News

There’s a new creature in town.

Impossible Dream Entertainment, a production company founded by Shaun Redick and Yvette Yates Redick, has joined forces with The Fithian Group and its new theatrical distribution unit, Attend, which will handle the U.S. release of “Fleak.”

The latest animated feature from Finnish studio Anima Vitae will premiere in June at the Annecy Festival as part of the Annecy Presents sidebar.

Told from a child’s point of view and described as “a heartwarming, wildly imaginative adventure about resilience, family and the courage to face your fears, even when it means accepting what you’ve lost,” it focuses on Thomas, whose world is turned upside down.

A sudden accident leaves him feeling lost and left behind. But everything changes when he encounters Fleak, a strange and spirited creature who leads him on an unforgettable adventure through a dreamlike realm.

The film is distributed...

Everyone’s favorite reindeer is set to return for the third time in the hit CGI animated film “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights,” with a clip (below) debuting exclusively with Variety. He’ll learn some important life lessons in the film.

“I guess we like to make things difficult for Niko,” jokes director Kari Juusonen. Jørgen Lerdam co-directs.

“We knew it had to be clear he’s different at the end, because of this adventure and all these revelations, but that’s what’s so great about animation. You can have a very serious moment, and then a whole lot of flying.”

In the third part of the popular franchise – which started in 2008 with “The Flight Before Christmas” – Niko wants to follow in his father’s hooves and join Santa’s prestigious Flying Forces. He has already overcome his fear of heights, but the pressure to measure up to his dad is taking its toll.

Global Screen has closed further deals on major territories for its animated adventure film “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights.” Variety debuts the new teaser (below).

Viva Kids has acquired all rights for North America to the latest feature film in the franchise about a flying reindeer, following worldwide hits “Niko & the Way to the Stars” (2008) and “Niko – Little Brother, Big Trouble” (2012), which were sold to more than 120 countries.

Further deals were concluded with Flins y Piniculas for Spain, CDC for Latin America, Nos Lusomundo for Portugal, Grand Entertainment for the Middle East and Svoe Kino for Ukraine.

As previously announced, the film has already been picked up by Kino Swiat for Poland, Bluelabel for South Korea, Just4Kids for the Benelux, Gpi for the Baltic states, Karantanija for ex-Yugoslavia, Vertigo for Hungary, Zinos Panagiotidis for Greece, Bad Unicorn for Romania, Bohemia Motion Pictures for Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Pro Film for Bulgaria,...

Exclusive: Global Screen has acquired international sales rights to the animated feature Niko – Beyond The Northern Lights, the third instalment of the popular children’s classic about a flying reindeer, and released a first image of the rebooted character.

The new feature comes more than a decade after the first two films in the franchise Niko & The Way To The Stars (2009) and Niko – Little Brother, Big Trouble (2012) proved hits with audiences worldwide.

The first film garnered more than 750,000 admissions in Germany alone and both titles sold to 120 territories.

The new feature is a major European animation co-production reuniting Hannu Tuomainen and Antti Haikala at Finnish company Animaker, with co-producers Emely Christians at Germany’’s Ulysses Films,, Moe Honan at Ireland’s Moetion Films (Two By Two: Overboard!) and Anders Mastrup at Danish company A. Film Production (Checkered Ninja 2).

The third instalment...