Ferly, the entertainment company founded by former Rovio executives and co-creators of Angry Birds and APC Kids, the children’s entertainment division of leading co-production and distribution company APC Studios, have signed master toy license agreement with Toy Plus for the CGI comedy-adventure series in development, MiniMecs (52 x 11’). The deal will see Toy Plus develop toy vehicles, figurines and playsets based on the series, aimed at the show’s target demographic of kids aged four to eight years.
Commenting on the partnership, Ferly CEO Laura Nevanlinna said, “We’re building MiniMecs into something truly enjoyable and immersive for kids and aspire to do that equally well in animation, toys, apps, and games. Having the creative Toy Plus team with us on this journey is a natural way of ensuring the physical and the digital are seamlessly interlinked.”
MiniMecs is an original series created by Ferly, co-produced by APC Kids’ studio Zephyr Animation along with Canada’s Yellow Animation, which is slated for 2022. APC Kids and Ferly share global distribution rights to MiniMecs, while Ferly manages global consumer products and gaming rights. Actively seeking broadcast partners, Ferly and APC Kids recently pitched the show together to a full audience at Cartoon Forum, kindling the interest of major networks.
APC Kids managing director Lionel Marty added, “We feel the timing is right for independent, experienced companies such as Ferly, Toy Plus and APC Kids to join forces, each bringing to the table their respective talent on content creation, toy manufacturing and international distribution, and develop together, from an early stage, genuinely exciting, high-profile, original properties such as MiniMecs.”
This new series builds upon Zephyr Animation’s current partnership with Ferly for Gone Gills, a 3D CGI series which will also be co-produced by Yellow Animation and follows three prehistoric creatures as they find themselves stranded in the strangest place in the history of the world – the present!
The synopsis goes like – In every home around the world, unbeknownst to humans, a tiny team of special operatives, called the MiniMecs, make sure everything in your house runs smoothly and trouble free. When Lili and Pete, two rookies fresh out of the MiniMecs Academy, are assigned to a brand new home filled with state-of-the-art smart technology that proves to be anything but reliable, they have their work cut out to keep things moving! Cyrus, the old-school team leader, and Joanna, the team’s plumbing and pipe expert, both realize this isn’t going to be a pleasure cruise when Pete gets accidentally spotted by a kid named Justin…
Toy Plus president Josue Rosenzweig who negotiated the deal, mentioned, “We really consider this property very unique and we are sure that with all these players in place it will be a huge success for 2021.”
