy already presold to a number of broadcasters

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Mondo TV, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content, and Toon2Tango, the kids’ and family entertainment venture headed up by long-time television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris, have announced a major new co-production agreement as part of their ongoing strategic agreement.

 

Along with Ja Film and Ginger Pictures, Mondo TV and Toon2Tango are joining forces for Monster Loving Maniacs, an animated 52 x 11’ gender-neutral adventure-comedy in classic 2D for six-to-nine-year-olds.

 

Ja Film is a full-service award-winning production company specialized in animation, visual effects and motion graphics. Co-producer Ginger Pictures is a Benelux-based production house emphasizing new and bold ideas with a strong development team of young talents and experienced executives.

 

Mondo TV, which has acquired a 20 per cent stake in the series, will jointly distribute the show worldwide with Toon2Tango.

 

The first series is currently in production and has already been presold to SUPER RTL, a major free-to-air broadcaster in Germany, and to leading broadcasters in Scandinavia. Many other territories are in advanced negotiations. With a strong advance buzz from the market already, Mondo TV and Toon2Tango have strengthened their collaboration.

 

Monster Loving Maniacs follows the adventures of three kids who are being trained as monster hunters by their tough old grandfather. The only problem is that Edith, Ernest and Bo are massive, all-knowing horror fans. They love dangerous paranormal creatures and want to protect them – and take selfies with them if possible! Grandpa Arthur, however, prefers to capture monsters and keep them in suspended animation in a prison in his basement, so he and the kids don’t always see eye to eye…

 

There’s fun, excitement and humour as well as bigger themes, like families, relationships and coping with our fears, but all delivered with wit, energy and stylish, skilled animation.

 

And – of course – there are lots and lots of monsters. Power-sucking energy birds, huge mountain creatures, ghosts, werewolves, sorcerers, and vampires – they’re all there.

 

Monster Loving Maniacs is one of a number of high-quality projects on which Mondo and Toon2Tango have been collaborating. The alliance will focus on developing, producing and distributing unique and high-quality programmes with strong merchandise appeal. In fact, Toon2Tango and Mondo TV Group will develop at least eight new animated TV series in the next four years.

 

Matteo Corradi, Mondo TV President & CEO, says: “Monster Loving Maniacs has a brilliant team of writers, actors and producers behind it and its winning combination of comedy, fantasy and spooky thrills has really struck a chord with broadcasters This is one of the first productions in our collaboration with Toon2Tango and a sign of great things ahead.”

 

Ulli Stoef, Founder, CEO and Executive Producer of Toon2Tango, adds: “Our collaboration with Mondo TV brings together a vast amount of experience and expertise in producing great kids’ TV – and Monster Loving Maniacs is a wonderful addition to the superb portfolios of both companies. It’s funny, thrilling and full of wild characters and great storylines. We’re certain kids will love it.”

ZDF Enterprises comes on board as the co-producer via an agreement with Toon2Tango and Mondo for the co-production of a series of 52 episodes by 11-minutes each based on the famous classic property Grisù created by its original authors Nino and Toni Pagot

 

Mondo TV will work via its corporate network with 3 of its own subsidiaries to produce the show. Mondo Italy will work closely with its German partner Toon2Tango on the production of the show and co-producer ZDF Enterprises will be worldwide distributor of the new series.

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Mondo TV Group announces that through its subsidiary Mondo TV France it has executed with its German partner Toon2Tango a co-production agreement with ZDF Enterprises GmbH, a company belonging to the group of the main German national broadcaster ZDF.

Mondo TV Group, Toon2Tango and ZDF Enterprises will jointly co-produce the new series based on the classic property “Grisù” created by its original authors Nino and Toni Pagot.

The new series, currently in the pre-production phase, will come with 52 new episodes of 11 minutes each with the 3D CGI technique by the companies of the Mondo TV Group with the advice of its partner Toon2Tango.

 

ZDF Enterprises will be responsible for the worldwide distribution of the audiovisual exploitation rights, excluding Italy, France, Spain and China.

Worldwide L&M rights will be handled by Mondo TV, Toon2Tango via its distribution network.

 

As part of the agreement, ZDF Enterprises will also be actively involved in the artistic and creative activities.

 

For the first time in the history of the group, the production will be largely carried out internally, with the involvement of the new studio in Tenerife which is being set up and is managed by Mondo TV Producciones Canarias. Mondo TV France and Mondo TV S.p.A. will participate as co-producers mainly dealing respectively with pre-production and post-production.

 

The series is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2022.

Funny, clever, exciting and original new animated kids’ comedy show to arrive in 2022

 

Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG., the new kids’ and family entertainment venture headed up by long-time television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris, has announced that German free-to-air television network SUPER RTL has commissioned Monster Loving Maniacs (aka Monster Park) – a clever, highly original and very entertaining co-production for kids that offers a brand-new take on the concept of monster hunters.

 

The new show is created and produced by JA Film, a full-service production company specialized in animation, visual effects and motion graphics. It is co-produced by Ginger Pictures, a Benelux-based production house emphasizing new and bold ideas with a strong development team of young talents and experienced executives. Toon2Tango is worldwide distributor for the new show.

