Kartoon Studios Premieres Trailer for Highly Anticipated Animated Production The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-The-Pooh

/EIN News/ -- Sneak Peek Unveiled Last Night at Sundance Film Festival

Available to Watch Now on YouTube, X, Instagram and LinkedIn

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kartoon Studios (NYSE American: TOON) today publicly unveiled the trailer for its highly anticipated animated production, The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh. Available now on Kartoon Studios’ X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube accounts, the trailer offers audiences a first look at the company’s most ambitious production in its history, coming at the end of this year. The trailer was revealed in a ‘Sneak Peak’ last night at the Sundance Film Festival at a special event held by Harbor Fund.

Based on one of the most successful and beloved children’s properties of all time, The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh represents Kartoon Studios’ largest production to date, with over 200 six-minute shorts planned, as well as a package of five-holiday specials, as the brand rolls out.

This newly imagined adaptation of A.A. Milne’s cherished books brings the magic of the Hundred Acre Wood to life through a distinctive yarn-based animation style blending AI and hand-drawn characters and backgrounds. With its rich textures, vibrant color palettes, and heartwarming aesthetic, the production breathes fresh life into timeless characters while remaining faithful to the original charm of A.A. Milne’s characters and the Hundred Acre Wood, where the stories occur.  

“To our knowledge, this will be the first time using characters and methods developed with AI. We literally would not have been able to do this project even a year ago before the advent of today’s AI and the tools that now can make this kind of look available,” said multi-Emmy-winning director Michael Maliani.

Winnie-the-Pooh has captivated families worldwide for nearly a century with his gentle wisdom, friendships, family, and heartfelt adventures. Generations of parents and children have embraced the stories for their universal themes of love, loyalty, and the simple joys of life. This enduring appeal positions The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh as a major opportunity for Kartoon Studios to expand its reach and solidify its place as a leader in family entertainment.

“Winnie-the-Pooh is more than just a character; he’s a beloved symbol of kindness, imagination, and the enduring value of friendship,” said Andy Heyward, CEO of Kartoon Studios. “It allows us to tell timeless, heartfelt stories and, at the same time, connect children to the simple joys of nature and animals. We're creating something truly special by embracing A.A. Milne’s original vision while reimagining it for today’s audience.

“For our investors, this project underscores Kartoon Studios’ commitment to delivering premium, timeless content with global appeal and the products they inspire. The potential for Winnie-the-Pooh as a brand is monumental, and we’re confident this series will capture the hearts of viewers around the world as we develop a global line of products based on this look and interpretation of A.A. Milne.”

As Kartoon Studios continues to expand its portfolio, The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh stands as a shining example of the company’s dedication to producing world-class entertainment that resonates with audiences of all ages. With its universal themes and innovative animation, this production is poised to become a defining chapter in the legacy of Winnie-the-Pooh.

About Kartoon Studios
Kartoon Studios (NYSE AMERICAN: TOON) is a global end-to-end creator, producer, distributor, marketer, and licensor of entertainment brands. The Company’s IP portfolio includes original animated content, including the Stan Lee brand, and post-Marvel Stan Lee content of over 200 characters through its controlling interest in Stan Lee Universe, as well as “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel! and Ameba; “Shaq’s Garage,” starring Shaquille O’Neal, on Kartoon Channel!; “Rainbow Rangers” on Kartoon Channel! and Ameba; the Netflix Original, “Llama Llama,” starring Jennifer Garner, and more. In 2022, Kartoon Studios acquired Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media, and a material financial interest in its subsidiary, Mainframe Studios, which is one of the most successful animation service houses in the world, producing top brands for 3^rd parties, including “Cocomelon,” “Barbie’s Playhouse,” “Unicorn Academy,” and “SuperKitties.” Additionally, the company made a strategic investment becoming the largest shareholder in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG, one of Europe’s leading distributors and broadcasters of high-quality programs for children and families.   Toon Media Networks, the Company’s wholly owned digital distribution network, consists of Kartoon Channel!, Frederator Network, and Ameba. Kartoon Channel! is a globally distributed entertainment platform with near full penetration of the U.S. market. Kartoon Channel continually is ranked by viewers in the Apple app store at the top of user entertainment apps. Kartoon Channel! and Ameba are available across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android Mobile, Web, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling TV, Android TV, Tubi, Xumo, and Samsung and LG Smart TVs. Frederator Network owns and operates one of the largest global animation networks on YouTube, with channels featuring over 2000 exclusive creators and influencers, garnering billions of views annually. For additional information, please visit www.kartoonstudios.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release and include statements regarding world premiere of the highly anticipated sneak peek trailer for the company’s animated The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh during the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Kartoon Studios’ Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh presents the largest and most ambitious production in the company’s history, the enduring appeal positioning The Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie-the-Pooh as a major opportunity for Kartoon Studios to expand its reach and solidify its place as a leader in family entertainment; the potential for Winnie-the-Pooh as a brand being monumental, and the series capturing the hearts of viewers around the world and the production being poised to become a defining chapter in the legacy of Winnie-the-Pooh. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, audience reaction to the premiere of the Winnie-the-Pooh trailer; the success of the trailer; our ability to generate revenue or achieve profitability; our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all; fluctuations in the results of our operations from period to period; general economic and financial conditions; our ability to anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies, fashion and technology; competitive pressure from other distributors of content and within the retail market; our reliance on and relationships with third-party production and animation studios; our ability to market and advertise our products; our reliance on third-parties to promote our products; our ability to keep pace with technological advances; our ability to protect our intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3770917-3a7f-4108-b62a-66873ae1fa88