The media group partners with Trustbridge to co-develop and adapt popular book series ‘Judy Moody’ by Megan McDonald and best-selling holiday picture book ‘Dasher’ by Matt Tavares, with animation by Brown Bag Films.
9 Story Media Group and Trustbridge Entertainment have signed a deal to co-develop and co-create new animated series based on two best-selling children’s books from Candlewick Press: the “Judy Moody” series by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, and the best-selling holiday picture book “Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever,” written and illustrated by Matt Tavares.
9 Story’s Oscar-nominated studio, Brown Bag Films, will animate the shows with the company’s distribution division holding worldwide distribution rights (excluding China). Trustbridge Entertainment will maintain global merchandising and licensing rights.
The Judy Moody book franchise includes the original series and three spin-off book series, “Stink,” “Judy Moody,” and “Stink, and Judy Moody and Friends,” and a feature film released in 2011. To date, there are more than 43 million “Judy Moody” books in print worldwide, translated into 26 languages.
A New York Times Best Seller from 2019-2022, “Dasher” is a holiday picture about how it came to be that reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. A sequel, “Dasher Can’t Wait for Christmas,” was released in fall 2023.
“We are so thrilled to be working with Trustbridge on these beloved book properties,” said 9 Story Media Group chief strategy officer Natalie Osborne. “Partnering with Trustbridge furthers our strategy of joining forces with best-in-class partners to bring cherished characters and stories to global audiences.”
“Judy Moody and Dasher are two preeminent titles, and we wanted a preeminent partner to help us bring these stories and characters to animated life,” added Trustbridge Entertainment president Bob Higgins. “From storytelling to visual execution, they’ve proven to be exceptional, and we are lucky to be in such talented hands.”
Source: 9 Story Media Group
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
