RAINBOW GROUP AND TOONZ MEDIA TO PARTNER FOR “PINOCCHIO” TV SHOW ADAPTATION

Rainbow Group initiated a partnership with Toonz Media to produce a children’s series based on Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio.” The adaptation is expected to debut by the end of this year.  “Giving life to a world classic is always a challenge, but at the same time very exciting as well,"  P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group said. "We are happy that Toonz has got a great partner in Rainbow to take up this challenge and deliver Pinocchio as a top-notch series with very high-quality content. I am sure kids across the world will love and enjoy this show."

The 26 12-minute episodes of the CGI show, targeted at 4 to 7-year-olds is set to have pre-production, post-production, and supervision operations carried out at Rainbow studios in Italy. The animation - from 3D asset creation to final LRC (Lighting, Rendering & Composting) - will be done at Toonz’s studios.  Toonz will handle distribution rights of the show in the Indian sub-continent, South East Asia, Spain, and Portugal. Toonz will also hold the Licensing and Merchandising (L&M) rights of the show in the Indian sub-continent. Distribution and L&M rights in the rest of the world will be handled by Rainbow.

Founder and CEO of Rainbow Group, Iginio Straffi implemented a modern twist to the classic story, bringing adventure, comedy, fun, and educational elements while bringing out the essence of what makes the original character of Pinocchio the popular character that it is. In the story, Pinocchio is an enchanted puppet living in today’s world, one where anything is possible. He grows alongside his best friends.

Characters from the original story are joined by new ones in a setting set to be distributed across the world and licensing market. “The new Pinocchio I imagined speaks to children in a light-hearted, educational way and empowers their dreams. Families will love this compelling series and kids will find their new TV hero in Pinocchio," Straffi said.“We are glad to partner with Toonz, combining the great expertise of both our solid and international teams, which will be indeed an asset of this great production for a worldwide audience."