 

Monster Loving Maniacs is an animated 52 x 11’ gender-neutral adventure-comedy in classic 2D for six-to-nine-year-olds about three kids who are being trained as monster hunters by their tough old grandfather, Arthur, who has many years in the business.

 

But these kids – a cool, clever and tough young teen called Edith, a monster-phobic monster expert called Ernest (he’s 10) and Bo, a fearless and often reckless five-year-old – are massive, all-knowing horror fans. They love dangerous paranormal creatures and want to protect them – and take selfies with them if possible! Grandpa Arthur, however, prefers to capture monsters and keep them in suspended animation in a prison in his basement, so he and the kids don’t always see eye-to-eye on monster welfare.

 

There’s fun, excitement and humour in this smart and funny show as well as action, character-driven comedy and a big heart. There are also bigger themes, like families, relationships, coping with our fears, being positive and of course the generation gap, but all delivered with wit, energy and stylish, skilled animation.

 

And there are lots and lots of monsters. Power-sucking energy birds, huge mountain creatures, ghosts, werewolves, sorcerers, and of course Dracula – they’re all there, along with a lot of very competitive monster hunters from all over the world – and the kids trying to get in their way.

 

This announcement comes at a busy time for Toon2Tango, which has a number of properties in development or ready for sale, including the tween-focused live-action/CGI project Rebel Nature, along with the preschool show Hey Fuzzy Yellow, the slapstick comedy Aliens vs Cavemen and the sci-fi action comedy Agent 203, which combines a spy twist with a girl’s touch. In addition, its distribution arm is building a sales network for a number of third-party representations including, among others, The Wee Littles and of course Monster Loving Maniacs. Many more announcements, including new projects and new distribution deals, are expected from Toon2Tango in the coming months.

 

Toon2Tango’s CCO Jo Daris says: “We’re delighted to be able to announce the sale of this show to one of Germany’s leading and longest-established names in kids’ entertainment. Monster Loving Maniacs is witty, fast-moving and full of great ideas. The writing, design and animation are sharp and funny. SUPER RTL viewers are in for a real treat!”

 

SUPER RTL’s Chief Content Officer Martin Gradl adds: “Monster Loving Maniacs combines a strong storyline, funny and likeable characters and a marvellous animation team in a highly original concept that will appeal to kids everywhere. We’re looking forward enormously to introducing it to the SUPER RTL portfolio of high-quality kids’ shows.”

 Baboon Animation and respected children’s media experts join team on new show 

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Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG – the new kids and family entertainment venture headed up by long-time television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris – has announced some major appointments for its new animated adventure series Agent 203, which is to be co-produced with Mondo TV and V House Animation.

 

Zoe is a young girl who becomes friends with Ulav, a cute alien, and follows her mother into working for the Intergalactic Agency in this thrilling and funny new animated 52 x 11’ CG-animated show for six-to-nine-year-old audiences, for which the respected writing, directing and design agency Baboon Animation will be writing both the bible and the pilot. In addition, Jamila Metran and Alice Burden, two children’s media experts who have worked with many major brands, have been appointed as creative consultants.

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Founded by DreamWorks alumnus Mike de Seve, Baboon began as a directing service-house for MTV Animation, and has since expanded to become one of the most accomplished animation screenwriting teams worldwide, with story editing and writing credits on dozens of the most popular animated films and series for families and teens. Baboon Animation’s award-winning team of writers, directors and designers has provided top-level creative services for dozens of the leading firms in the children’s education and entertainment fields, both in the US and internationally.

 

Jamila Metran is an experienced children’s media consultant skilled in broadcast television, content development and strategy, media production and content acquisition. Her impressive CV includes roles as Head of Sony Kids Channels and Head of Programming for Citv.

 

Alice Burden is a Children's Media Consultant and Development Producer and founder of Alice Burden Creative Development, a creative consultancy and communications service developing brand, book and TV concepts and bringing IP to life on multiple platforms. She has been part of the children’s media industry for almost 20 years, working on children’s brands across publishing, TV and licensing, including The Gruffalo, Maisy, Guess How Much I Love You, Thunderbirds, Tilly & Friends, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Peppa Pig. 

 

Agent 203 was created by Damjan Mitrevski, Managing Partner of V House Animation, one of the leading animation companies in South-eastern Europe, with over ten years’ experience in visual effects and eight years’ experience in TV and film animation.

 

Toon2Tango, in cooperation with Mondo TV, plans to finance Agent 203 throughout 2020. The production partners will also be building a long-term licensing campaign for the show with an initial emphasis on toys, games and apparel.

 

Jo Daris says: “This marvellous new show is already attracting some of the best names in the business. Jamila Metran and Alice Burden will bring relevant and extensive experience to the launch of Agent 203, while the award-winning writers from Baboon Animation will play a crucial role in the show bible and pilot. We’re delighted to welcome these respected figures to the Agent 203 team.”

