HBO Max said it outbid rivals to sign a two-year deal with children’s author Mo Willems.
The deal makes Willems the first “artist in residence” at HBO Max, which acquired the streaming rights to Don’t Let the Pigeons Do Story Time!, the first live-action special from Willems.
“Mo is a special talent with a profound ability to connect with children and families alike. We are so happy Mo and Stampede Ventures chose to partner with us at HBO Max,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max, president, TNT, TBS, and truTV.
Willems’ shows will be produced by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures. The first animated special will be based on the best-seller Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed.
HBO Max: Everything You Need to Know
“HBO Max is the perfect home for me to work on fun and experimental ways to bring my book characters and theater work to the screen because we share the goal of creating exciting shows and series that bring families together,” said Willems. “My focus is making stuff that amuses, entertains and sparks creative play after the screen is powered down. Having the creative teams of HBO Max and Stampede Ventures with me means that we’ll get to create meaningful work and have fun doing it. We’re so excited we even created a new logo for the occasion. Banana!”
