Bardel & Rainbow Pact for The Bailey School Kids

Bardel Entertainment and its Italy-based parent company Rainbow have acquired the rights to the Scholastic book series The Bailey School Kids, authored by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones.

The Bailey School Kids series reaches back 25 years. The top-selling titles include Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips, Frankenstein Doesn’t Plant Petunias and Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots. The new partnership will see Bardel and Rainbow jointly produce the live-action series, with Bardel’s CEO Rick Mischel, Kimberly Guidone, Jones and Dadey serving as executive producers.

Iginio Straffi, founder and CEO of Rainbow Group, said: “Rainbow is always looking for great stories that can capture the imagination of families around the world. These are quite rare to find, and require a strong creative vision. As soon as we came across The Bailey School Kids, however, we realized that this best-selling series is a compelling concept full of potential that can’t wait to be brought to the screen.”

Bardel CEO Rick Mischel said: “We’re thrilled about the opportunity to expand The Bailey School Kids’ universe into a live-action series for future generations to grow up with. With themes of friendship, fantasy, humor and a few scares in the face of navigating pre-teen years, it’s no surprise that Debbie and Marcia’s books are counted among Scholastic’s top best-selling series of all time. We look forward to kids all around the world getting access to these stories.”

Kimberly Guidone, executive producer, added: “Despite the multiple inquiries I received for this incredibly valuable IP, there was no question that Bardel, Rainbow and Rick were the perfect fit. As a leading brand of successful children’s entertainment, I was confident they could build—what is sure to be—an exciting global franchise. We’re so pleased to have a screenwriter of the caliber of Arne Olsen on board to bring these beloved children’s stories to life.”