LOS ANGELES, CA -- February 29, 2016 -- Having recently finalized a deal and secured worldwide rights to a much sought after property from New York City Ballet and The George Balanchine Trust, Nicolas Atlan and Mike Young, Co-CEOs of Splash Entertainment, announced today that the company will be stepping up its production activities with plans to develop, produce, and distribute Daisy and The Nutcracker, 3 x 45’ educational live-action and 3D-animated specials, starring dancers from the world-renowned New York City Ballet and based on the Company’s acclaimed production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™.
Daisy and The Nutcracker has been co-created by New York City Ballet and Mermaid Media, and written with Gabe Pulliam, whose credits include Olivia for Nick Jr. and Octonauts for Disney Channel and CBeebies.
“New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world. We are thrilled to be partnering with them to bring Daisy to life within the magical world of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” commented Atlan. “With many treasured stories to be told as a part of this classic ballet, we are confident that this could become an internationally recognized franchise.”
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker was created in 1954 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine, the co-founder of New York City Ballet. NYCB’s beloved production has been performed in New York City every year since its premiere and is seen by more than 100,000 people annually.
"I'm thrilled to be a partner with the New York City Ballet and excited to be moving forward with Splash, a real powerhouse production partner, to bring this evergreen property to audiences around the world on new platforms and in new media,” added Ginger Brown of Mermaid Media.
Daisy & The Nutcracker specials are about Daisy, a high-spirited, irrepressible rag doll that wakes up one day to find herself in the middle of a magical production of George Balanchine'sThe Nutcracker. Although she knows nothing about the world of ballet, Daisy blithely plows headlong into every situation, just trying to find her place in the production and reach for her dream to be a ballerina.
The specials take place in the heart of snowy New York City where each holiday season New York City Ballet performs the Christmas classic at Lincoln Center. Our story begins when the performance ends and the backstage world of the theater, chock full of sets, costumes, and the legendary Christmas tree -- appears quiet and dark.
“For more than 60 years George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker has been enjoyed by countless audiences during our live performances in New York City. We are very excited to now partner with Splash Entertainment on this innovative new project which will provide children everywhere with a compelling new way to become acquainted with the world of ballet and the characters of this landmark production,” said New York City Ballet Executive Director Katherine Brown.
These entertaining and educational specials incorporate live-action elements into the animation featuring New York City Ballet’s dancers performing Balanchine’s landmark choreography. Daisy & The Nutcracker is conceived as 3x45’ holiday specials but could easily be repurposed as a 13x11’ series or new formats for new media.
About New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with a roster of more than 90 dancers and an unparalleled repertory of modern masterpieces. The Company was founded in 1948 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine and arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic, contemporary style, and a repertory of original ballets that has forever changed the face of classical dance. Now under the direction of Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins and Executive Director Katherine Brown, NYCB is committed to promoting creative excellence and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers.
About Splash Entertainment
Specializing in children’s entertainment, Splash Entertainment is an innovator, developer, and producer of original animated television series, properties and brands that are implemented across all digital platforms of the media. The company’s library (over 550 half hours) contains content airing in more than 160 territories worldwide. Among Splash Entertainment’s key brands licensed in markets worldwide and produced by their talented animation production staff include: Chloe’s Closet®, Dive Olly Dive!®,Hero:108®, Growing Up Creepie®,
Pet Alien®and ToddWorld®. Splash Entertainment’s newest productions include the animated family feature film Norm of the North, the next three 45 minute movies in the Alpha And Omega franchise, and the Netflix Original series Kulipari: An Army of Frogs. Currently in production is Chloe’s Closet Season 3.As a production company hired by outside content owners, Splash Entertainment has produced animated series for a number of high profile brands, such as Care Bears™, Clifford The Big Red Dog, Lalaloopsy™, Strawberry Shortcake™, Bratz®, Zhu Zhu Pets® and He-Man Masters of the Universe.
About Mermaid Media
Mermaid Media specializes in children’s entertainment, performance and music, documentary films and live action properties. Mermaid Media is headed by President and CEO Ginger Brown. who has been creating new properties across platforms for over 25 years. For Sesame Workshop she was a Producer and Executive Producer where she worked throughout the world launching International adaptations of the classic Sesame Street series in countries as diverse as France, Indonesia and Russia. She was Executive Producer for the Spanish language series Plaza Sésamo for over a decade and grew the series throughout Latin America to over 100 million households. At Nickeoldeon her projects were diverse as the network grew incuding Doubledare, Pete and Pete and the long running Universal Studios attraction Game Lab.