Highly original kids’ animated series offers a funny, clever new take on monster hunters

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Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG., the new kids and family entertainment venture headed up by long-time television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris, has announced a major new distribution deal – for a clever, highly original and very entertaining animated series for kids that offers a brand-new take on the concept of monster hunters.

 

Monster Park is an animated 52 x 11’ adventure-comedy about three kids who are being trained as monster hunters by their tough old grandfather, Arthur, who has many years in the business. So far, so (relatively) normal.

 

But these kids – a cool, clever and tough young teen called Edith, a monster-phobic monster expert called Ernest (10) and a fearless and often reckless 5-year-old called Bo – are massive, all-knowing horror fans. They love dangerous paranormal creatures and want to protect them – and take selfies with them if possible! Arthur, however, prefers to capture monsters and keep them in suspended animation in a prison in his basement, so he and the kids don’t always see eye-to-eye on monster welfare.

 

There’s fun, excitement and humour in this smart and funny show as well as action, character-driven comedy and a big heart. There are also bigger themes, like families, relationships, coping with our fears, being positive and of course the generation conflict, but all delivered with wit, energy and stylish, skilled animation.

 

And there are lot and lots of monsters. Power-sucking energy birds, huge mountain creatures, ghosts, werewolves, sorcerers, and of course Dracula – they’re all there, along with a lot of very competitive monster hunters from all over the world, and the kids trying to get in their way.

 

The new show is co-produced by Zentropa Belgium, and JA Film. Zentropa Belgium is part of a highly respected content house specifically set up to develop, produce and co-produce international, innovative projects for existing and new audiences. It takes a pan-European approach to filmmaking. JA film is a full-service production company specialized in animation, visual effects and motion graphics.

 

Monster Park has already made a very strong impression at Cartoon Forum, a unique event focusing on pitching sessions of pre-selected TV projects, where animation producers can find cross-border partners and speed up financial arrangements. Now it has as its distribution partner one of the most exciting new kids and family entertainment ventures in Europe in the form of Toon2Tango.

 

This announcement comes at a time of impressive growth for Toon2Tango, which, soon after launch, announced a major strategic cooperation agreement with Mondo TV Group, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content.

 

Toon2Tango also has a number of properties in development or ready for sale, including the tween-focused Rebel Nature, along with Hey Fuzzy Yellow, Aliens vs Cavemen and Redd, while its distribution arm is building a sales network for a number of third-party representations, including, of course, Monster Park. Many more announcements, including new projects and new distribution deals, are expected from Toon2Tango in the coming months.

 

Jo Daris says: “This is a wildly inventive story which takes on the popular themes of monsters and monster hunters but does so in a new and very appealing way with the help of some extraordinary characters, fantastically witty writing and stylish animation. We’re delighted to be on board with Monster Park, which we feel will have enormous appeal to kids everywhere.”

Original and arresting adventure drama Rebel Nature lays down a marker for new venture

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Underlining its aim to produce truly original work, Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG., the new kids and family entertainment venture headed up by long time television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris has announced its first production.

 

Rebel Nature is an IP universe, aimed at an audience from tween upwards and set in our own future. A girl, living 50 years from now, is isolated from a world she has never known. She has been brought up by a robot and lived her life to date on an artificial intelligence-controlled oil rig. One day she decides she must go on a journey to find her real parents. As she does, she learns what has become of the world since our time.

 

The new show is created by Christian Faber, one of the main creators of Bionicle, a story-led Lego product based on a tale of heroic beings battling evil in a mythical universe. Bionicle became one of Lego’s success stories, appearing across a multimedia spectrum that included comic books, novels, games, movies and online content as well as licensed merchandise and the original Lego toys.

 

Rebel Nature will be different in that it will focus on our world and one young girl caught in the middle of the battle between out of control technology and nature in an unseen evolution. Like Bionicle, however, this will be a concept led by storytelling – and what a story! It’s a story of one person experiencing the earth like none of us have seen it before: chaotic, unpredictable, overpowering, full of danger and beauty.  At the same time Rebel Nature is making us aware of what our consumption habits could lead to.

 

Rebel Nature will also echo Faber’s previous work in using multiple media platforms to reach the largest possible audience. The show now being produced will be seen across linear, VoD and OTT, as well as across a variety of print media.

 

Production on Rebel Nature is set to begin in 2020.  Toon2Tango will be co-producing the show with Rebel Nature Pictures and handling global distribution as well as building a merchandising and licensing programme underpinned by sustainability and environmentally friendly products.

 

This announcement comes at a time of impressive growth for Toon2Tango, which, soon after launch, announced a major strategic cooperation agreement with Mondo TV Group, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content. It’s one of a number of announcements, including new projects and new distribution deals, that is expected from Toon2Tango in the coming months.

 

Ulli Stoef says: “The ideas behind Rebel Nature are original and arresting and as far from the mainstream as possible without sacrificing any of the thrills and fantastic storytelling that characterise truly great entertainment.  At the same time, the story is very relevant in the context of today’s global challenges.  We’re delighted to be working with Christian and his team, and fully expect with Rebel Nature to lay down a marker for the sort of exciting, unique ideas that we hope will drive Toon2Tango’s work.”