Tag Archives: Letko

Macmillan Children’s Books swoops in to acquire publishing for Odo

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Macmillan Children’s Books has acquired the publishing rights for Odo. The warm-hearted and funny animated series about a little owl and his forest friends was commissioned by Milkshake (Channel 5) in the UK, who premiered the series in August last year, and KiKA in Germany. The series has also been sold in to more than 150 other territories across the world including  HBOMax in the USA, Canal+ in France, ABC in Australia, SVT in Sweden and NRK in Norway and RTE in Ireland.

The series is a co-production between BAFTA winning Belfast-based Sixteen South and Polish animation studio Letko.

This latest acquisition is a key new property for Macmillan Children’s Books, strengthening its list of preschool licensed brands. It follows a deal with Lego for preschool novelty publishing, which launched in August 2021.

Nicole Pearson, Publishing Director, Brands & Media, Macmillan Children’s Books, bought world rights in all languages for six books, with an option to acquire further formats and titles, from Vicky Miller, Licensing Director at Bulldog Licensing. The first tranche of picture books will launch in the UK in March 2023.

Nicole Pearson says: “We are delighted to be working with Bulldog and Sixteen South on the delightful Odo – we were captivated by the beauty of the animation, how comedic and warm the stories are and, above all, by Odo’s strong central message of self belief and respect for others. With such an impressive array of international broadcast partners already on board, we believe Odo has real global potential and look forward to seeing this little owl spread its wings far beyond its forest home.”

“Finding the right publisher for Odo was incredibly important for us – a partner who recognised and shared the important values and ethos of the show, and with whom we could build a long-term partnership,” says Bulldog’s Vicky Miller. “We are delighted to be partnering with Macmillan Children’s Books as our global master publisher. The team at Macmillan Children’s Books impressed with their plans, creative ideas and passion for Odo. I can’t wait to see our first titles hit shelves next year.”

Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, MD, Macmillan Children’s Books, adds: “We continue to invest in key licensed properties where we know that MCB can bring something unique and exciting to a brand, and publishing innovative and exciting formats that will engage children and families. This is exactly one of these properties and we are very pleased to be working in partnership with Sixteen South Studios on developing Odo’s world through our preschool publishing.”

Sixteen South’s preschool series Odo prepares to take flight in the US and Latin America

Bulldog signs Wow! Stuff for master toy global deal

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Licensing agency Bulldog has agreed terms on a deal with Wow! Stuff for the toy company to become the first licensee for the ‘boundary breaking’ 2.5D animated series Odo.

Created by Sixteen South Originals and co-produced with Letko, Odo has now sold into more than 128 countries. In the new Master Toy global deal, Wow! Stuff will create a comprehensive range of toys including plush, dolls, figures and accessories, role-play toys, play sets, track sets, construction toys and bath toys.

Odo is a little owl with big ideas and was recently selected to join the Bulldog family of brands following its stellar TV launch last year. The first series comprises 52 x 7-minute stories and has already been pre-sold to many leading networks and broadcasters worldwide. The series is now airing every weekday on Milkshake! in the UK.

Odo has also been signed by HBO Max in the US and is airing on MiniMini+ in Poland, TVO Kids and Knowledge Kids in Canada and ABC in Australia. Many more territories will roll out throughout 2022.

The series combines humour and heart and aims to teach young children self-efficacy and to believe in themselves to help combat the troubling rise in childhood anxiety and depression levels. Each episode sees Odo positively tackle challenges with the help of his best friend Doodle, under the loving watchful eye of Camp Leader, an eagle.

Wow! Stuff’s Director of Licensing, Kenny McAndrew, is delighted with the deal. “We were pitching against some of the biggest toy companies for Odo,” he says. “Everything Odo stands for resonates and aligns with our own values, we wanted this with all our hearts – and I think that showed through in our pitch! Odo is unique; Odo the owl is gender neutral, the themes are groundbreaking and the series is grounded on social justice. And it’s very, very funny.”

Vicky Miller, Licensing Director of Bulldog Licensing, adds: “Wow! Stuff’s reputation for innovation is really unmatched in the industry and that’s what we wanted for Odo. The series is breaking boundaries in its approach to children’s mental health and wellbeing, it’s a trail-blazer in the preschool entertainment arena. Similarly, Wow! Stuff always goes above and beyond to create innovative, show-stopping product ranges and that’s just what Odo deserves”.