Huntik: Secrets & Seekers

TV Kids
Weekly, May 13, 2008

ORIGIN: An original idea from Iginio Straffi,
the chairman and CEO of Rainbow SpA.

DISTRIBUTORS:
M4e—German-speaking
Europe; Upper Deck—English-speaking Europe, U.S., Latin America, the
Pacific and the Middle East; Rainbow—Rest of Europe and Southeast Asia

CREATOR: Iginio Straffi

TV SHOW: There are 26 half-hour episodes in
season one, produced with a mix of 2-D and 3-D animation. The comedy adventure
series is targeted at boys 6 to 12.

SYNOPSIS: Long before our times, humanity fought
against an evil of unimaginable power. The darkness was broken only by the
Seekers, humans able to invoke legendary creatures—the Titans—into
their own plane of existence. With the Titans executing their every order, the
first Seekers fought against the dark forces of the underworld and against
themselves. Centuries went by, and one by one, the Titans were hidden: some
were buried following gruelling battles, others merely forgotten as time
passed. The magical and powerful creatures lie hidden and dormant in the most
remote part of the universe, waiting to be awakened by a new and bold group of
Seekers.

After
centuries, the Seekers divided themselves into chapters in order to find traces
and clues of past and extinct populations in order to reveal the mystery of the
Titans.

The Huntik
reaching for these answers will travel from the tip of the South American
continent to Europe, from North America to African terrains. Only the most
worthy of Seekers are able to evoke the Titans and benefit from their
unbelievable powers. But there are those who plot in the shadows…. A secret
organization led by the Professor wants to posses the Titan’s powers for his
own evil plans.

EXECUTIVE
PRODUCER: Joanne Lee

TV SALES: Rainbow is handling TV sales for the
series. Broadcasters on board include Rai Italy, RTL II Germany, MTV3 Finland,
4Kids on The CW Network, KTV in English-speaking Africa, Logi Channel Israel
and Filma in Turkey.

MAJOR TOY
LICENSEES: The
worldwide trading card game license has been assigned to Upper Deck. The master
toy license has been granted to Playmates, which will produce a wide range of
action figures with special interactive features in line with the content of
the animated series.

OTHER
PRODUCTS: Rainbow is
currently selecting a range of partners for Huntik and already has licensees on board for
DVD, publishing, collectibles and apparel.

STRATEGY
FOR ROLLOUT: According
to Iginio Straffi, the chairman and CEO of Rainbow SpA and creator of Huntik, the broad strategy for the property
is to “establish a high level of awareness and build a strong community of
fans,” via the TV show, accompanying website, the trading card game and toys,
as well as a powerful marketing campaign.