Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series (Press Release)

DHX MEDIA AND SONY PICTURES ANIMATION TAKING CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS TO TELEVISION

Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Toronto, Vancouver. October 9, 2014. DHX Media, a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, has signed a deal with Sony Pictures Animation to expand the blockbuster film franchise Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs into television with a brand-new adaptation.

The far-reaching deal will see DHX Media develop and produce twenty-six 22-minute, traditionally animated small-screen episodes of the acclaimed computer-generated animated feature films, and includes global television and non-US home entertainment exploitation rights to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series (Sony will distribute home entertainment in the US).  The deal also has DHX Media representing merchandising for the television series on a worldwide basis.

The 2009 mouth-watering animated comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and its 2013 sequel, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, were produced by Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.  Both films were critical and commercial successes which grossed a combined $510 million in theaters.  

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series takes place before giant food came raining down on Swallow Falls.  Flint Lockwood is a high school tween with big dreams.  Swallow Falls is a blue-collar town where sardines are driving a booming economy. But Flint suffers from NFD: Non Fish-related Dreams. He wants to be a serious scientist and maybe one day not have his inventions blow up in his face. Along for the ride is Sam Sparks, who's the new girl in town and the school's newest wannabe ace reporter.  These two outsiders come together for laughs and comedic adventures with all the great characters from the film: Flint's Dad Tim, Steve the Monkey, Manny the head of the school's audiovisual, school gym teacher Earl before he becomes a cop, Brent who still models baby wear, and Mayor Shelbourne, who wins every election on the pro-sardine platform.   

Steven DeNure, President and COO of DHX Media, said: “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has a tremendous legacy as beloved children’s books and a duo of highly popular feature films, showing how great ideas can succeed across media. We believe audiences both old and new are going to love this fiercely funny franchise reimagined for the small screen.”

Bob Osher, President of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, said: “I'm thrilled to see the adventures of our beloved characters from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs further expanded to television for audiences around the world to enjoy.”

Rick Mischel, executive producer at Sony Pictures Animation, added: “DHX’s track record in creating great kids’ television content makes them an ideal partner to capture the unique humor and tone of Flint Lockwood and his friends that made the theatrical franchise so successful.”

About Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs follows the adventures of Flint Lockwood, an eccentric young scientist whose awkward demeanor and half-baked inventions – ratbirds, spray-on shoes, and talking monkeys – have made him an outsider in his hometown of Swallow Falls.  All that is about to change with his latest contraption: the Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Nano Dynamic Food Replicator (or FLDSNDFR for short), a miraculous machine designed to make sure nobody ever goes hungry again. But when his creation leaves the whole world in a pickle, the forecast goes from sunny to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs  Based on the best-selling book by Judi and Ron Barrett, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (writers and directors of “The LEGO Movie”); produced by Pam Marsden (“Dinosaur”). The CG animation was created by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 picks up where Sony Pictures Animation’s mouth-watering comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention -- a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and is now creating food-animals – "foodimals!"  Flint and his friends embark on a dangerously delicious mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheespiders and other foodimals to save the world – again! Columbia Pictures presents a Sony Pictures Animation film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.  With the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Terry Crews, and Kristen Schaal.  Directed by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn.  Story by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and Erica Rivinoja.  Screenplay by Erica Rivinoja and John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein.  Inspired by the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs written by Judi Barrett & illustrated by Ron Barrett.  Produced by Pam Marsden and Kirk Bodyfelt.  Executive producers are Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.  Music by Mark Mothersbaugh.  Imagery and Animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc.

About DHX Media Ltd.

DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com), a leading creator, producer, marketer and broadcaster of family entertainment, is recognized globally for such brands as Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou,Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test, and the multi-award winningDegrassi franchise. DHX Media Ltd. is the owner of Family Channel, the most-viewed children's television channel in Canada, as well as Disney Junior (English & French) and Disney XD. The Company markets and distributes its library of more than 10,000 half-hours of entertainment programming worldwide, and licenses its owned properties through its dedicated consumer products business. DHX Media Ltd.'s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. DHX Media Ltd. has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Amsterdam, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols DHX.A and DHX.B.

About Sony Pictures Animation

Sony Pictures Animation (www.SonyPicturesAnimation.com) produces a variety of animated and family entertainment for audiences around the world.  The studio followed its worldwide comedy hits—the 2012 monster hit comedy Hotel Transylvania, the hybrid live action/animated blockbusters The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2, and the 2009 mouth-watering Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs—with the family comedy Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2, now available on Blu-ray combo pack and digital.  Sony Pictures Animation also released a brand new mini-movie on DVD and television last Fall, The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow.  The studio, in conjunction with Aardman Animations, has produced two critically acclaimed feature films:  the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas; and the Academy Award® nominated stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits.  In 2007, Surf's Up also received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.  The division, whose first feature film Open Season led to a very successful movie franchise, turned 10 in 2012.  Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.