Coolabi group partners with China’s Fantawild in major international move for Clangers

Chinese animation leader Fantawild and international rights owner Coolabi Group, have announced a new partnership to bring the much-loved pre-school brand, Clangers to the Chinese market.

Clangers is an award-winning stop-motion animation about a family of lovable, pink, mouse-like creatures who communicate in whistles and live on the Little Blue Planet. Originally broadcast in the UK on BBC One between 1969 and 1972, the programme received hugely successful viewing figures and had a cult following in the UK. Since the new series aired in 2015, it has won a series of major international honours including BAFTA, Pulcinella Awards and Kidscreen awards.

Last week at the annual Fantawild Animation Expo, Jeremy Banks, CEO of Coolabi Group said: “I knew that we had to work with Fantawild in China on this property the first time I met with them and heard their vision for Clangers in China. They are very well-established and respected and we trust that Clangers is in the best of hands with them.”

At the conference, Fantawild disclosed that it will localise the show and develop new merchandise to make it more adapted to the taste of the Chinese preschoolers.

“We are very happy to be partnering with our friends at Coolabi,” said Daisy Shang, Executive President of Fantawild Group and President of Fantawild Animation, “we believe that Clangers will instil something new into the Chinese pre-school animation industry. The enlightening program will stimulate children’s imagination and become a unique presence in the Chinese market.”

Coolabi Group is a leading independent international media group and rights owner specialising in the creation, development and brand management of high quality children’s and family intellectual property rights. The company owns the rights to over 200 book series and 20 TV series. Its shows have aired in more than 140 territories on channels including ABC, Cartoon Network, CBeebies, CBBC, Disney, Netflix, and Nickelodeon.

Key Coolabi Group brands include Beast Quest, Scream Street, Poppy Cat, Giraffes Can’t Dance and Warriors, one of the group’s most successful book series, which has sold in excess of 40 million books to date, including in China where the series has sold over 3 million copies.

Fantawild Animation is a top animation studio in China famous for its Boonie Bears brand. In China, its projects have been aired on over 200 channels with top ratings and a whopping view of over 300 billion on digital platforms. The company also generates an annual sale of over $440 million in merchandising. Globally, its works have been distributed to over 100 territories and aired on major international platforms like Disney, Nickelodeon, Discovery Kids, Netflix, DirecTV, etc. Its parent company Fantawild Holdings Inc. is also renowned for its theme park business. Ranking No.5 globally in number of admissions, it owns 29 theme parks in operation and over 10 in construction, which further benefits its brand operation in an all-round way.

Coolabi licensing reaches new heights with global licensing rights for Giraffes Can’t Dance

Coolabi Licensing has today announced it has secured the global licensing rights for the much-loved classic children’s picture book Giraffes Can’t Dance.

Written by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees, Giraffes Can’t Dance celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It is published by Orchard Books (part of the Hachette Children’s Group) and has been translated into 34 languages, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

Giraffes Can’t Dance promotes self-esteem in young children by championing the important and universal message of acceptance and self-belief.

Coolabi Licensing plans to build an extensive licensing portfolio across core categories, driven by plush, apparel, games and puzzles.

Allison Watkins, Director of Consumer Products and TV Distribution at Coolabi Group comments: ‘’Giraffes Can’t Dance is such a beloved book all over the world and remains one of the best-selling picture books of the last 20 years. I am delighted that Coolabi Licensing have the opportunity to extend this wonderful book in to merchandise for the very first time. The beautiful colour palette and wonderful characters created by Giles and Guy will work across all product to delight boys and girls across the world.’’

The news follows the recent announcement of the new Giraffes Can’t Dance stage adaptation for Christmas 2019. The Made at Curve production will run in the Curve Rose Theatre in Leicester from 9th to 29th Dec this year and will be produced in association with Hachette Children’s Group and Coolabi Group.

On top of Giraffes Can’t Dance, Coolabi Group own certain rights for a large number of Giles Andreae’s children’s books, including the much-loved Rumble in the Jungle, Commotion in the Ocean, Farmyard Hullabaloo, There’s A House Inside My Mummy  and The Lion Who Wanted to Love, plus many more.