m4e Picks Up Rainbow’s Winx Club Film

GRUENWALD, May 14: m4e, a
German brand-management and media company, has acquired the rights to the 3-D
animated film Winx Club—The Secret of the Lost Kingdom from Italian animation producer Rainbow S.p.A. for
theatrical release in Germany on September 4.

The theatrical
distribution of the film in Germany will be supported by the Munich film agency
24 Bilder, which was responsible for the recent distribution of the
Oscar-winning film The Counterfeiters and the German comedy Ossi’s Eleven.

Produced by Rainbow’s
founder, Iginio Straffi, the 95-minute film is based on the girl-skewing TV
series Winx Club. The movie
ties its story into the plot of the second season of the TV series, which
follows the eponymous Winx Club, formed by the fairy Bloom and her five
friends, who live in a magical dimension and attend a boarding school where
they learn to use their abilities.

m4e is also working on
licensing and merchandising efforts for Winx Club. In addition to existing license partners for the
TV series, other partners have already signed on to support the movie debut
with their products and activities. The licensees for Winx Club include Mattel, Panini, Ferrero, Tex-Ass, Blue
Ocean, Ravensburger, BIP and Upper Deck.

This follows a five-year
volume and co-production agreement that m4e recently inked with Rainbow. The
agreement grants m4e the rights to the next season of Winx Club as well as the new TV show Pixie, which is based on the characters from Winx
Club. m4e will manage all rights
to the two titles, including TV, home entertainment, merchandising, publishing
and promotion. m4e also has the first-look rights to Rainbow’s new shows over
the next few years. The company has agreed to acquire at least one show per
year on a presale basis. Additionally, the two companies will co-produce at
least one show every two years.

—By Irene Lew