Chorion, Sony in Global DVD Deal for The Mr. Men Show

CULVER
CITY/LONDON, June 2: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) has reached a
global licensing agreement with Chorion to release all 52 episodes of the new
sketch comedy series The Mr. Men Show on DVD.

The
new home-entertainment deal adds to the roster of licensing agreements already
in place for The Mr. Men Show with Fisher-Price, Unilever, Virgin Atlantic,
Quantas, Zara, Jakks Pacific, American Greetings, Penguin Publishing, Nestlé
and Sony Creative Products.

Since its April premiere,
the series
has been notching up strong ratings on Cartoon
Network in the U.S., as well as on Five’s Milkshake! block in the U.K. and on France 5. The Mr. Men
Show is a re-imagining of the
classic book series that has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
Produced by Chorion, the show was created by executive producers Diana Manson
and Kurt Mueller with head writers and executive producers Eryk Casemiro and
Kate Boutillier (Rugrats and The
Wild Thornberries). The Mr. Men
Show features a cast of 25
characters and introduces new faces, such as the jetpack-wearing Little Miss
Daredevil, who joins favorites like Mr. Bump, Mr. Tickle and Little Miss
Sunshine. All of the characters have been redrawn and updated with a
contemporary feel by Renegade Animation.

Bob
Rubin, SPHE’s executive VP, said: “SPHE is pleased to add such a well-loved
brand to its slate of family-friendly DVD product. This cleverly written,
animated franchise should perform very well around the world.”

Eric
Karp, the executive VP of global licensing and merchandising at Chorion, added,
“Partnering with SPHE is an exciting move for The Mr. Men Show and for Chorion. SPHE’s
global platform will give the property a fantastic profile in all our key
territories. We look forward to working with this industry leader in home
entertainment to build on the success that the show is already evidencing.”

—By Irene Lew