Baboon Animation and GoKidGo announce a five-property podcast deal, starting with Stories from Pooh Corner (working title), inspired by A.A. Milnes classic children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh. Baboon, whose credits include Angry Birds and Gigantosaurus, recently announced their prequel feature, on the heels of the cuddly bear and his mates entering the public domain in the US last year.
The podcast, like the feature, will explore the characters’ young lives before the tales in the book took place.
“These younger characters will have big, fresh appeal for a brand-new kid audience,” said Baboon founder and DreamWorks alumnus Mike de Seve (Madagascar, Monsters vs. Aliens).
The new Pooh Corner stories will acquaint preschool-age children with all the classic pals from Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood, and introduce new characters.
“We’re excited to present the A. A. Milne’s cuddly crew with a fresh perspective for 21st-century kids. Stories from Pooh Corner is a unique opportunity to build an enriching world for preschoolers filled with adventures, learning opportunities, and of course hilarious characters,” said GoKidGo co-founder and CEO Maia Glikman.
The Pooh Corner podcast represents a continuation of GoKidGo’s success creating fresh audio IP for future series development, as their team has recently done with R.L. Stine’s Story Club in co-production with Happy Nest.
“Taking an audio-first approach to Baboon’s great IPs supports children’s imaginations– with an eye toward developing the most compelling stories into animated series,” said GoKidGo co-founder and COO Jennifer Clary.
Senior executive at UTA Audio Kristin Myers believes GoKidGo’s levelling-up of kids and family content in podcasting is what the industry needs. “These are exactly the type of trailblazing partnerships we like to see. Audio offers the perfect playful way into franchise expansion. You can lay breadcrumbs for your listeners to follow you into original adventures that deepen experiences with known characters and places, or introduce new ones! And these stories can then have a second life in TV, film, the stage, games, you name it,” said Myers.
Baboon and GoKidGo have yet to announce a release date but the Stories from Pooh Corner podcast is expected to be available sometime in 2023. Fans will be eagerly waiting for the new development in Winnie the Pooh legacy.
