News

’200% Wolf’, ’Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back’ and ’Richard The Stork 2’ have all been picked up for the UK and Ireland.

Signature Entertainment has picked up UK and Ireland rights to a trio of family animations – 200% Wolf, Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back and Richard The Stork 2 from Studio 100, Sola Media and Indie Sales respectively.

Theatrical releases are planned from the summer onwards.

200% Wolf is directed by Alexs Stadermann and produced by Barbara Stephen, Alexia Gates-Foale and Carmen Pérez-Marsá. It is the sequel to 2020’s 100% Wolf and follows a heroic poodle who is struggling to maintain the respect of his werewolf pack.

Two animated children’s projects and two live-action series will share in $3.2 million of production funding from Screen Australia.

Northern Pictures’ Tom Weekly Versus… and Werner Film Productions’ Surviving Summer are being made for ViacomCBS and Netflix, respectively, while animation offerings 100% Wolf: The Book of Hath from Flying Bark Productions and Kangaroo Beach Summer Special from Cheeky Little Media will both appear on the ABC.

Screen Australia’s head of content Sally Caplan said the funding reflected Screen Australia’s commitment to supporting quality Australian screen stories for young audiences.

“It’s important that Australian kids can see their stories and experiences reflected on screen and families around the country will be in for a treat with these new projects,” she said.

“Northern Pictures are going from strength to strength – building on the success of Hardball, they are now set to bring popular book series Tom Weekly to the screen.

Early career, regionally-based Indigenous writers are encouraged to apply for the Yellow Water Development Lab, being run by Screenworks in partnership with Tamarind Tree Pictures and Flying Bark Productions.

The four and half day lab will be held in the Northern Territory, working to craft children’s animated series Yellow Water Billabong set in Kakadu National Park.

A total of five Indigenous writers from across Australia will be selected to participate in the lab, and each paid a fee of $4,500, with additional travel and accommodation expenses also covered.

Danielle MacLean is the series creator, producer and writer, and will lead the lab with Indigenous writers, together with producer Anna Grieve from Tamarind Tree Pictures and Flying Bark’s creative director Alexs Stadermann and head of animation Alexia Gates-Foale.

MacLean said: “Our interest is doing a full creative and cultural overhaul on our Yellow Water series retaining the essential elements. Yellow...

Ryan Corr in ‘Below’ (Photo credit: David Dare Parker).

Madman Entertainment will release Maziar Lahooti’s debut feature Below on digital platforms and on DVD on July 8, bypassing cinemas.

Ryan Corr and Anthony Lapaglia star in the refugee detention centre action-drama produced by Nick Batzias of Good Thing Productions, Veronica Gleeson and Kate Neylon.

It will be the third Australian title to go straight to home entertainment since Covid-19 disrupted the film industry. Ben Lawrence’s Hearts and Bones went out as a Premium VOD release via Madman on May 6.

Flying Bark Productions’ animated feature 100% Wolf, scripted by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann and produced by Barbara Stephen and Alexia Gates-Foale, is taking the Pvod route from tomorrow. The voice cast is headed by Jai Courtney, Rhys Darby, Jane Lynch, Samara Weaving, Magda Szubanksi and Akmal Saleh.

In the pre-pandemic era, all three would have played in cinemas.

‘Maya the Bee: The Honey Games.’

Settling into her elevated role as CEO of content, Studio 100 International, Barbara Stephen is overseeing an increase in the company’s Australian animation business Flying Bark Productions and its Us and European units.

“Our strategy is to create content that is driven from each of the home markets and where we think there is an opportunity to expand that into global markets,” says Stephen, who continues as MD of Flying Bark, a post she has held since 2014.

“I see my role as ensuring each production business has a slate that they feel confident will work first and foremost for the local territory.

“The majority of my time will be spent with Flying Bark, which is the biggest animation production business within the animation group, as we expand. I will also work on strategy and planning for the international businesses, so it’s a happy marriage.

Barbara Stephen.

Belgian-owned media group Studio 100 has promoted Flying Bark Productions MD Barbara Stephen to CEO of content, Studio 100 International.

In the newly created role Stephen oversees all development, investment and animation production across the creative businesses including Studio 100 Animation (Paris), Studio Isar Animation (Munich), Little Airplane Productions (New York) and Flying Bark Productions.

In addition, Alexia Gates-Foale has been upped to head of animation production at Flying Bark, whose credits include Maya the Bee Movie, Erky Perky, Magical Tales, The Adventures of Figaro Pho and The Woodlies.

Hans Bourlon, CEO of Studio 100 Group, said: “We absolutely trust in Barbara to lead our content and production teams across the globe. The board and I are very optimistic about the future, while being grateful for the hard work of our staff and what was achieved so far. “

Stephen, who continues as MD of Flying Bark, said: “Flying Bark has...

Animator and filmmaker Alexs Stadermann will direct 3D Australian-German film Maya the Bee.

He will work with producer Barbara Stephen and line producer Alexia Gates-Foale, reforming the core team which worked on The Woodlies television series and The Woodlies Movie special feature-length episode.

.Alexs Stadermann, Barbara Stephen and Alexia Gates-Foale have an enviable work chemistry and energy," Flying Bark Productions managing director Jim Ballantine said in a statement announcing the appointments. "Their collaboration on The Woodlies is testament to their creativity. In addition to their powerhouse dynamic, they will bring their own individual career experience and passion to Maya the Bee ensuring this movie will be a local and global success..

Stadermann has previously worked as unit director on Disney's Bambi II and Tarzan II and supervising animator on Lion King 1½ (also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata). He also directed two seasons of Aardman Animation's Planet Sketch,...