“Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter”
Italian pubcaster RAI has acquired the broadcast rights to “Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter” from UK distributor Serious Kids, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Studio Ghibli. The series will air on RAI Gulp and RAI Play this Autumn. The property is based on the well-loved 1981 novel Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter by acclaimed writer Astrid Lindgren.
RAI has also acquired two specials: “The Ghastly Ghoul” (Dreamlogic/Lupus Films for Sky Kids and Kika) and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” (Lupus Films/Walker Books for Channel 4), as well as the two-hour movie edit of “Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter” for its holiday programming.
Serious Kids, Studio Ghibli and The Astrid Lindgren Company oversaw the creation of the English version in London, which won the International Emmy Kids Award for Best Animated Series in 2017. The original version of the animated series aired in Japan on NHK to great public and critical acclaim, and the later movie edit was created by NHK in collaboration with Studio Ghibli in 2022.
Leila Ouledcheikh, Director of Global Distribution at Serious Kids celebrated the deal: "The fact that these titles have been selected by RAI, a broadcaster with such an esteemed reputation, is a tremendous endorsement of their quality. We are succeeding in major markets, and this deal further strengthens the international presence and longevity of these productions," expressed.
“Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter” is the 26-part story of a 10-year-old girl born on a stormy night in a mountain fort, surrounded by her parents and a loving band of robbers. She grows into a strong and active girl and discovers that the forest around her is both a beautiful and a frightening place inhabited by strange creatures. She befriends the son of her father’s rival, and so begins the drama of her friendship and family loyalties. We watch as she explores and understands these key factors in her life, and discovers that seemingly irresolvable choices can finally be made with the help of love and understanding.