41e Secures Rights to Pac-Man 3D

NEW YORK/LONDON/BARCELONA: 41 Entertainment (41e) has been made the worldwide distributor for the new series Pac-Man 3D by Namco Bandai Games.

The series, based on the iconic brand, is slated to debut in fall of 2013. It will be produced in stereoscopic 3D by Avi Arad (Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-Men) and Rick Ungar (Biker Mice, X-Men Evolution, Legend of the Dragon) and written by Tom Ruegger (Scooby-Doo, Animaniacs, Batman: The Animated Series) and Paul Rugg (Animaniacs, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated).

Allen Bohbot, the CEO of 41e, said: “We are very pleased to handle Pac-Man, an adventurous and whimsical character, who by celebrating his 30th birthday joins a shortlist of iconic cultural phenomena, and project that broadcasters and licensees worldwide are sure to want to be associated with him. We will not publicly exhibit at MIP Junior, but rather screen privately for major clients at our MIPCOM booth in 3D (with glasses).”

Producer Avi Arad added: “Pac-Man is one of my all-time favorite characters—a reluctant hero who is full of humor and friendship. Pac-Man and the ghosts create an amazing world of action-adventure with special attention to character and commitment. In our show, our ghosts come in all shapes and sizes—creature-like ghosts that make for an endless world of escapades. This character allowed us a unique shape in animation and out of this world scenarios. I am especially excited by the work done by Sprite Animation, which is just magnificent.”

Shin Unozawa, the COO at Namco Bandai Games, commented: “We are very happy to be working with both Arad Productions and 41 Entertainment on this property. We are planning to invest more than $15 million in the production and launch a major toy program worldwide.”