Brand Licensing Preview Toy World spoke to Jamie Stevens, executive vice president, worldwide consumer products at Sony Pictures Entertainment, about bringing Peter Rabbit to the big screen for 2018. Peter Rabbit is an iconic, traditional property – what were the challenges in bringing the characters to the big screen? The Peter Rabbit movie, which is set for worldwide release in February 2018, is a fantastic modern interpretation of Beatrix Potter’s stories that will bring the beloved world of Peter to life. The film sensitively adapts the characters without taking away from the magic of Potter’s tales, and the all-star cast, including Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, Sam Neill, Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Debicki, and Margot Robbie, with James Corden lending his voice to Peter Rabbit, help adapt the story from page to the big screen like never before.
Sony Pictures +310 244 6189 | www.sonypictures.com
Who do you see as the core target audience for the movie?
Stand E35 Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP) is heading to BLE 2017 with a line-up of film licences featuring both new properties and enduring franchises, all of which include partnerships with top licensees and retailers around the world. The live-action CGI film adaption of Peter Rabbit leads the 2018 presentation slate this year, followed by Hotel Transylvania 3; the newest film in the successful franchise, which now also includes an animated television series on the Disney Channel. Finally, Sony is proud to be releasing the live-action Barbie film, featuring one of the world’s biggest and most iconic brands. SPCP features a strong and diverse brand portfolio that includes classic properties such as Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Men In Black, Charlie’s Angels, Karate Kid, Starship Troopers and Taxi Driver, among many others.
Peter Rabbit already has a strong fan base, but with the new movie being the first live action/CG motion picture, this is a fresh, contemporary story for all audiences. Regardless of whether they are generational or the youngest fans new to the franchise, there will be something endearing and fun that every generation can relate to.
Have you adhered faithfully to the original stories, or have you adapted them for a modern audience? The animated adventure comedy is a modern interpretation of the Beatrix Potter stories offering a mix of animation and live-action. Some modern twists on the story include the addition of the London Underground to the toy-filled aisles of Harrods.
Those Licensing People 0845 901 1657 | www.thoselicensingpeople.com Stand D115 Formed in 2013, Those Licensing People (TLP), based in North Yorkshire, is a licensing agency which represents both third party property, and IP it has created itself in its own studio. Early in January 2017, TLP was commissioned to assist in the process of developing a new collectible brand based on the published rights of The Worldeez, an educational property with characters based on iconic global architecture, food, and landmarks. Subsequently, and after the published works were first released, the Worldeez collectible toy range hit the shops in the UK, quickly becoming a summer bestseller in the competitive collectibles market. With over 16,000 followers on market influencer Popjam, and over 3m hits on YouTube channel Toys andMe, Those Licensing People has gone on to be appointed by The License World as master licensing agent on a global basis. With new markets opening up in the Spanish, Chinese, Indian and Australian markets, TLP has been commissioned to develop a raft of licensing from the ground up. Worldeez will see publishing to come, and a series of webisodes will be released prior to the production of a full series combined with the toy, forming a baseline for substantial licensing business. TLP, which also owns the entertainment-on-demand platform KidsCast, has featured Worldeez in its monthly associated free magazine with exclusive games and competitions.
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