By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
WildBrain and Jay Ward Productions, Inc., have signed an agreement across distribution, production and licensing for the entire portfolio of classic Ward-owned IP.
This portfolio includes properties such as George of the Jungle, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Dudley Do-Right, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Super Chicken and more.
Under the agreement, WildBrain will add 788 episodes of Jay Ward Productions’ classic animation to its distribution library. The two companies will also create brand-new content based on the Ward portfolio.
The new partnership reunites WildBrain’s CEO, Eric Ellenbogen, with Tiffany Ward, President of Jay Ward Productions and daughter of the late, acclaimed animation producer Jay Ward.
“Everything old is new again,” said Ellenbogen. “I’m delighted to be reunited with Tiffany to bring new audiences the hilarious characters and shows created by her father, which are part of the canon of the world’s greatest animation. Never has there been a better time to refresh classic branded IP like this, just as we are doing with so many of our evergreen WildBrain brands.”
Twenty years ago, Ellenbogen and Ward created Bullwinkle Studios through Ellenbogen’s former company, Classic Media. The company was sold to DreamWorks in 2012 and ultimately became part of NBCUniversal.
“I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Eric again,” said Tiffany Ward. “Our past partnership with Bullwinkle Studios was prolific and successful, and now that Eric is at the helm of a creative powerhouse like WildBrain, I’m excited to work with him and his fantastic team to broaden the legacy of my father’s work to new generations of kids and families.”
In addition to various new production, licensing and merchandising rights on Ward’s portfolio of classic IP, the new venture sees WildBrain grow its distribution library with such classic Jay Ward series as The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Peabody’s Improbable History, Dudley Do-Right, and more.