The fledgling children’s division of ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) has struck partnerships with prodcos including British-Nigerian actor and producer John Boyega’s UpperRoom Productions.
VIS Kids, which launched towards the end of 2020, develops and produces content for Nickelodeon and other ViacomCBS-owned brands in addition to third-party buyers and partners.
It has plans to develop more than 30 new shows over the next three years and has partnered with various creators and talent across live-action, animation and young adults in regions such as the UK, Israel, Asia and Latin America to grow its pipeline.
In animation, VIS Kids has agreed a first-look deal with Star Wars star Boyega’s UpperRoom, which will present three to five projects to the studio for consideration to develop into longform series.
VIS Kids has also agreed a first-look animation deal with Fred Seibert (The Fairy OddParents, Adventure Time), founder and CEO of FredFilms, who will present at least three projects to the studio with the goal of at least one being put into development.
VIS Kids is also working with the UK’s Wildseed Studios, Tom Gran and Martin Woolley on a female-led adventure comedy, as well as a mixed-media comedy show by Joel Mackenzie (The Becky & Bagel Show) of Wildseed Studios.
“In launching VIS Kids, we saw a great demand in the industry for creator-driven, high-quality and platform-agnostic kids and family content across a wide genre – from preschool to animation to live-action. We’re excited to align with amazing creatives across the globe as we continue to establish VIS Kids as a leader in the world of kids’ and family content, while fuelling ViacomCBS’s global content pipeline,” said Nina Hahn, head of VIS Kids.
tagged in: Fred Seibert, FredFilms, Joel Mackenzie, John Boyega, Martin Woolley, Nickelodeon, Nina Hahn, Tom Gran, UpperRoom Productions, ViacomCBS International Studios, VIS Kids, Wildseed Studios