BUDGET 2000
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
COMMENTARY
GOVT&ECONOMY
Y2K: BIZ FEATURES
INDIA & THE WTO
CREDIT POLICY
BIZ IN THE USA
CARS & MOBIKES
MANAGEMENT
CASE STUDY
BIZ-QUIZ
USEFUL INFO
ARCHIVES
NEWSLINKS
SEARCH REDIFF

UTV Toons in alliance with Fun Bag Animation

UTV Toons, part of the UTV Group, has announced the signing of a Canadian $ 93.60-million agreement with Fun Bag Animation, a subsidiary of Hollywood major Universal Studios, to co-produce nine international series in animation.

The agreement was signed at the recently concluded television festival at Cannes, France. The series will be of 26 episodes each, totalling 234 episodes in a span of over three years.

Work on this project would begin in June this year. UTV, along with Fun Bag, will co-own all global rights including merchandising.

UTV chairman Ronnie Screwvala said that the deal will put India on the global map for animation. He hoped that more joint ventures would take place between India and Canada in all forms of content - television, animation, film and Internet.

UTV Toons president and noted animator A M Mohan said that the subsidiary company has set up one of the largest animation hubs with over 300 animators and has successfully completed global projects that include Oliver Twist for Fox, Bad Dog for Cine Group, Meena for UNICEF.

Screwvala said that the global animation industry is worth over $ 4-6 billion annually. Of this, about $ 300 million of animation contract work is shipped to Asia from Europe and North America.

Similarly, countries like the Philippines, Taiwan and Korea have had a headstart over India in this business.

He said that India can expect a larger share of the animation pie and UTV Toons is gearing up for this.

Presently, the other UTV projects on hand include a 26-episode series entitled, Jason and the Heroes of Mount Olympus in co-production with Fox, Kong, a 40-episode series with BKN Animation of New York and For Better Or For Worse, a 19-episode series in co-production with Fun Bag.

Replying to a question, Screwvala said that details of UTV's public issue will be announced after the company's board meeting this month end.

UNI

Business