‘Hair Love’ firm Lion Forge strikes kids IP partnership with Penguin Young Readers

Stephanie Sperber

Lion Forge Entertainment, the US-based studio behind the Oscar-winning Hair Love, has partnered with Penguin Young Readers to develop TV and film projects based on children’s books managed by the publishing house.

Under terms of the deal, Lion Forge Entertainment retains rights to develop and adapt a multi-title slate of Penguin Young Readers books as animated and/or live action properties.

The books initially selected for development include Wannabe Farms, by Brian McCann. Aimed at 8-12-year-olds, the story collection explores what farmyard animals really want to do with their lives. Meanwhile, North Pole Ninjas by Tyler Knott Gregson and Sarah Linden is aimed at 3-7-year-olds and is about Santa‘s team of special elves, selected for their ability to perform top-secret missions.

Monster Juice, by MD Payne, is a book series for 8-12-year-olds about a retirement home populated by monsters, while The Pathfinders Society series by Francesco Sedita and Prescott Seraydarian, aimed at 8-12-year-olds, follows a group of five kids on a treasure hunt at summer camp.

The projects will be shepherded by Lion Forge Entertainment president and chief content officer Stephanie Sperber, who joined the company from Imagine in March, and who brokered the deal. Projects that go into production will be produced by Lion Forge founder and CEO David Steward II, along with Sperber, Francesco Sedita from Penguin Young Readers, and media consultant Rich Korson.

“The creative team at Penguin Young Readers are as passionate about storytelling and world-building as we are at Lion Forge. Their publishing list aligns perfectly with the content we bring to market and we are eager to develop these books for kids and family audiences globally,” said Sperber.

Lion Forge’s deal with Penguin Young Readers follows the company’s agreement with Nickelodeon Animation in July, which gives the Paramount-owned company first-look at all Lion Forge Entertainment kids and family IP across animated series, features, short-form and digital content. Earlier in the year, Lion Forge also partnered with Folktellers Studios to develop and produce Hero’s Journey The Series – a set of stories that explore the rise to fame of black artists during segregation.