Sony acquires Nickelodeon original films
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Deal to help build its Sony Wonder label
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 7/13/2007
JULY 13 | Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has acquired DVD rights to six Nickelodeon original films in an effort to build the Sony Wonder label, which the studio recently took over from Sony BMG.
The content grab also pushes SPWAG closer to its goal of landing various theatrical, DVD and TV rights to more than 100 films in 2007, its first year as a division under the studio.
“Family entertainment is critical to our maturing industry because it is a proven growth category,” said Lexine Wong, senior executive VP at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. “These original features, which are debuting on Nickelodeon, are targeted toward the pre-teen/tween audience and represent a huge opportunity that will be maximized at all of our retail outlets.”
Sony plans to street each DVD after the films’ premieres on the Nickelodeon channel. Dolphin Entertainment, which produces popular Nick show Zoey 101, is producer of the six films.
The first titles Sony will release under the deal are Shredderman Rules! and The Last Day of Summer on Aug. 28. Each is priced at $24.94.
Shredderman (prebook July 26) stars Saturday Night Live’s Tim Meadows and Full House’s Dave Coulier and revolves around a high school student working to expose a bully. Last Day of Summer (prebook July 19) stars Jansen Panettiere as a boy who is able to constantly relive the last day of freedom before school starts. Shredderman bowed on Nick on June 9, and Summer will air on the channel on July 20.
Other Dolphin-produced Nick films for Sony distribution include Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost and Roxy Hunter and the Secret of the Shaman. This new TV franchise stars Aria Wallace and will start rolling out on DVD shortly after its fall Nick premiere. The second installment is slated on DVD in winter 2008.
Dolphin president Bill O’Dowd said Sony was an obvious DVD home for the films.
“When I met with his team, they were definitely the ones that responded the most enthusiastically,” O’Dowd said. SPWAG chief “Peter Schlessel didn’t just say we liked the movies. He brought in a team of 20 people and said, ‘Meet all of our departments.’ That made me believe that we’d achieve the widest audience for the films.”
Schlessel added, “We anticipate Dolphin playing a critical role in Sony’s strategic product mix for the family market, and we are excited to be in business with the young talent Bill works with.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
