Weta Productions, Chapman Entertainment Team for Animated Series

WELLINGTON/LONDON,
November 30: New Zealand-based Weta Productions and London’s Chapman
Entertainment have partnered to develop a range of animated children’s
television properties.

Weta Productions and
London’s Chapman Entertainment are working on a selection of 2-D and CGI
animated properties that will be presented to broadcasters and the licensing
community in the near future, with pre-production expected to commence in 2008.
The title of the first project expected to emerge from the deal has not been
announced, but it will be an animated comedy targeted at boys between 6- and
9-years-old.

The development project is
being led by Martin Baynton and Richard Taylor of Weta, and Keith Chapman, the
director of Chapman Entertainment.

Chapman Entertainment is
known for international preschool shows like Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car and Bob the Builder. The three shows are currently the U.K.’s six
top-selling preschool toy licenses and have secured television sales to more
than 200 territories.

Multi Academy- and BAFTA
Award-winning Weta has worked on special effects for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia. Weta has also recently ventured into children's
television, through Weta Productions, with the production of the animated
series, Jane and the Dragon.

“Weta are the world
leaders in their field and we are thrilled and extremely proud to be combining
our respective skills to work on this exciting development,” said Chapman.
“This special new partnership takes Chapman Entertainment to an important new
phase in the company’s history and will add a new age group to our portfolio of
shows.”

“We have been fortunate to
have worked with just brilliant filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, Andrew
Adamson, James Cameron and Steven Spielberg,” said Taylor. “And we are once
again fortunate to work with someone as renowned as Keith Chapman and the team
at Chapman Entertainment. Weta Productions is looking forward to building on
the success of Jane and the Dragon
with these new properties”.

—By Ned Berke