Mr. Men Little Miss Gets Preschool Reboot

Watch Next Media has signed a wide-ranging deal with Mr. Men Little Miss, part of the Japanese company Sanrio, that includes plans for a new preschool series.

Watch Next Media secured the TV and VOD rights to the iconic brand, which now consists of more than 90 characters, and is developing a 78×7-minute 2D animated preschool comedy series. The brand has seen more than 250 million book sales worldwide, with stories translated into 17 different languages and available in 28 countries.

Watch Next Media has a number of scripts written by British writers James Walsh (Hey Duggee, Pip & Posy) and Myles McLeod (The Rubbish World of Dave Spud, Lloyd of the Flies), featuring the characters, including Mr. Happy, Mr. Messy, Little Miss Sunshine and Little Miss Chatterbox. A third script is being written by the Black Sheep writers Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Barnett Jones (Mr Bean: The Animated Series, The Amazing World of Gumball). The series will continue to be developed throughout 2025, with production starting in 2026.

Kids First, which sells all series produced by shareholder Watch Next Meda, has global distribution rights to the new show.

Philippe Alessandri, president of Watch Next Media and Kids First, said: “The Mr. Men Little Miss characters are universally recognizable by their simple illustrations and iconic names and are relatable to every age, culture, personality and gender, and we are excited to bring them to life in this latest iteration of the brand.”

“Sanrio and Watch Next Media and Kids First have worked together on the hit TV series Hello Kitty: Super Style! and we are now excited to announce this new partnership to produce the Mr. Men Little Miss TV series, bringing the humor and values of our beloved brand into the homes of all new and existing fans,” added Silvia Figini, COO of Sanrio for EMEA, India and Oceania and Mr. Men worldwide.