RAINBOW TO DEVELOP “BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS” BOOK SERIES WITH BARDEL ENTERTAINMENT

Bardel Entertainment Inc. and its Italian-based parent company Rainbow S.p.A. acquired rights for the best-selling Scholastic book series “The Bailey School Kids” by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones. Bardel and Rainbow will jointly produce a live-action series based on the book. “We’re thrilled about the opportunity to expand The Bailey School Kids’ universe into a live-action series for future generations to grow up with,” said Bardel CEO Rick Mischel. 

Stephen Moore of the Paul Kohner Agency negotiated the deal on behalf of Marie Lamba and Jennifer DeChiara of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. Mischel, Kimberly Guidone, and authors Marcia Jones and Debbie Dadey will serve as Executive Producers for the series The project was first brought to Bardel by Writer/Producer Arne Olsen contribute to the development. “As soon as we came across The Bailey School Kids, we realized that this best-selling series is a compelling concept full of potential that can’t wait to be brought to the screen," Founder and CEO of Rainbow Group Ignio Straffi said.

“The Bailey School Kids” series was birthed 25 years ago, and the titles continue to sell strongly. The books still receive recognitionin Scholastic's book clubs today, with more than 30 million copies sold throughout 51 titles. “Despite the multiple inquiries I received for this incredibly valuable IP, there was no question that Bardel, Rainbow, and Rick were the perfect fit," Executive Producer Kimberly Guidone said.  "As a leading brand of successful children’s entertainment, I was confident they could build, what is sure to be - an exciting global franchise."

Other top-selling titles include "Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips," which sold more than 1.5 million copies, "Frankenstein Doesn’t Plant Petunias," selling more than 1.25 million copies and "Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots," selling more than 2 million copies. Twelve of the top titles each sold over 1 million copies.