Universal Studios, Just Group, Mike Young Productions And DCDC Announce Broad Arrangement for 'Butt-Ugly Martians'
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Studios, Just Group, Mike Young Productions and DCDC today announced a broad arrangement for "Butt-Ugly Martians," the highly anticipated new CGI-animated action- adventure-comedy TV series, which debuted with stellar ratings of 33 percent share of the kids audience on CITV.
Under the terms of the arrangement, Universal Studios will have all feature film rights together with the associated consumer products representation, worldwide home video distribution rights (excluding UK and Germany), the right to finance and produce additional television episodes and theme park rights.
Universal Pictures Franchise Development together with Just Group will coordinate and manage the property. "'Butt-Ugly Martians' is a wonderful addition to our portfolio," said Bob Rubin, executive vice president, Universal Pictures Franchise Development, who negotiated the deal on behalf of Universal. "It complements our strategy to develop and maximize franchise opportunities for worldwide exposure across all our studio divisions."
Ian Miles, chairman, Just Group said: "We are delighted to welcome Universal as a partner in the further development of 'Butt-Ugly Martians' and look forward to making this a worldwide success."
Mike Young, chairman of Mike Young Production adds: "We're looking forward to collaborating with one of the world's great entertainment companies on this project. Excuse the pun, but as the producer of the series, we always knew the Butt-Uglies had universal appeal and now this agreement makes it official."
"Butt-Ugly Martians" is set in the year 2053 and features three Martian heroes -- B.Bop-A-Luna (Charlie Schlatter, "Diagnosis Murder"), 2-T-Fru-T (Rob Paulsen, "The Mask"), and Do-Wah-Diddy (Jess Harnell, "Animaniacs"). The heroes land on planet Earth having been sent on a mission to invade by their evil leader Emperor Bog. There's just one thing: they really have no intention of taking over! In fact, they fought for the assignment because they wanted to experience Earth's great pop culture of fast food, video games and TV!
The Butt-Ugly's new mission includes keeping their three Earth friends -- Mikey, Angela and Cedric -- safe from other space invaders and evading Emperor Bog by sending phony taped progress reports of themselves "conquering" the planet. Earth's invaders become its protectors ... and that's where the adventure really begins!
The "Butt-Ugly Martians" created such a demand in the UK when it launched in February 2001 that CITV repeated the first 13 episodes this past summer, an unprecedented programming move for a UK kids' broadcaster. The series, backed by an impressive list of licensees, including Hasbro and Scholastic, will premiere on Nickelodeon in the US in early 2002 and has begun debuting on other important children's outlets around the world.
The "Butt-Ugly Martians" is a Just Entertainment production in association with Mike Young Productions and DCDC in Hong Kong.
Just Group PLC (www.justgroup.com) is based in the UK and is quoted on the Alternative Investment Market. It is a worldwide leader in integrated children's media.
Mike Young Productions, headquartered in Los Angeles, is one of the largest independent producers of animation today.
Universal Pictures Franchise Development is a division of Universal Pictures, a unit of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com), a part of CANAL+, the TV and Film division of Vivendi Universal, a new global leader in media and communications.
Artwork available at www.cpgpublicity.com. Please contact Eve Senuty at eve.senuty@unistudios.com or (818) 777-4918 for website access.
For further information please contact: Debra Jackman of Universal Pictures Franchise Development, +1-818-777-3188, debbie.jackman@unistudios.com; or Michael Padley (College Hill) for Just Group, 44-207-457-2020; or Alison Hill for Mike Young Productions, +1-714-444-9731, ext. 201, alison@currentpr.com.
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SOURCE Universal Studios
CO: Universal Studios; Just Group PLC; Mike Young Productions; DCDC; Universal Pictures; CANAL+; Vivendi Universal
ST: California, England, Hong Kong
IN: ENT TVN
SU: LIC
10/16/2001 09:02 EDT prnewswire.com |
