ANIMATION | BUSINESS
Mediawan Kids & Family, the European independent multi-genre studio dedicated to the production and distribution of children’s and family content for audiences worldwide, has announced its first international acquisition for the division with the purchase of a majority stake in UK-based production company Wildseed Studios.
Wildseed Studios Founders Jesse Cleverly and Miles Bullough with Mediawan Kids & Family President Julien Borde. © Lionel Guericolas
Multi-award winning Wildseed Studios is the leading UK destination for emerging and established talent looking to produce creator-led scripted live action and animated content for children, families and young adults, for the international market.
The company was founded in 2013 by Jesse Cleverly, former Head of co-productions and acquisitions at BBC Children’s and Miles Bullough, former Head of broadcast at Aardman Animations. It has produced worldwide hits such as the family live action series The Last Bus (Netflix), multi-award winning feature film Hungerford, children’s animation series Dodo (Sky Kids), kids 8-11 animated comedy Counterfeit Cat (Disney Channel) and soon-to-be-screened Special Ama’s Story (Sky Kids).
The new partnership will allow Mediawan Kids & Family to enrich its catalogue with new animation and live action content and extend its network of international talent. It will also provide a strong and complementary addition to its existing portfolio of studios.
“I am delighted to welcome Jesse, Miles and their team to Mediawan Kids & Family. Wildseed is a renowned and well-established UK producer with a strong network of international talent and partners. We are thrilled to start working with them to allow new talent to bring new stories and universes to kids, young adults and families. Wildseed will pursue the development of its own slate of content but also partner with our studios in Europe to bring new co-productions to the market”, says Julien Borde, President of Mediawan Kids & Family.
“We are excited to be part of the Mediawan family and hugely admire their modern, agile approach to creativity and partnership.One of the attractions of Mediawan for us was the ability to continue to drive our own diverse slate of shows, as well as working with other studios in the group to develop co-productions with a truly international focus”, adds Jesse Cleverly, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Wildseed Studios.
“We are thrilled with this new partnership. After Italy and the development of an Animation branch within our studio Palomar, it is a new establishment in a territory where animation is key, matching perfectly with our European studio strategy we are developing on all our genres”, concludes Elisabeth d’Arvieu, Managing Director of Mediawan Pictures.
Mediawan Kids & Family empowers the best talents in animation and kids entertainment to create premium content for audiences all around the globe.
Dodo