By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Sixteen South has partnered with Nelvana studio to co-develop and co-produce a 2D-animated series based on A Horse Named Steve.
A Horse Named Steve is a picture book series that is written and illustrated by Kelly Collier. The first book was released in 2017 by the children’s publishing company Kids Can Press.
“As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we’ve been reminded of how important the wide range of partnerships we’ve fostered over the years are to the success of our business,” said Kids Can Press president, Lisa Lyons Johnston. “Developing these kinds of partnerships—with Sixteen South and of course with our colleagues at Nelvana—helps to expand the reach of our creators’ books and puts their characters and stories in front of children and families wherever they may be. We’re always on the lookout for stories that will appeal to creators of other children’s entertainment media, as Kelly’s work clearly has.”
A division of Corus Entertainment, Kids Can Press is known for its literary picture books, character-driven franchises, and nonfiction works. Kids Can Press has had several of its franchise properties developed for TV and film by Nelvana including Franklin the Turtle, Scaredy Squirrel, the Binky Adventure series and more. Nelvana is also a subsidiary of Corus, one of the largest entertainment companies based in Canada.
“Steve’s larger-than-life antics and slapstick comedy have delighted both children and adults alike,” said Nelvana VP, Athena Georgaklis. “We’re excited to not only develop yet another revered Kids Can Press book franchise into an animated series, but are also eager to collaborate with Colin and the Sixteen South team to co-develop and co-produce a series that successfully captures Kelly’s unique tone and illustration style on screen.”
Nelvana is an international entertainment studio that produces and distributes children’s animated and live-action content. Nelvana’s content airs on Corus Entertainment’s kids channels in over a hundred and eighty countries around the world.
The upcoming A Horse Named Steve animated series will feature comedic storylines that focus on the themes of friendship, teamwork and self-acceptance.
“We knew as soon as we saw the cover of A Horse Named Steve that Steve was a perfect addition to Sixteen South’s stable,” said Sixteen South director, Colin Williams. “Kelly’s offbeat humour and quirky illustration style sealed the deal, aligning so well with the kind of stories we like to bring to life, so we moved quickly to option the rights from Kids Can Press.”
Sixteen South is a Northern Ireland-based childrens’ entertainment studio that specializes in 2D-animated and live-action media content.