The multi-award-winning show which is based on Luke Pearson’s acclaimed graphic novel, Hilda, is set to debut globally on Netflix from 14 December. Silvergate Media is gearing up for the launch and has announced exclusive retail partnerships with Hot Topic and Forbidden Planet in addition to new toys that will bring the brand to life with a range of new merchandise for Hilda’s growing fanbase.
Co-produced by Silvergate Media and Mercury Films, the 13 x 22-minute episodes in season two of Hilda bring fresh adventures for the fearless blue-haired heroine as she delves deeper into the vast magical wilderness of Trolberg. Through her entertaining and inspiring adventures, Hilda learns that not everyone shares her open-minded view of the ‘hidden world’, while her mum worries that her growing rebelliousness will lead to more trouble than Hilda can handle.
The new series follows on the heels of the multi-award-winning first season, which debuted on Netflix in September 2018 and went on to scoop multiple awards including a BAFTA, Kidscreen, International Emmy award and three Annie awards.
“The first season of Hilda set the bar high in terms of what a children’s animated series could achieve and it was so rewarding for our creative team that it received the widespread recognition that it did,” said Silvergate Media CEO Waheed Alli. “It’s now a genuine pleasure to bring audiences new adventures in season two that will expand the universe of Trolberg in unexpected ways.”
The new series will be anchored at retail by new licensing partnerships that tap into the brand’s growing fanbase with both niche and mainstream expressions. US-based pop culture retailer, Hot Topic, is launching an exclusive line of Hilda inspired T-shirts for the North American market. While here in the UK, science fiction and fantasy retail specialist, Forbidden Planet, has an exclusive DTR with Silvergate that will see the retailer launch its own line of apparel in 2020 before expanding into homewares and gifting from 2021.
“We’re really excited to be developing our own range of Hilda merchandise,” said Forbidden Planet’s Anthony Garnon. “The show’s fantastical storylines and imaginative visuals speak directly to our consumer base and give us plenty of inspiration for products that will stand out on the shelf and become must-have items for Hilda fans.”
The growth of the apparel category will be boosted by additional product lines launching to coincide with season two. This includes global toy partner, GUND, which is adding further plush accessory lines targeting girls and teen fans to the main lines which launched earlier this year, and lead publisher Flying Eye Books have released three new novelisations tying in with season two. Additionally, Spin Master is readying the first-ever Hilda board game, scheduled to hit retail from next summer.
Filled with bold adventures, stunning animation, quirky characters and the aspirational spirit that made the first series such an international hit, the second season is sure to delight fans of both the original comic and its animated series counterpart.
