Joanna Padovano Tong

David Oyelowo (Selma) has signed on to voice the role of Scar in Disney Junior's new animated series The Lion Guard, the sophomore season of which is due to debut next month.

Universal Kids has given the go-ahead to two new original animated series, Powerbirds and Norm, which are slated for broadcast during the Sprout preschool programming block in 2019.

Shanghai Media Group's WingsMedia and Tiny Island Productions have partnered for WingsMedia's planned mega-franchise Starship MZ, which they hope to grow into China's equivalent of the Marvel Universe franchise.

Global multimedia streaming service Playster has added to its catalog a variety of kids' series and films from Corus Entertainment's Nelvana.

Fred Seibert, founder of Frederator Networks, and Andy Yeatman, head of global kids' content at Netflix, have been lined up to give keynotes at this year's MIPJunior.

Netflix has unveiled the interactive "branching" narrative episodes Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale and Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile, which allow young viewers to make decisions that control the storylines.

Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) and Leomil have inked a deal to launch an international children's footwear collection based on the animated preschool show Shimmer and Shine.

Malaysia's Animasia Studio has tied up with Pilla-Scheetz Productions in the U.S. to develop the 2D-animated concept The Nine Lives of Claw into a multiplatform brand spanning animated series, mobile games and toys.

Discovery Kids is collaborating with Cirque du Soleil Images on an original English-language live-action series produced by Apartment 11 in association with TVOKids.

Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) has licensed the teen documentary series MY:24 to French pubcaster France 4, where the show is due to debut next month.