Universal to distribute Lego DVD premiere movies

Tinseltown Toons launches to produce films based on toy brand

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 8/14/2007

AUG. 14 | New CGI animation company Tinseltown Toons will use LEGOs to build a DVD premiere business.

Formed by private investment firm Qualia Capital and director/producer Larry Kasanoff’s Threshold Animation Studios, the company will distribute two to three family DVD premiere movies a year through Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Tinseltown has a deal with the LEGO Company to produce animated DVD premiere movies based on the toy company’s brands LEGO City, LEGO Mars Mission, LEGO Castle, LEGO Creator and Bionicle.

LEGO previously had a deal with Miramax, which created three direct-to-DVD Bionicle movies: Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003), Bionicle: Legends of Metru-Nui (2004) and Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows (2005). Buena Vista Home Entertainment distributed all three.

LEGO films will be the first productions from Tinseltown, but the company also plans to license other existing children’s and family properties for DVD premiere movies.

“We strongly believe that family-targeted computer animated movies will continue to be a robust market,” said Patrick Gunn, Qualia managing director. “By focusing on pre-promoted intellectual properties with broad family appeal, while utilizing quality state-of-the-art animation technologies and Universal’s unsurpassed worldwide home entertainment marketing and distribution capabilities, we’ve established the model for a very successful business.”

Glenn Ross, general manager and executive VP of Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions said Tinseltown’s movies will “perfectly complement our current franchise offerings,” which include DVD premieres based on Mattel’s Barbie.

Kasanoff and Threshold Studios have a history of doing CGI digital effects, producing upcoming Lionsgate theatrical release Foodfight!, doing animation for theme park rides such as Spider-Man 2 and doing effects for such films as Terminator 2 and Mortal Kombat.

Threshold will do all animation and production for Tinseltown films. Qualia will provide financing through its equity stake in the company and a revolving credit facility.

Qualia has a majority stake in Tinseltown, and daily operations in the new studio are being run by Gunn. Threshold’s Joshua Wexler and Kristy Scanlan manage creative activities at the company.