Part 2: Canadians find creative solutions to support a hard-hit kids sector
How the Canada Media Fund and Shaw Rocket Fund—and the producers that depend on them—are forging ahead.
Kidscreen
Aussie, Belgian kids projects are getting new funding
Screen Flanders and Screen NSW are each supporting multiple children’s titles in their regions.
DEALS: CAKE sells more than 500 episodes across Asia
Also, KandyToys will begin distributing Wow! Stuff's life-like Stitch and Toothless puppets throughout the UK next year.
Readers say Blue Ant and Thunderbird had the best week in the biz
Kidscreened
- Zootopia 2 had a stellar opening, raking in US$556 million globally (THR)
- There's a new Wicked book on the way as For Good picks up box-office steam (Vulture)
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade pulled in a record viewership this year (Variety)
- AI helped Black Friday spending set records online (Reuters)
PEOPLE: Coolabi ushers in a new CEO as Jeremy Banks departs
Plus, John Halley will transition into an advisory role at Paramount Skydance when he steps down as chief revenue officer in March.
BBC’s effort to reach kids on YouTube is working
The pubcaster's modernized strategy is helping it stay relevant with younger British viewers, media watchdog Ofcom reports.
The next Godzilla will be an anime boy
Toho Animation has pulled back the curtain on a new adventure for the King of the Monsters that taps into what kids are looking for.
Part 1: How Canada left kids content by the wayside
"The canary's dead!" The country’s funding mechanisms have fallen apart, and there are too few broadcasters left to pick up the pieces.
VOTE: Which of these 6 orgs had the best week in the biz?
A new kids powerhouse. A bid to get more girls in the driver’s seat. A whole country standing up for itself. Who should win Kidscreen’s Gold Star?
DEALS: WBD renews Clawlolo and expands it to EMEA
Why were YouTube videos on Disney+?
In a partnership with pocket.watch, the streamer quietly tested adding creator content as an innovative way to tap into UGC’s popularity and keep kids engaged.
Nintendo to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore
The iconic Japanese game developer will rebrand its new asset to Nintendo Studios Singapore as it bulks up to support the Switch 2.
PART 2: Adding crowdfunding to your arsenal
FEATURE: Most projects won't get fully funded through crowdfunding. But that doesn't mean it shouldn’t be part of your strategy.
Kidscreened
- Aussie teens are fighting back against the country's social media ban (BBC News)
- Stranger Things 5's premiere crashed Netflix immediately yesterday (Variety)
- Authors/publishers to gain access to OpenAI's communications in ongoing lawsuit (THR)
- Zootopia 2 and Wicked: For Good are dominating the box office before Turkey Day (Deadline)
PEOPLE: Toonz CEO P. Jayakumar will exit the Indian studio
Also, Disney permanently appoints Martín Iraola to spearhead its LatAm biz as part of a regional restructure.
Australia passes a law to make streamers fund local content
And on top of this "landmark day" for the long-awaited quotas, ABC Australia is getting a US$32-million funding boost to invest in kids and local programming.
Dark Slope wants to help digital-first creators level up their productions
Kids & family content creators can apply now for a chance to access the studio's facilities and potential co-pro opportunities.
The Labubu imitators aren’t going away
A day after Disney announced its blind-box market entry with YuYus, MGA is also getting into the increasingly crowded ugly-cute plush collectibles game.
Mega-retailers face off on Black Friday
How Target, Walmart and Amazon are vying to come out on top in what could be the largest holiday spending season to date.
Kidscreen is a world-leading resource for kids entertainment industry news, business insights and trend analysis.