Nickelodeon has announced the greenlight of two all-new animated series Max and the Midknights, based on the best-selling children’s book series written and drawn by author and cartoonist Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate); and Rock, Paper, Scissors, the first short picked up from Nickelodeon’s Intergalactic Shorts Program. The announcement was made by Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president of animation, Ramsey Naito. Both series will be produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank.
Naito said, “These two series packed with relatable characters, hilarious escapades and rich, imaginative worlds are the perfect additions to our Nickelodeon content family. Translating the mega-popular Max and the Midknights from a book to television series is a creative undertaking that we can’t wait to dive into, and the comedic adventures of friends Rock, Paper and Scissors is truly made for our Nickelodeon audience.”
Max and the Midknights (20 episodes) follows a determined 10-year-old girl named Max, who pursues her dream of becoming a knight by leading her friends on an epic adventure in the fantastical medieval kingdom of Byjovia. The greenlight marks Nickelodeon’s second series based off the beloved works from Peirce and follows Big Nate, which is set to debut next year.
Pierce said, “I am absolutely delighted to join forces with my friends at Nickelodeon to bring Max and the Midknights to life. Nickelodeon’s passion for unforgettable stories and iconic characters is unparalleled, and there’s no partner I’d rather work with. I couldn’t be happier.”
Max and the Midknights follows a determined 10-year-old girl named Max, who pursues her dream of becoming a The series is executive produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted, The Magic School Bus, Baby Sitter’s Club) and Peirce, and produced by Amy McKenna (Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines). Sharon Flynn (All Hail King Julien) and David Skelly (The Muppets, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc.) serve as co-executive producers and showrunners. Nickelodeon Animation director, development, Nathan Schram is overseeing development and production of the series. The greenlight marks Nick’s second series based off works from Peirce and follows Big Nate, which is set to debut next year.
Rock, Paper, Scissors brings the iconic childhood game to life. The character-driven comedy follows the hilarious shenanigans of roommates Rock, Paper, and Scissors on their hijinks and ridiculous adventures. Rock, the moral compass of the group, is always struggling with his dream of becoming a model; Paper is an inventor and the brains of the group; and Scissors is the wannabe cool guy whose ego brings an endless fountain of chaos to these three friends. No matter how much they compete and mess with each other, at the end of the day, they will always bond over their shared love of one thing: wacky nonsense.
Rock, Paper, Scissors is created and executive produced by Kyle Stegina (Robot Chicken) and Josh Lehrman (Robot Chicken). Bob Boyle (The Fairly OddParents) and Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) serve as executive producers. Development for Nickelodeon is overseen by Nickelodeon Animation vice president, animation development Kari Kim and Nickelodeon Animation vice president, animation development Daniel Wineman.
Nick’s Intergalactic Shorts Program launched in June 2019 and is overseen by Naito, with Vernon serving as the program’s executive producer and Paul Watling (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as co-executive producer. Kim and Wineman oversee development and production of the program, which is designed to identify and develop original comedy-driven content for kids from creative voices and passionate storytellers.