Hit spy-fi Totally Spies! is getting a webtoon. Banijay Kids and Family and Belgian publisher Editions Dupuis will transform the animated franchise into a unique comic strip for digital platform ONO.
An increasingly popular genre of comics, webtoons are developed for digital smartphone reading. The vertical strips will bring the characters of Totally Spies! to a new medium. The webtoon will be available as a weekly serialisation in French as well as for foreign rights.
“Totally Spies! is a globally-loved show with a strong existing fanbase, and given the excitement for the new series, demand from fans for brand extensions is high,” said Banijay Kids & Family new business and strategic alliances director Annick Bizet. “Webtoons offer a new and modern reading format for young audiences, and this project will ensure we continue catering to our audiences and the changing ways in which they consume their entertainment.”
Produced by Zodiak Kids & Family France, the 2D-animated franchise Totally Spies! is set to return to screens in 2024 with a brand-new series, following its original six-season run between 2001 and 2013. The upcoming series follows the three legendary secret agents, Sam, Clover and Alex, as they move to a new city and take on a fresh crop of villains.
“Strong, leading female characters, action and adventure, humour, fashion, gadgets…Totally Spies! is one of those rare transgenerational licences whose ingredients conceal an ever-relevant modernity,” said Editions Dupuis senior publishing director Stéphane Ferrand.
“We are so pleased to announce this very exciting deal which marks the start of our relaunch strategy of this brand, prior to the new series reveal on M6/GULLI (France) and Discovery Kids LatAm in 2024. Lots more to come for our favourite spies,” said Banijay Kids & Family chief commercial officer Delphine Dumont.
Dupuis is a 100-year-old Belgian publisher behind a number of series for children and adults such as Spirou, Lucky Luke, Kid Paddle or Largo Winch, which have become household names amongst European comics readers. The company strives to reinvent itself, driving its expansion into other fields such as animation and digital platforms like ONO.
