News round-up: China says ‘Let’s Go!’ to ‘Teletubbies’; Dandelooo teams with Midolala; Asylum strikes co-pro deal with Tom Morello

Teletubbies Let’s Go!

China says ‘Let’s Go!’ to ‘Teletubbies’

WildBrain has struck a range of new licensing deals for shows in its Teletubbies franchise in China, the UK and Canada.

The recently reimagined live-action Teletubbies series (26 x 12-minutes), which launched on Netflix in December 2022, has sold in China to Youku, launching 1 June for an exclusive six-month window, then on Senyu and Bilibili later this year.

The brand-new CG-animated show Teletubbies Let’s Go! (52 × 5-minutes), which was produced by WildBrain Spark’s digital studio and launched last fall on the official Teletubbies YouTube channel, has also sold to Senyu and Bilibili in China and ITV in the UK.

The music-focused Teletubbies: Ready, Steady, Go! has meanwhile been acquired by Senyu and Netease Cloud Music in China and WildBrain’s Family Jr in Canada.

The Upside Down River

Dandelooo teams with Midolala

French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo has partnered with Midolala, a Paris-based media and distribution company founded by Manya Zhou.

Midolala will focus on developing pre-sales and managing co-production partnerships and opportunities in the Chinese market for Dandelooo’s programming slate.

Commenting on the appointment, Emmanuèle Pétry, producer and head of international at Dandelooo said: “With Manya’s wealth of experience and expertise, we are confident that we will deepen our presence in the region. Manya’s first “mission” is the poetic and beautiful coming of age series The Upside Down River”.

Asylum strikes co-pro deal with Tom Morello

Los Angeles-based Asylum Entertainment Group has struck a first-look co-production deal with guitarist, rock star and 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Tom Morello and his recently formed company Comandante Productions.

Widely lauded for his influential music with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave as well as his solo projects and collaborations with powerhouse musicians like Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen, Morello equally is recognized for his firebrand politics, which is infused throughout his work. Comandante Productions and Asylum’s unique partnership will forge a slate of documentary films and series that draws on Morello’s rich musical legacy, social consciousness and lifelong dedication to activism.

“It’s an honor to collaborate with Tom, an outspoken visionary artist and activist who has galvanized the music scene for an incredible 35 years,” said Steve Michaels, CEO of Asylum Entertainment Group.