Gaumont Animation, the toon division of the 120-year of French movie studio, is set to finance, produce and distribute a 2D animated series based on the iconic Laurel & Hardy characters.
Gaumont has secured the animation rights from Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation to re-launch the Laurel & Hardy franchise 50 years after the original cartoon series came out. It will also handle the licensing and merchandising campaigns.
The characters, portrayed by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, became well-known popular culture figures in the 1920s and appeared in over 100 films together, starting with silents.
The announcement was made recently by Pierre Belaisch, Gaumont Animation’s managing director, in the run up to MipTV.
“Laurel & Hardy are without a doubt two of the world’s best-known icons. To be given the opportunity to re-launch this unique iconic property has been a dream of mine for many years,” said Belaisch. “In 1966 Hanna-Barbera produced 156 animated episodes, and fans everywhere fell in the love with the animated duo. We want to bring the world a totally new series with an updated look, design and feel while maintaining the slapstick humor that made this twosome world famous.”
The comedy series – which will comprise 78 episodes of seven minutes each – will primarily target children 5-8 ages but will also cater to kids of all ages.
