News > BET animation unit inks two deals
August 16, 2006
Via: TV.com
BET said Tuesday that its recently launched animation division has signed deals with Film Roman, whose credits include Fox's The Simpsons and King of the Hill, and Dwayne McDuffie, who cofounded comic book company Milestone Media with BET's Denys Cowan, to develop animated projects for multiple platforms.
Last month BET announced that it has partnered with Vin Diesel's One Race Prods. to produce Hannibal the Conqueror, a prime-time animated series based on the life of legendary military leader Hannibal of Carthage.
BET Animation, the unit announced in January, said the deal with Film Roman, an IDT Entertainment company, calls for the animation studio to produce a slate of animated films, series, and multiplatform content for Internet, broadband, and mobile applications. In addition, BET and Film Roman plan to jointly develop and produce direct-to-DVD and theatrical releases. The terms of the three-year, nonexclusive deal also include international distribution outside of BET.
Meanwhile, the deal with McDuffie, which calls for him to create an action-adventure series, reunites BET senior vice president animation Cowan with his former creative partner. In addition to cofounding Milestone Media, the duo cocreated the comic series and Kids' WB! animated series Static Stock, which received a Daytime Emmy and Humanitas Prize. As head of BET Animation, Cowan will oversee the development of all new projects and work closely with McDuffie.
The projects covered under the deals with Film Roman and McDuffie are targeted for prime-time slots and aimed at adult audiences, but BET intends to develop family-oriented animated fare for various dayparts down the road as well.
BET president of entertainment Reginald Hudlin said viewers will begin to see animation on the channel by the fourth quarter, starting with shorts airing throughout the schedule as well as online content, followed by the launch of the animated series, which he's hoping to kick off by fall 2007.
