Entertainment

Gabby's Dollhouse Dreamworks
Entertainment News
Universal Products & Experiences Drives Global Expansion Celebrating Key Milestones for DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse

Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) is the driving force behind one of the fastest growing brands in the preschool space, celebrating global expansion and major milestones for DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse. Following its retail launch in 2021, UP&E is celebrating an impressive one million dollhouses sold of the award-winning Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse, brought to market by leading global children’s entertainment company Spin Master, master toy licensee for the franchise. Additionally, the playset was named the #1 overall item in the ITPS Supercategory in the U.S. for 2022 (Circana/ Retail Tracking YTD 2022). Gabby’s Dollhouse is resonating with fans worldwide, reporting year-over-year growth and ranking as the #5 Preschool Toys property globally and the #2 Preschool Toys license in the U.S. and Australia (Circana/ Retail Tracking Service YTD Apr’23).

American Girl Live!
Entertainment News
Mattel & Gershwin Entertainment Announce All-New American Girl Live! In Concert National Tour

American Girl, one of the nation’s most storied children’s brands and a cornerstone in Mattel’s (NASDAQ: MAT) portfolio of purposeful products, have announced a new live concert experience for the whole American Girl fan community to enjoy. Touring venues across the U.S. starting this fall, American Girl Live! In Concert brings American Girl’s most beloved characters to life on stage in a brand-new pop concert spectacle that’s sure to be an unforgettable experience for fans of all ages. This action-packed and interactive concert will feature fan-favorite tunes, exciting live cast musical performances, high-energy dancing, and lots of fun surprises. Kicking off in Concord, New Hampshire, the tour will create lasting memories for families in more than 20 cities for the initial tour dates, including NYC, Washington D.C., Chicago, Indianapolis, and Atlanta. Venues and dates to be announced soon.

Cirque du Soleil Cosm
Entertainment Licensing News
Cirque Du Soleil Entertainment Group and Cosm Join Forces to Unveil New “Shared Reality” Experience

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Cosm, a leading immersive technology, media, and entertainment company, have announced a partnership to deliver a completely new way to experience Cirque du Soleil. Under the partnership, Cosm will produce and present an iconic Cirque du Soleil show at its forthcoming venues, the first of which will open in Los Angeles in spring 2024 and showcase a 26.6-meter diameter LED dome in a 65,000 total square feet facility.

tokidoki Mermicorno- Starfall
Entertainment Licensing News
New Original Series ‘Mermicorno: Starfall’ from Atomic Cartoons and Thunderbird, and Tokidoki, Announced for Max

Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc (TSXV:TBRD, OTC – THBRF) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”) has announced the brand-new animated original Mermicorno: Starfall. Created and produced by Thunderbird’s Atomic Cartoons, in partnership with global design tastemaker tokidoki, the ocean setting of the series showcases the wonders and magic of our natural world that aims to inspire this generation of kids. Mermicorno: Starfall will debut exclusively in the U.S. on Max in 2025.

MeoShín’Ké
Entertainment News
New Short Episodes of “The Legends of MeoShín’Ké” Animated Series Coming Thanks to a Grant Awarded to Hwahwa Studios by KOCCA

Hot on the heels of the excellent ratings for The Legends of MeoShín’Ké on Daekyo Kids TV in Korea, Hwahwa Studios (Korea) and Run With Us Productions (Canada) are pleased to announce that Hwahwa Studios has been awarded a grant by KOCCA, the Korean Creative Content Agency, to produce additional short episodes. This will bring the short episode animated series to 20 with the added content to be delivered this Fall. The Legends of MeoShín’Ké will be featured in both the KOCCA stand #J912, and the HwaHwa Studio booth #K239 at The Licensing Expo, in Las Vegas, June 13-15.

Blue's Clues and You!
Entertainment News
Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues Hosts Reunite This Weekend in Brand-New ‘Blue’s Clues’ & YOU! Episode and ‘Blue’s Big City Adventure’

Kids and families can spend the holiday weekend with the Blue’s Clues crew, as Nickelodeon debuts a brand-new episode of Blue’s Clues & You! and the Paramount+ original feature-length movie Blue’s Big City Adventure–both featuring all three beloved hosts, Josh Dela Cruz, Steve Burns, and Donovan Patton.  “The Case of the Missing Thinking Chair,” premiering Friday, May 26, at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, follows Josh and Blue as they embark on a puzzling quest to find the missing Thinking Chair. With a mystery this huge, they need to call in the Blueprints Detective Agency for Steve’s help in solving the case. This episode is written and directed by Burns.   

PBS KIDS Summer
Entertainment News
PBS KIDS Invites Kids and Families to Come Along on a Summer of Adventure

Summer is almost here and whether it’s making sidewalk art, playing in the backyard, building a pillow fort, taking a road trip, or learning something new, the warmer months are a time of exploration for kids, families, and educators alike – and, as always, PBS KIDS is along for the ride. From new movies from Alma’s Way, Molly of Denali, and Ready Jet Go!, debuting episodes from newest series Work it Out Wombats! and Rosie’s Rules, to the launch of a new podcast, Keyshawn Solves It, and more, there’s so much on tap to help young audiences spark their curiosity, have fun, and learn and grow this summer.

Strawberry Shortcake Licensing WildBrain
Entertainment Licensing News
WildBrain Bakes Up More Fan Excitement for Strawberry Shortcake with New Partnerships Across Licensing, Content and Promotions

WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, is further expanding the offering for fans of its beloved Strawberry Shortcake franchise with a heaping new serving of licensing partnerships, creative activations and distribution deals to reach new audiences as the brand continues to grow in popularity. Fresh off a second GLAAD nomination for WildBrain’s original new animated series, Berry in the Big City, the Strawberry Shortcake brand is surging in popularity with fans. In Q1 2023, Strawberry Shortcake jumped onto the charts as the sixth most popular character among kids 6 to 9 in the US, according to independent consumer research firm The Insights Family, beating out Harry Potter, SpongeBob SquarePants and Barbie.

Care Bears UK CloudCo Partnerships
Entertainment News
The Care Bears Announce New Animated TV Content & L&M Licensees for the UK

Cloudco Entertainment, owner of the Care Bears franchise, is proud to announce six all-new animated Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials set to air on Narrative Entertainment’s commercial children’s channel, Tiny Pop, as well as four new UK-based consumer product licensees. These additions provide further momentum to a brand already experiencing huge growth across all channels and audiences, on TV, in retail, on social media and YouTube, and across audiences of all demographics and genres.