Crayola is following the lead of toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel, diving head-first into the world of scripted entertainment. Unlike those toy companies, however, Crayola doesn’t have a whole lineup of dolls, action figures, and board games. Armed with only coloring utensils, Crayola is entering the entertainment race with the newly launched Crayola Studios, which will aim to produce movies and television for kids.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The formation of Crayola Studios was announced this week. The newly created division of Crayola will begin its production slate with The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian, which will be co-developed by MIMO Studios. MIMO is run by former Nickelodeon chief Cyma Zarghami.
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian is based on a kids podcast from Jonathan Messinger. The audio series has delivered 12 seasons and a total of 260 episodes since 2016. The series follows a young boy named Finn Caspian who lived on an interplanetary space station. Along with his friends, Finn goes on adventures to explore space and help those in need.
Victoria Lozano, Crayola’s executive vice president of marketing, will be overseeing Crayola Studios, with support from Goatfish Agency and Crayola’s sister company, Hallmark Media.
“As world leaders in creative self-expression, the establishment of Crayola Studios is a logical next step for us, it builds on plans announced last year to develop entertainment content that inspires and nurtures the next generation and helps them develop lifelong creative mindsets,” said Lozano. “Our unique perspective offers an exciting opportunity for the industry as it searches for stand out new and trusted content that has creativity at its heart.”
“Crayola is synonymous with kids and color and we are so excited to collaborate with them to bring these beloved journeys to life through world-class animation and artistry” said Zarghami, “We have been cultivating The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian since we first identified it and immediately saw the great potential and opportunity to tell rich stories in video the way Gen-Z Media did in the podcast. The combination pf great characters, creativity, adventure, and information is something we can’t wait to bring to audiences worldwide.”
“This series allows kids to explore the power and limitless potential of imagination, self-expression, and creativity,” Larzano added. “Its DNA is at the very core of what we do at Crayola and a perfect example of the type of shows we want to produce going forward. We’re thrilled to join forces with the talented team at MIMO to bring Finn’s action-packed adventures to life.”
