Xilam Animation, an independent animation production and distribution company, announces the promotions of Cécile Hergaux-Essame to General Manager of the Xilam Group’s subsidiary, Cube Creative; Caterina Gonnelli-Linden to Chief Content Officer (CCO) and Guillaume Jallot to Chief Technical Officer (CTO).
It’s a Monopoly slam dunk! Hasbro, Inc, a global branded entertainment leader, and Panini America, the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA and NBPA announced a partnership to bring the NBA court to the iconic Monopoly board. In this new Monopoly Prizm: NBA Edition board game, players collect, trade, and compete with real Panini NBA Prizm trading cards and exclusive Monopoly parallels and inserts for NBA All-Star glory. The Monopoly Prizm: NBA Edition game will be available in North America for purchase at Target beginning April 16, 2023 and other major retailers beginning August 1, 2023.
The Pokémon Company group unveiled a new character named Friede and his partner Pokémon, Captain Pikachu, who will star in the recently revealed Pokémon animated series debuting around the world beginning in 2023. Friede, a Pokémon Professor, and Captain Pikachu will assist and battle alongside the new series’ dual protagonists — Liko from the Paldea region and Roy from the Kanto region in the U.S. version of the show — on thrilling adventures across the Pokémon world while unraveling the mysteries of Liko’s pendant and Roy’s Poké Ball.
The third season of the hit animated series Bluey, produced by Ludo Studio and co-commissioned by BBC Studios Kids & Family and ABC Children, has won the Best Animated Series category at the 2023 Kidscreen Awards, a high-profile celebration of children’s content excellence paying tribute to outstanding TV and digital media work that keeps kids and families entertained. Moreover, Bluey entered the short list of candidates that are now competing to win Property of the Year at Bologna Licensing Awards. The winner will be announced during the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair (6-9 March 2023) during a special ceremony.
The Woobles, the first learn-to-crochet company to leverage emerging ed-tech tools to successfully teach the art of crocheting to complete beginners, released its second licensed collaboration, PAC-MAN x The Woobles Collection, on Thursday. The news of the limited-edition kit drop was shared only with internal customers that had signed up for new product alerts and sparked an immediate buying frenzy, with full inventory selling through in just minutes.
On Pokémon Day, the annual fan-focused, pop-culture holiday celebrating the launch of the original Pokémon video games on February 27, 1996, a special Pokémon Presents video presentation was streamed online to fans around the world. During the presentation, The Pokémon Company group announced new experiences coming to the globally popular entertainment franchise in 2023. Highlights included the reveal of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, new DLC for the blockbuster Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games; Pokémon Concierge, a new stop-motion Netflix series; Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic, a premium Pokémon TCG set; a much-anticipated update about Pokémon Sleep; the Pokémon GO Plus + device; newly discovered Pokémon; multiple in-game events for current titles; and more.
Dr Seuss Enterprises and Creative Minds Publications, announced that they have teamed up with the NFL for the 7th annual Tackle Reading event on March 2nd in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s 119th birthday. This year, the two organizations will bring NFL teams into schools across the country for special Dr. Seuss-themed events featuring a reading of a Dr. Seuss book by an NFL player and other celebratory activities. The NFL teams participating in this year’s events include Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Miami Dolphins.
Epic Games’ Fortnite and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) have announced the studio’s Creed franchise is making its’ Fortnite debut with a limited time integration starting March 1st. Championship boxer Adonis Creed is about to punch above his weight in one of the most popular online games ever created. The integration features a brand-new Outfit, in-game accessories, and a tournament in Fortnite inspired by the upcoming feature film Creed III opening in theaters and IMAX on March 3rd.