International content market MIPJunior announced that a keynote “Innovating for the Future: The Miraculous Journey” address at the forthcoming market will be given by Miraculous Corp USA CEO and global operations Andy Yeatman.
He will take to the stage at 12 am on Saturday, 19 October to share ambitions and perspectives on Miraculous Corp and reveal the details of their global strategy including an early peek into the new line-up: TV movies, spin-off series, feature films, and new characters.
The keynote marks the first speaking appearance for Yeatman since his appointment at the company in June, having previously served as head of Moonbug USA, (overseeing series including CoComelon and Blippi). He has played a key role in founding and leading Netflix’s kids’ content department and has also worked as the director for digital distribution at the Walt Disney Studios.
The session forms part of an overall theme for the 2024 MIPJunior programme titled “Expand Your Playground.” Drawing on the kids industry’s resilience and enduring ability to innovate and transform, sessions will address the ever-evolving challenges for the sector by hearing directly from pioneers and leaders, delving into new adaptive approaches and showcasing opportunities from creation to monetisation across all screens.
Miraculous Corp was founded in May 2024 by European independent production and distribution company Mediawan led by Pierre-Antoine Capton, and ZAG, the innovative independent animation studio behind Miraculous which sees founder Jeremy Zag overseeing the development and creation of new storylines and characters within the franchise.
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is a kids superhero show created by French director Thomas Astruc (Wakfu, Mifido), art director Nathanaël Bronn (Ghostforce, Kobushi) and French producer Zag (Rosie, Zak Storm). The show is co-produced until now by ZAG and Mediawan Kids & Family, has to date played out across 150 territories since its debut in 2015 on various streaming and linear platforms such as Globo in Brazil, TF1 in France and Disney Channel, Disney+ and Netflix worldwide. The show to date has five seasons, three TV movies and one feature film, Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie. The sixth season of the show will soon air worldwide. Season seven of the series has already been announced, as has a second feature film.
Yeatman expressed, “I have been a fan of the Miraculous franchise since its inception, and as we approach its 10th anniversary, I am proud to present our ambitions and the strategy we are implementing with Miraculous Corp to further expand this exceptional franchise with new heroes, villains and adventures. This keynote is a great opportunity to share a sneak peek into the Miraculous franchise’s next era.”
Miraculous has over 40 billion views on YouTube and 33 million subscribers across its 17 official channels, over 702 million views on TikTok, more than 250 million downloads on the app and over 720 million plays on Roblox to date, where it is the first TV IP to be brought to the platform. The company has more than 400 licensing partners worldwide, collectively offering fans a wide range of ways to interact with the brand as claimed. Over 740 million products have been sold and retail sales have exceeded US$1.5 billion worldwide.
MIPJunior and MIPCOM Cannes director Lucy Smith shared, “The kids business is where original thinking and future-facing strategies begin. A MIPJunior keynote is the platform for leaders to share such thinking with their international peers. Andy is one of the most respected and insightful minds in the kids business whose ambitions for the Miraculous franchise’s next era will undoubtedly be both fascinating and relevant industry wide.”
The forthcoming 32nd MIPJunior, an international kids screenings and co-production market, is set to take place from 18 to 20 October 2024, followed by global content market MIPCOM Cannes, from 21 to 24 October 2024 in Cannes, France. The markets are set to welcome delegates from over 60 countries – comprising buyers, commissioners, producers, development executives, financiers and distributors from the global kids TV industry.
MIPCOM Cannes was attended by over 11,000 delegates from over 100 countries in 2023. Over 310 exhibitors are already confirmed to date for the 40th edition of the event.