EXCLUSIVE: Excelsior! Kartoon Studios and the UK’s GFM Animation have teamed to develop and produce animated features based on the Stan Lee Universe.
Characters and stories from the Kartoon-controlled Stan Lee Universe will feature in the five pics, which Kartoon and GFM will develop, finance and produce together.
A team of LA-based writers with previous experience working across Marvel projects has been assembled to develop the first scripts, working alongside GFM in London and Kartoon in L.A. The first three treatments will be presented to distributors at the Cannes Film Festival.
Lee, who passed away in 2018, is one of the most prolific character creators of all-time. During the time he was Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, he built the superhero universe known today and made household names of the likes of Spider-Man, Thor, Hulk and the X-Men. He eventually rose to Editorial Director and Publisher and was later named Marvel’s Chairman Emeritus, and the characters he co-created led to Disney paying $4B for Marvel in 2009, spawning the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rights to Lee’s likeness, name and signature, along with characters he created through POW! Entertainment were sold to Genius Brands International (now Kartoon Studios) in 2020.
“Through Stan Lee Universe, we are dedicated to continuing the legacy of one of the most iconic and prolific creators in the world, who continues to inspire fans globally with recent mega-hits such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” said Gregg Goldin, SVP, Development & Production, Kartoon Studios. “These new projects, developed from Stan’s original ideas, will introduce his magic to younger generations and continue to engage his loyal fans.
GFM is known for features such as X Factor in the Jungle and Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, and is also an indie movie creator and seller. Notably it launched animated film 10 Lives at Sundance earlier this year, which Damon Wise reviewed here. The film stars the likes of Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Bill Nighy, Zayn Malik.
“Our new partner, GFM, has a history of producing quality films for the entire family, and fresh off their successful debut of 10 Lives at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, they continue to prove their expertise in the independent animation landscape. We are excited to partner with them on this ambitious slate of projects.”
“Stan Lee is a singular creator,” said Guy Collins, Chairman, GFM Animation. “The stories and characters Stan created and co-created have mesmerized multiple generations of fans across the globe for many decades. We are honored to partner with Kartoon Studios and Stan Lee Universe to celebrate Stan’s tremendous contributions to pop culture and entertainment by bringing quality animated films for all ages to big screens around the world.”
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