UK-based kids content producer Platinum Films has formed a joint venture, YBG Films, with Bear Grylls and is developing his first ever animated content for kids: Bear Grylls Young Adventurer.
BRON Creative has partnered with YBG Films to steer the production of these animated movies whilst also managing worldwide (excluding UK and Asia) media distribution. Platinum Films CEO Nigel Stone will produce through the YBG Films banner. BRON Creative’s Steven Thibault, Aaron L. Gilbert, and Jason Cloth will serve as executive producers and the company has made a commitment to fully finance four of the animated features. BRON’s Thibault and Joel Guralnick negotiated the deal with Platinum’s Stone.
Epic Story Media (ESM), run by veteran children’s IP developer Ken Faier, will handle worldwide (excluding UK and Asia) licensing and merchandising. ESM has already begun assembling the licensing strategy and program which will be unveiled at the International Licensing Expo this week.
“Bear Grylls is an international icon, celebrated for his unwavering sense of adventure and respect for the natural world,” said Faier. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Bear, BRON and YBG Films on his first ever animation project specifically crafted for his legions of young fans, aimed at inspiring them to be braver, stronger, kinder and above all – to never give up. We look forward to forging licensing partnerships that harness the adventure, survival and spirit of his incredible global brand.”
On behalf of YBG Films, Bear Grylls said, “This series of movies is all about bringing the spirit of adventure and exploration to young kids in a way that fires up their imagination, empowers them and brings out the adventurer in them all. What’s great is that the movies are funny, translatable and thrilling at the same time; instilling values that are important for everyone – to follow your dreams, to succeed through failure and to never give up – but these movies also take kids on epic adventures, in far flung places around the globe. Bear Grylls Young Adventurer is inspiring, exciting and unique, but above all it is rooted in fun, friendship and survival—All vital things for kids.”
Bear Grylls Young Adventurer merges the real-life global role model with original storytelling through four cinematic animated features. The films showcase Grylls’ fictional childhood exploits over the course of four all-action installments, currently in production at Pinewood Studios in the UK, with delivery scheduled for summer 2020.
The first film, titled Bear Grylls Young Adventurer: Endangered sees the teen survivalist travel to Borneo and Sumatra. The film’s stories will center on Grylls as a young boy at a Hogwarts-like school, Castleton, set in the UK, where he will deal with the usual childhood challenges and go on global adventures as part of a secretive group called Secret Ops Squad (S.O.S). Grylls will lend his voice to narrating the project.